User:Martinvl/sandbox

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  Even in high-income countries, some regional roads may be of lesser quality: road 945 in Kemijärvi; gravel and 15% slope
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  Latvian regional road P86 in 2020, uneven and over-patched
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  Country road in winter, Norway
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  Autobahn interchange near Frankfurt, Germany
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  Narrow residential street, Bilbao

Temporary heading

International Vehicle Registraion Codes

International vehicle registration code

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

• International identifier codes for Germany
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  A 140 mm by 110 mm sticker which is attached to the vehicle's bodywork.
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  International code is on the blue strip on this registration plate.

By country

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

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

See also: Driving in Finland

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

France

Main article: Driving in France

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

Germany

Main article: Driving in Germany

Germany is known for its motorways, called Autobahns.

Iceland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Main article: Driving in the United Kingdom

European Data

Essential data for travellers in Europe

Country		Code		Currency	Telephone		Timezone§2 (UTC offset)
(English)	(Local)	Vehicle	ISO 3166		Inter'l	Emergency§1
Austria	Österreich	A	AT	€ - EUR - Euro	+43	112	+1 / +2
Albania	Shqipëri	AL	AL	L - ALL - Lek	+355	17, 18, 19	+2 / +3
Andorra	Andorra	AND	AD	€ - EUR - Euro	+376	112	+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.