The speed limit on the roads in town or city is 50km/h, out of town 90 km/h and on the motorway 130 km/h. The fines for higher than allowed speed out of towns are:

• Traffic flows on the right side of the road.
• The minimum driving age is 18 years.
• Headlights must be on at all times.
• Seat belts are required for a driver and all passengers.
• Children under 12 must sit in the rear of the vehicle.
• The permitted blood alcohol level is 0.0%
• Right turns on red are not permitted.
• Using cell phones while driving is strictly prohibited, and permitted only with a hands-free system.
• Eating and anything else unconnected to driving is not allowed.
• Trams, trolleys and buses that are turning always have the right-of-way.
• Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited. The legal blood alcohol level is zero percent.
• Winter tires are compulsory on roads covered with snow or ice.

1. The length of roads in Slovakia is approximately 47,300 km, and approximately 5,000 km of them are unpaved. The total length of highways is a little less than 400 km.


2. In order to use highways, motorists need to buy a vignette. It can be valid for a different period. Of course, the price of the vignette depends on the validity period. All roads, which can be accessed without the presence of the vignette, are marked with the special «s úhradou» sign.


3. Starting from 1 January 2012, the minimum validity period of the vignette is 10 days. The cost of such vignettes for an ordinary car is about 10 euro. Motorists also have an opportunity to buy the vignette for a month or a year. In this case, the cost will be 14 and 50 euro respectively.


4. You can buy a vignette at customs checkpoints, as well as at some petrol stations and post offices. Don’t forget to attach the vignette on the inside of the windshield. Before that, it must be validated.


5. The presence of the vignette sticker is strictly controlled. Any attempt to travel on a paid road without the vignette will result in a fine, the amount of which exceeds the cost of the vignette in 10 - 50 times.


6. In all cities of the country drivers are welcome to park their vehicles in numerous parking lots. As usual, the most complicated is to find a free car park in the city center. Some parking lots can be used only if you have a special parking ticket, which can be bought in any newspaper or tobacco shop.


7. Parking is allowed on some sidewalks, which is always notified by appropriate road signs. If the parking is allowed, it is necessary to make sure that once your car is parked there is still at least 1.5 meters of free space. Without this requirement, your parking method will be considered wrong.


8. Bratislava is distinguished by a well-planned parking system. Even the historic district of the city is equipped with numerous excellent parking lots and garages. Motorists can easily get information about availability of parking spaces – for this purpose there are special boards on all main roads of the city. These boards display information about free places available, and this information is regularly updated.


9. If you park your car improperly, then most likely you will see wheel blockers on return. In this case, the fine for wrong parking will be around 65 euro. If your car has been taken away by a tow truck, the fine will be bigger – you will be forced to pay approximately 225 euro.


10. In the territory of settlements, the maximum allowed speed is 50 km/h, and outside settlements the maximum permitted speed is 90 km/h. For motorways, the speed limit is 130 km/h. Drivers are always notified about the speed limit on a particular road.

To save on your rental, we advise to book your car in advance. You will save the most if you do this several weeks or even several months prior to your trip. Rental offices in Slovakia usually raise rental prices over time, based on the number of cars left available for the accounting period. When looking for an exotic car (cabriolet, minivan or limousine), we advise to check in the rental offices located at airports, as they usually provide much wider choice compared to offices in urban areas.

Upon receipt of invoices, bills and documents for your car at the rental location, please compare the obtained data with your voucher. Quite often, employees of rental offices in Slovakia try to add optional charges or services without informing customers.

It is very important to pick up your car at the rental office in Slovakia in the correct way. Prior to leaving the office, carefully inspect the car for various defects, and ensure that all the discovered defects are mentioned in your rental documents. In case of a non-compliance found, place a demand for correction to the rental officer.

You can always check our car's actual rental offers in Slovakia. Simply use the search form at the top of the page. We guarantee that you will not find better prices anywhere else!

• The minimum age to hire a car is 21
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Some car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term of one year
• Some companies require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Slovakia unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

• Slovaks drive on the right and overtake on the left - the opposite to the UK
• The national speed limit on Slovakian motorways is 50km/h in built-up areas, 90km/h on open roads and 130km/h on motorways.
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is strictly zero

U.S. citizens arriving in Slovakia as tourists for stays up to 90 days may use their U.S. state drivers’ licenses (DL) along with an International driving license, which can be obtained by mail from AAA. The International Driver’s License/ International Driving Permit helps to interpret your domestic government issued driver license and could be useful for car rental and car insurance in many countries. It became a useful advantage for motorists who are traveling overseas and can drive in different territory without experiencing difficulties with various language barriers.

U.S. citizens who obtain temporary or permanent residency permits in Slovakia must apply to exchange their state driver license for a Slovak driving license of an E.U. type which will be valid for driving in Slovakia as well as in other countries of the EU.