Philippines

Philippines Driving Advice and Car Hire Info

Driving in the Philippines-
Before planning on driving abroad in the Philippines check your Governments website for advice as many countries currently advise against travel to parts of Mindanao. You can drive on the licence of most countries for up to 90 days, after which time you will need to obtain a local licence.

Roads are generally pretty good for Asia particularly on Luzon, Panay and Negros , with modern motorways in the Manila area. Two thirds of the country’s 32,000km of roads are asphalt. However you should expect the occasional pot hole and unsealed section of road. A 4WD is not needed for most areas but will certainly make the journey less bumpy. Also, if travelling on minor roads, especially after rain a 4WD would be advisable. Driving standards are typical for Asia with Jeepneys, motorbikes and tuk tuks everywhere and few people following any rules of the road. You should exercise care especially when driving in large towns. My advice would be to avoid driving in Metro Manila if you can. Its a huge chaotic City, you’ll get lost without doubt, and it will be a stressful experience. Ask the rental company if they will drive the car to/from the outskirts if you need to take it from/return it to, the centre. If you fly into Clark airport you may be able to pick the car up there and thats an easy location to get onto the main roads from. Check with the rental company if there are any restrictions on taking the car on ferries as they are an intergral part of the Filipino transport system and its likely you’ll need to travel on one at some point.

Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.

Philippines Car Rental –
Hertz, Europcar, National, Avis,  Budget,  all have branches in various locations, heavily centred on Luzon. The big companies seem to have various restrictions on taking cars from the Island on which they were rented and don’t seem to like the idea of their cars being taken on ferries. Check restrictions before renting if you intend to drive between islands.

We currently have no local car rental partners in the Philippines. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com.

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