Temporary heading

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International Vehicle Registraion Codes

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International vehicle registration code
Code Country
(English)
Country
(Local)
A Austria Austria Österreich
AL Albania Albania Shqipëri
AND Andorra Andorra Andorra
AM Armenia Armenia Հայաստան
Hayastan
AZ Azerbaijan [[Azerbaijan Azərbaycan
B Belgium Belgium België (Dutch)
Belgique (French)
BG Bulgaria Bulgaria България
BIH Bosnia and Hertzegovina Bosnia and
Hertzegovina
Bosna i Hercegovina (Croatian)
Босна и Херцеговина (Serbian)
BY Belarus Belarus Рэспубліка Беларусь
CH Switzerland Switzerland Schweiz (German)
Suisse (French)
Svizzera (Italian)
Svizra (Romansh)
CY Cyprus Cyprus Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία
CZ Czech Republic Czech Republic Česká republika
D Germany Germany Deutschland
DK Denmark Denmark Danmark
E Spain Spain España
EST Estonia Estonia Eesti
F France France Française
FIN Finland Finland Suomi
FL Leichtenstein Liechtenstein Liechtenstein
FO Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Føroyar (Faroese)
Færøerne (Danish)
GBA Alderney Alderney Alderney
GBG Guernsey Guernsey Guernsey
GBJ Jersey Jersey Jersey
GBM Isle of Man Isle of Man Isle of Man
GBZ Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar
GE Georgia Georgia საქართველო
GR Greece Greece Ελλάδα
H Hungary Hungary Magyarország
HR Croatia Croatia Hrvatska
I Italy Italy Italia
IRL Ireland Ireland Ireland (English)
Éire (Gaelic)
IS Iceland Iceland Ísland
L XXX Luxembourg Lëtzebuerg​ (Luxembourgish)
Luxembourg​ (French)
Luxemburg​ (German)
LT Lithuania Lithuania Lietuva
LV Latvia Latvia Latvija
M Malta Malta Malta
MC Monaco Monaco Monaco
MD Moldova Moldova Moldova
MNE Montenegro Montenegro Crna Gora (Latin script)
Црна Гора (Cyrillic script)
N Norway Norway Norge
NL Netherlands Netherlands Nederland
NMK North Macedonia North Macedonia Северна Македонија (Macedonian)
Maqedonisë së Veriut (Albanian)
P Portugal Portugal Portugal
PL Poland Poland Polska
RKS Kosovo Kosovo Kosovës (Albanian)
Косово (Serbian - Cyrillic)
Kosovo (Serbian - Latin)
RO Romania Romania România
RSM San Marino San Marino San Marino
RUS Russia Russia Россия
S Sweden Sweden Sverige
SK Slovakia Slovakia Slovensko
SLO Slovenia Slovenia Slovenija
SRB Serbia Serbia Србија (Cyrillic)
Srbija (Latin)
UA Ukraine Ukraine Україна
UK United Kingdom United Kingdom United Kingdom
V Vatican City Vatican City Civitatis Vaticanae (Latin)
Città del Vaticano (Italian)

All European countries demand that foreign vehicles display their country of origin. This can either be inside an oval disk or in small leters on the left-hand side of their number-plate. The codes used do not follow the ISO 3166 system or the convention used for internet domains but follow codes allocated at the 1909 or 1924 international conventions.

All the European country codes are listed alongside, together with the flag of the country concerned and the name of the country in the local language(s) and script. If you are planning to drive in a country that does not use the Latin script, it is advisable to familiarise oneself with the local script. Where two or more languages are in widespread use in a country, the local name is given in all commonly-used languages

By country

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For country-specific info, you should generally consult the By car sections of the country's article. However, Wikivoyage does have dedicated articles about driving in some European countries:

Denmark

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See also: Driving in Denmark

While the bicycle can be a good alternative to the car in Denmark, driving is usually easy. Parking in cities can be a hassle, though.

Finland

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See also: Driving in Finland

With exception of the coastal areas, Finland is sparsely populated. Some roads are very scenic.

France

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Main article: Driving in France

Similar to much of Europe, driving in France is very straightforward unless you go through the cities.

Germany

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Main article: Driving in Germany

Germany is known for its motorways, called Autobahns.

Iceland

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Main article: Driving in Iceland

Iceland is a fairly large island with a sparse population and no railways, so driving is the obvious choice for getting around outside the capital region. The ferry from Denmark takes three days, so consider hiring a car rather than bringing your own.

Italy

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Main article: Driving in Italy

It shouldn't be hard to get around Italy if you have the money to pay tolls, and therefore drive on quieter roads.

Norway

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Main article: Driving in Norway

Norway goes a long way north to south, and by driving you can reach places in Norway that are difficult to reach using other forms of transport. Countless scenic drives on roads that are often narrow and steep. Distances and driving times are frequently underestimated. Driving in winter can be very challenging even for locals.

Poland

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See also: Driving in Poland

Poland has a decent system of public transport, though if you find it inconvenient you always can hit the road. Beware that roads are often congested, not up to western European standards and highways frequently go through small villages.

Portugal

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Main article: Driving in Portugal

From fast modern motorways to middling national roads to narrow unpaved rural roads, Portugal's roads offer varied landscapes and conditions. Sometimes rewarding and often challenging, driving in Portugal offers adventure beyond the country's rail and bus systems.

Russia

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Main article: Driving in Russia

The largest country in the world is so large that it is hard to get around, even by car. While viewing the countryside by driving is an interesting idea, it's best to know where you're going so you don't end up on the Kolyma Highway.

Spain

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Main article: Driving in Spain

Getting around for example central Madrid by car is usually a bad idea, but if you plan on exploring La Alpujarra it can be really convenient. Also, Spain has a good road network and is one of the largest countries in Europe.

Sweden

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Main article: Driving in Sweden

Generally, driving in Sweden works well, but be careful about driving in winter or going into wilderness areas and be careful about drinking before you drive.

Switzerland

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Main article: Driving in Switzerland

Switzerland is a small but mountainous country, so you will generally not need to drive long distances to get from place to place but the drive itself may be challenging.

United Kingdom

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European Data

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Essential data for travellers in Europe
Country Code Currency Telephone Timezone§2
(UTC offset)
(English) (Local) Vehicle ISO 3166 Inter'lEmergency§1
Austria Austria Österreich AAT € - EUR - Euro +43112 +1 / +2
Albania Albania Shqipëri ALAL L - ALL - Lek +35517, 18, 19 +2 / +3
Andorra Andorra Andorra ANDAD € - EUR - Euro +376112 +1 / +2
etc

§1: Where three numbers are listed, they refer to Ambulace, Fire and Police respectively. For the sake of brevity, alternate numbers such as 999 in the United Kingdom are not shown.

§2: Standard timezone / Daylight saving timezone


Driving

Except for Iceland where one drives on the right, the island nations of Europe (United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) drive on the left. All other European countries drive on the right.

Electricty

Apart from Azerbijan, Belarus, Georgia and Russia who use 220 V at 50 Hz, all of Europe uses 230 V at 50 Hz.