International Road Signs Guide | Auto Europe (2023)

FAQs

International Road Signs Guide | Auto Europe? ›

You will see signs and advisements that will be only valid in a particular country, such as London's congestion charge; however a majority of the signs in European destinations will be standardized.

You will see signs and advisements that will be only valid in a particular country, such as London's congestion charge; however a majority of the signs in European destinations will be standardized.

D = Departmental, black letters on a yellow background. N = National road, white letters on a red background. A = Autoroute, white letters on a blue background. E = European roads, white letters on a green background.

A mandatory sign indicating "Maut," or toll in English, is required for travel on a toll road. A direction sign indicating "Umleitung," or detour in English, is approaching. A direction sign indicating that the detour route has ended, noted with the line struck through "Umleitung," or detour in English.

The prohibition of stopping / waiting can be indicated by a yellow continuous line (Austria, the Netherlands, France, Liechtenstein and Switzerland), and in (certain cities of) the United Kingdom by a red continuous line (with double red lines extending the meaning to "no stopping at any time).

As an American, driving in Europe can be a bit daunting because the roads are smaller, a few of the signs are different, and each country has a language you might not understand. So here are a few rules of the road and FAQs for driving in Europe as an American to get you prepped!

There is no single sign language used around the world. Like spoken language, sign languages developed naturally through different groups of people interacting with each other, so there are many varieties.

Blue = autoroute / motorway. Green = major roads. Yellow = temporary roads - often detours. White = local roads.

In France, a red light means stop, but an amber light also means that you should stop at the stop line. (There's no equivalent of turning right on red in France.) Some traffic lights have 'filter' lanes for turning left or right, shown with a flashing amber or green arrow.

Stop Signs From Around the World. A bilingual English-French "STOP/ARRET" sign in Quebec, the North American bastion of French language and culture. Curiously, stop signs in France use only the English word "STOP," an artifact of European Union standardization (see earlier slide from Spain).

What does a yellow diamond sign mean in Europe? ›

This yellow diamond indicates the start of a priority road at all upcoming intersections before the 'End of priority' sign.

The Merkel-Raute (German for "Merkel rhombus"), termed the Merkel diamond or Triangle of Power by English-speaking media, is a hand gesture made by resting one's hands in front of the stomach so that the fingertips meet, with the thumbs and index fingers forming a rough quadrangular shape.

Vignettes are required for driving along certain roads, like motorways and autobahns in the following European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. If you are caught driving in any of these countries without a vignette you will be fined.

Design and configuration. The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals allows for two types of stop sign as well as several acceptable variants. Sign B2a is a red octagon with a white stop legend. The European Annex to the convention also allows the background to be "light yellow".

Turning Left - To turn left, get in the left lane (if present) and turn on your left signal. After entering the roundabout, proceed to the inner- most lane, indicating right immediately after the exit prior to your own.

Note that major highways (autobahn / autoroute / autostrada—what we would call an interstate) are usually tagged with green signs, while smaller highways are in blue.

No Right on Red

Across Europe, it's illegal to turn right on a red light, unless a sign or signal specifically authorizes it (most common in Germany).

In European countries in general, it is illegal to turn on a red light, unless it is indicated otherwise, for example by a green arrow on a red light, a flashing amber arrow with a red light or a permanent green board next to the red light.

In the US, a yellow dotted or solid line signifies that it is two-way traffic. However, in the UK, the center line was white even if it was for two way traffic. If it was a narrow road, there might not be any markings and you might not know it was two way until you come across a car going the other direction.

What country has circular speed limit signs? ›

Speed limit signs in Germany state the maximum kilometers per hour (kph) within a red circle. Germany also has two other regulatory speed signs that many Americans are unfamiliar with.

REGULATORY SIGNS The United States is now using an international system of traffic control signs that feature pictures and symbols rather than words. The red-and-white YIELD and DO NOT ENTER signs prohibit access or movement.

Travelling on French roads

At crossings, priority is to traffic coming from the right unless you are driving on a priority lane (yellow diamond), if you are inserting on a roundabout by giving way to the left, or if the lane on the right has a give-way or a stop.

The national speed limit in France is as follows: Motorways: 130 kph (80 mph) Dual Carriageways: 110 kph (68 mph) Main Roads Outside Built-up Areas: 80 kph (49 mph)

If you are a temporary visitor in France, you may drive with a valid U.S. (State) driver's license. In addition to having your U.S. driver's license, visitors are advised (but not required) to carry an International Driving permit, or attach a French translation to their U.S. driver's license.

If driving in a foreign country is new to you, France is a great country to get your feet wet. The roads are well taken care of and easy to navigate. Remember, everything about driving in France is practically the same as home; except signs are in French!

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have allowed right turns on red since 1980, except where prohibited by a sign or where right turns are controlled by dedicated traffic signals.

The City of Paris eventually found it more pertinent to stop replacing it. The Police prefecture also said they will remove these signs to make intervention “from secondary ways” smoother and avoid penalizing residents. Yield to the right remains the general rules, like in traffic circles.

In Haiti, there is no meaningful enforcement of any set of traffic rules. Virtually all road space could be called “shared” — pedestrians, motorcycles, and four-wheel vehicles use the same space everywhere; only the largest intersections have traffic lights; there are no crosswalks and almost no stop signs.

Although the Italian for stop is 'fermare', the road signs in Italy opt for the English instruction: 'STOP'. The words appear in white on a red octagon, but you might notice some older signs where the word STOP appears in a red triangle inside a red circle. Unusual we know.

What is the no passing sign in Germany? ›

The no passing restriction is in effect only between 8-11am and 4-6pm, and applies only to vehicles with a permitted gross weight over 3.5 tonnes, buses, and any vehicle pulling a trailer. This sign cancels all previous posted speed limit and passing restrictions. However, the statutory speed limit applies.

Traffic coming from the right takes priority at all crossroads and junctions. Vehicles on a roundabout have right of way, unless signs indicate they don't.

A solid white line in the middle of the road (Fahrstreifenbegrenzung ) prohibits traffic from passing on either side. Passing is not allowed on such a road becasue vehicles must not cross the solid white line, nor is it authorized for motorcyclists to lean over the solid line.

The “Thumbs Up” Sign

In one particular scene, a spy who's posing as a German soldier in a bar gives himself away by holding up his three middle fingers when asking for three glasses. A German would have shown the number three by holding up their index and middle fingers alongside their thumb.

A true German would have ordered "three" with the index, middle finger, and thumb extended.

It's regarded as an insult punishable by the law. Under German's insult law, using curse words and insulting gestures like the middle finger and sticking out the tongue is illegal. The gesture is known as flipping someone off and is a phallic symbol used in the past to belittle and insult somebody.

Driving in Europe with a U.S. registered vehicle is NOT prohibited. However, only vehicles that will only remain in the country for under 6 months can be driven without registration in Europe. Any vehicles that will remain in the country permanently or over the 6 month timeframe must be registered before it's too late.

Please note: If you are driving without a vignette, you will be fined (CHF 200) and will also have to buy the vignette itself (CHF 40).

While Ireland and the United Kindgom drive on the left-hand side of the road, most of Europe drives on the right. But beyond the basics, there are a few more things you should know before you hit the road in Europe. Read on for our best tips.

Blue panels indicate that the motorway starts at the junction ahead. Motorways shown in brackets can also be reached along the route indicated. White panels indicate local or non-primary routes leading from the junction ahead. Brown panels show the route to tourist attractions.

What do stop signs look like in England? ›

Stop signs have a distinctive octagon shape, while an upside down triangle with a red outline is used for give way signs.

The far right-hand lane is the slow lane; the inner left-hand lane is the fast lane. Traffic signs are usually on the right-hand side of the road.

the 12 o'clock rule

If your exit is after 12 o'clock (ie. any exit to the right), then approach the roundabout in the right lane. Stay in your lane as you enter the roundabout, and only move left once you have indicated that you're taking the next exit.

While in Austria and Germany, for example, priority to vehicles coming from the right ('priorité à droite') has mostly been abolished, and in Spain, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland the rule is that traffic on the roundabout has priority, in France — where half the roundabouts in the world are apparently located — it ...

The convention permits the use of two background colours for danger and prohibition signs: white or yellow. Most countries use white, with a few – such as Finland, Iceland, Poland, and Sweden – opting for yellow as this tends to improve the winter-time visibility of signs in areas where snow is prevalent.

Traffic signs are pretty uniform across Europe, so it's not just Germany. The big difference between US and Europe in traffic signage is that Europe tends to have more pictorial/pictographic signs, where in US the signs are often just text.

What are the driving rules in Europe? Many of the same driving rules that you're used to in the United States also apply in Europe. With the exception of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta, drivers in European countries drive on the right-hand side of the road.

In 1968, 62 countries came together for the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals and agreed on a system for color, shape, and other iconography. They settled on a triangle for most warnings.

Traffic signs are a universal visual language.

What countries have American stop signs? ›

India, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Indonesia, The Philippines, Pakistan, The European Economic Area, Fiji, Singapore, and the United States use the standard version of the sign. Armenia uses ԿԱՆԳ kang and stop. Canada uses both the standard version of the sign and multilingual stop signs.

While the Spanish "PARE" or "ALTO" are used on stop signs in Spanish-speaking countries once colonized by Spain, "STOP" is used in the mother country of Spain (the result of European Union rules specifying English as the language of road signs in order to standardize road travel across E.U. countries).

International signs convey information by symbols rather than words. Drivers who travel from country to country can understand the meaning of these signs without learning several languages. The United States has adopted several international symbols for use on highway signs.

If you have a valid license from your home state, you can drive in European countries for up to 90 days without further documentation. However, once you have spent more than 90 days in Europe and wish to continue driving there, it is recommended that you get an International Driver's License (IDL).

Whether you're American or Canadian, your passport and driver's license are all you need in most European countries. However, some countries also require an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is an official translation of your US license (making it easier for the cop to write out a ticket).

Bilingual road signs are the norm in many countries, including Scotland, Wales and parts of Europe.

Are there stop signs in France? Yes, the stop signs in France look the same as in the UK, and, helpfully, they usually even display the English word 'stop' rather than the French equivalent 'arrêt'.

A yellow broken line almost everywhere in Europe prohibits parking or marks public transport stops. "Zebra" in Europe is especially revered and almost sacred. Seeing her, you should always slow down and be ready to stop. You must yield to the pedestrian, even if he is just thinking of making the crossing.

Signs are divided into three basic categories: Regulatory, Warning, and Guide signs. Most signs within each category have a special shape and color.

For cars, 'national speed limit' means a limit of 60mph on single carriageway roads and 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways. Fixed speed limits are often enforced by fixed 'Gatso' speed cameras or temporary camera vans positioned in speeding hotspots.