Guide to Driving In Wales - Drive Safe in Wales

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Wales and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.

URBAN SPEED LIMIT

30 mph

urban
More info  

RURAL SPEED LIMIT

60 mph

rural
More info  

motorway speed limit

50-70 mph

speed limit
More info  

Drink Drive Limit

 80mg

drink and drive limit
More info  
urban
You drive in Wales on the Left side  
urban
The currency in Wales is GBP £
urban
To rent a car is  21 years and to drive is 17 years of age
urban
Current fuel price in Wales 1.65 €/Ltr

Driving Laws in Wales

Driving in Wales
Pocket guide to driving in Wales
Profile:
Wales
Cardiff
GBP £
Driving in Wales
SPEED: (mph)
30
60
50-70
Speed limit in Wales
Holiday:
Rush hour in Wales
Cameras:
YES
YES
Speed cameras in Wales
FUEL:
1.65
1.88
EUR/Litre
Fuel prices in Wales
See World Fuel Prices for full statistics
MIN AGE:
17
21
Min driving age in Wales
DRINK:
80mg
Blood alcohol content
Drink driving in Wales
EMERGENCY:
999
Emergency phone number in Wales
DOCUMENT:
Driving documents in Wales
PHONES:
NO
Hands free only
Mobile phone driving in Wales
SEATBELTS:
Yes
Yes
Seat belt in Wales
See here for current child seats law in Wales

Are there any special requirements for driving or hiring a car in Wales?

Wales has beautiful scenery, great shopping and some picturesque and tranquil beaches.  If you're hiring a car to see the sights, you'll find the roads are quieter than across the border in England and are in good condition. Roads are slower in mid and north Wales as they wind through mountains.  Watch out for sheep in the road and for slow caravans.

Rules of the road

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DieselUnleaded
Mar , 2023

€ 1.88

€ 1.65

Feb , 2023

€ 1.91

€ 1.67

Jan , 2023

€ 1.96

€ 1.70

Dec , 2022

€ 2.13

€ 1.85

Parking Information

Parking regulations

Parking regulations
 
Free parking in the cities can be difficult to find and paid for parking can be expensive. Try to use the park and ride schemes where available to avoid congestion and save time and money. 
 
Paid parking
 
There is plenty of paid parking in the smaller towns and villages. In the cities you’ll find limited time free parking on the street, metered parking, parking in parking lots and in garages including multi-storey car parks. Prices in cities like Cardiff, Newport and Swansea can be more expensive.
 
Enforcement
 
Enforcement of parking is done by traffic wardens and sometimes the police and they are very efficient. You’ll receive a parking ticket with a fine, can be clamped or towed away. 
 
Disabled parking
 
Your disabled driver scheme blue badge will entitle you to the usual benefits in municipal car parks but check private ones for any restrictions.

Emergency Information

Emergency Information

The emergency number in Wales is the UK standard 999 for all emergency services including the coastguard.

What to do in an emergency

If you have a problem with your car you should phone the number on the rental documents or attached to the inside of the windscreen of your car. If you are driving your own vehicle, use your emergency assistance company.
 
In the event of an accident you must stop if there is serious damage or injury to humans or farm animals. You’ll need to call the police if this is so. You must exchange details with anyone else involved in the incident and it’s useful to take the details of witnesses if possible.

Handy Guides

World Driving Guides

Road Signs

Handy Phrases

Whilst many of the road signs are in Welsh, there'll always be an English translation.

Wales Fuel Price History

DieselUnleaded
Mar , 2023

€ 1.88

€ 1.65

Feb , 2023

€ 1.91

€ 1.67

Jan , 2023

€ 1.96

€ 1.70

Dec , 2022

€ 2.13

€ 1.85

Nov , 2022

€ 2.17

€ 1.90

Oct , 2022

€ 2.07

€ 1.87

Sep , 2022

€ 2.12

€ 1.96

Aug , 2022

€ 2.31

€ 2.18

Jul , 2022

€ 2.32

€ 2.23

Jun , 2022

€ 2.17

€ 2.06

May , 2022

€ 2.12

€ 1.95

Apr , 2022

€ 2.12

€ 1.96

Month, YearDiesel €/ltrUnleaded €/ltr
Mar , 2023 1.88 1.65
Feb , 2023 1.91 1.67
Jan , 2023 1.96 1.70
Dec , 2022 2.13 1.85
Nov , 2022 2.17 1.90
Oct , 2022 2.07 1.87
Sep , 2022 2.12 1.96
Aug , 2022 2.31 2.18
Jul , 2022 2.32 2.23
Jun , 2022 2.17 2.06
May , 2022 2.12 1.95
Apr , 2022 2.12 1.96

Hiring a Car

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Wales and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.
Chloe Demaret
Posted by Chloe Demaret
About the Author -

Travel writer, social media guru, Chloe keeps our readers and customers up to speed with all the car rental and travel trends on our blog. Favourite destination: Dubai.

Visitor Comments

  • 21/06/2021

    Gordon James

    One Welsh road sign which is not translated into English is the word "ARAF" in white letters on the road surface. It means "SLOW".
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