Travelling by road is a great way to explore a country and experience it the "local" way. If you love driving and are wondering if you will ever be able to cruise down the autobahn, there are a few countries you can drive in with your Indian driving licence.
Experts from global travel search engine Skyscanner has come up with a list of countries where you can use your Indian driving licence.
* Germany: Driving on Germany's Romantic Road, an approximately 400-km-long route through the heart of Bavaria is one of the best ways of exploring the country. The German Castle Road is another classic route along which you can find more than 70 castles, and postcard-like views. Indians can drive in Germany with their Indian driving licence for up to six months provided you carry a German translation. You can get this from any German diplomatic mission. However, having an international driving permit, while not mandatory, can be handy as it carries translations.
* Switzerland: You don't want to miss trains "Dilwale Dulhaniya..." style, and instead want to drive in this gorgeous country? Good decision, because there are so many lovely driving routes in Switzerland. One of the most famous passes in the Alps is the St. Bernard Pass. The Swiss section of the road begins in Martigny and ends in San Bernadino, 56 km away. You can take this route if you're driving from Zurich to some of the Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. Indians can drive in Switzerland for up to one year with a valid Indian driving licence.
* France: Whether you want to take in the beauty of the French Alps and drive hundreds of kms watching the dramatic changes in the scenery, or just take a nice short drive from Santenay to Dijon and enjoy the wine country, France doesn't disappoint. Take your time stopping in between and sample some of the finest vintage wines the country has to offer. Indian visitors can drive in France for a year with a valid Indian licence as long as they carry a French translation with them.
* Norway: The Land of the Midnight Sun beckons you to come and explore its amazing fjords. Drive from Oslo to Bergen and you'll pass some of the most beautiful villages, waterfalls, and fjords in Europe. Indian visitors can drive in Norway for three months with a valid Indian driving licence.
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* US: This is a land where people love to drive, and when in Rome do as the Romans, right? Some of the best road trips in the US include the drive from Torrey to Bryce Canyon National Park (Highway 12, Utah) and the drive on the Pacific Coast Highway through California. This doesn't even begin to scrape the surface, because the country has so many lovely driving routes. So plan your trip to the US well in advance to get cheap flight tickets. Then forget about any agenda, just get off the plane, rent a car and drive.
Indian visitors can drive in the US for a year with their Indian driving licence as long as it is in English. If it isn't, then an international driving permit is required with the translation. You also need to have an I-94 form, which shows the date on which you arrived in the US.
* Australia: When you're driving in Australia, there's no dearth of pleasant surprises. You can drive in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory with an Indian driving licence. However, in the Northern Territory, you can drive only for three months. Also keep in mind that you can only drive those types of vehicles that your international driving licence allows you to drive.
--IANS
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