Andorra on a British Licence — Recognised, Plus the Side Switch & Mountain Roads

Straight answer for a British visitor: yes, your UK licence is recognised for driving in Andorra on a normal tourist trip, and an International Driving Permit is recommended as a cheap bit of insurance rather than a legal must. Carry it with your passport and you remove any argument at a hire desk. The paperwork, in other words, is not where Andorra tests you.

The first real change is direction of travel. The UK drives on the left and Andorra on the right, so this is a genuine side switch — and Andorra is an awkward place to learn it. There are no motorways here; the country is essentially one set of mountain valleys, and the roads climb, twist and narrow as you go. The wrong-side reflex that you might get away with on a wide road has far less margin on a tight Pyrenean bend, so take your first stretch slowly and keep checking which side you belong on at every junction.

The second is the terrain itself. Because every route is a mountain route, winter conditions are a serious factor from late autumn onwards — snow, ice and the need for chains on the higher passes. If you are visiting in the cold months, treat winter kit as part of the trip, not an afterthought, and check pass conditions before you set off.

On the rules that are documented: the town limit is 50 km/h and rural roads are 90 km/h, with the drink-drive limit at 0.05 — lower than the 0.08 you may be used to from parts of the UK, so leave the wine for after you have parked. Andorra is a duty-free shopping draw, which means the approach roads can clog with traffic at peak times; patience saves more time than speed here. The emergency number is 112.

For the fuller rundown, see the Andorra driving guide, check your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, and the Speed Limit Map is handy for sense-checking limits on the move.