Travel guide
Renting a Car Abroad? What to Prepare Before You Fly
Noa Regev7 min read
3 Things to Do Before Renting a Car Abroad
Renting a car abroad gives you freedom. You can stop when you want, change your route, and reach places that are difficult to visit by public transport. But a few small gaps are easy to notice only after you land.
Before you pick up the keys, arrange three simple things: the right driving documents, navigation that can still help when coverage drops, and mobile data for the trip. Then do one quick check of the car and your phone before leaving the rental lot.
Key Takeaways
- Check both the destination's rules and your rental company's terms. When an international driving permit is required, it is valid alongside your regular license, not instead of it.
- Download the areas you will drive through in Google Maps. Offline maps are a useful backup, but they do not provide live traffic or alternative routes.
- Arrange an eSIM or data plan before landing so navigation, weather, parking, restaurants, hotel messages, and WhatsApp still work away from Wi-Fi.
- Before driving away, spend 60 seconds checking data, your saved hotel, fuel type, road side, and photos of the car's condition.
1. Check Whether You Need an International Driving Permit
The short answer is: do not assume your home license will be enough. Check the destination's rules and the terms of the rental company you booked with.
For Israeli travelers, the Israeli Ministry of Transport says an international driving permit allows driving abroad according to the license categories you hold, but it must be carried with a valid physical Israeli license. The ministry also recommends checking whether the destination recognizes the permit and whether there are additional requirements for renting a car.
Rental companies can add their own conditions. For example, Europcar says that the need for an international permit depends on the rental country and the license you hold, and that when it is required, it must be shown together with your national license. Avis explains that an international permit may be required when renting outside your home country, and that it is not accepted on its own.
So the right question is not only, "Am I allowed to drive in this country?" It is also, "Which documents will the rental desk ask me to show?" Requirements can vary by country, vehicle category, driver age, how long you have held your license, and the specific rental company.
- Your original, physical driving license, valid for the trip.
- An international driving permit, if the country or rental company requires one.
- A valid passport.
- A credit card in the main driver's name, according to the booking terms.
- The rental confirmation, including branch details, opening hours, and cancellation terms.
- The details of any additional drivers who may drive the car.
Keep secure copies of the documents, but do not rely on a phone photo instead of the originals. The rental counter or a roadside inspection may require the physical documents.
If this is your first trip using an eSIM, our pre-flight eSIM checklist can help you finish the phone-related preparation at home, so the rental counter is about the documents and the car.
2. Download Offline Maps Before You Leave Home
Even if you plan to buy a data plan, download the area you will drive through. Coverage can weaken on mountain roads, in rural areas, inside tunnels, or in remote stretches of highway. When that happens, it helps to have the basic map already saved on your phone.
Google Maps lets you save an area for use without a connection. According to Google Maps' official instructions, open the app, tap your profile picture, choose Offline maps, then Select your own map, adjust the area, and tap Download while connected to the internet.
Do not download only the city where you land. Include the airport, hotel, overnight stops, national parks, and smaller towns on your route. If the area is too large for a single download, split it into several maps.
Offline maps are a backup, not a full replacement for internet access. Google says that when the entire route is within the downloaded area, you can use navigation without a connection. However, offline mode does not provide live traffic information or alternative routes.
That is why the best setup uses both: download the maps in advance and arrange a working data connection. The offline map gives you a foundation when coverage disappears. Mobile data gives you information that changes constantly, such as traffic, weather, opening hours, parking, and new places to search for along the way.
After downloading the map, test it. Put your phone in Airplane Mode, open Google Maps, and search for the hotel or the first stop. This quick check confirms that the area is actually saved, rather than merely marked on the map.
If you use Waze, save the hotel and key destinations in advance. Waze depends more heavily on a live connection for traffic and route changes, so it should not be your only backup plan.
3. Arrange Mobile Data Before You Land
Once you start driving, mobile data is not just for browsing. It becomes part of the trip: navigation, weather, parking, fuel stations, restaurants, hotel communication, and reservation changes.
During a road trip, you may need data to:
- check traffic in Waze or Google Maps;
- review the forecast before driving into the mountains or along the coast;
- find parking, a fuel station, or a restaurant;
- message the hotel or rental host on WhatsApp;
- open a booking confirmation or change pickup and return details;
- translate a road sign, menu, or message you receive on the way.
That is why it is better not to wait until landing. You can buy and install an eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, then activate the data plan and select it as your active data line when you arrive. If you are still choosing a plan, you can check eSIM plans by destination on SimSIM before the flight.
Keep installation and activation separate. Installing an eSIM adds the line to your phone, but it does not always make it the active data line. Before flying, confirm that the profile is installed and that the activation instructions are accessible. Activate the plan after landing according to the provider and your phone's instructions.
If you use two lines, also check which one is selected for cellular data. Installing an eSIM does not always switch this setting automatically. Our guide to activating before your flight or after landing explains the difference between installation and activation and the checks to make.
Before You Leave the Rental Lot: A 60-Second Check
Once you have picked up the car, pause for a moment before driving away. This does not need to become a long ritual, but one minute now can save you from troubleshooting on the side of the road.
- Check that data works. Turn off Wi-Fi, open a website, or send a WhatsApp message and confirm that data is going through the intended line.
- Open navigation. Search for the hotel or first destination and confirm that the rental branch and address are correct.
- Save the hotel and the nearest fuel station. These are especially useful destinations during the first few hours.
- Check the fuel type. Look for the label on the fuel flap or in the vehicle documents. Do not guess from the color of a pump handle.
- Photograph the car from every side. Capture scratches, dents, wheels, windows, the dashboard, and the fuel gauge. Keep the photos with the time and date.
- Confirm which side of the road you drive on. It sounds obvious, but after a flight, fatigue, and an unfamiliar parking lot, it is worth reminding yourself before the first turn.
- Review the return terms. Check whether the tank must be full, which branch accepts the return, and what to do if you return outside opening hours.
This check does not replace reading the rental agreement, but it connects the three things you prepared at home with the real situation: documents, navigation, and connectivity.
Frequently asked questions
Is a regular driving license enough to rent a car abroad?
Not always. Check the destination's rules and the rental company's terms. When an international permit is required, it must be shown with your original national license, not used instead of it.
Do offline maps replace a data plan?
No. Offline maps can provide basic navigation inside the downloaded area, but they do not provide live traffic or alternative routes. A data connection also gives you weather, parking, restaurants, messages, and updates while you travel.
Should I activate the eSIM while I am still at home?
You can install it in advance, but keep installation and activation separate and check the terms of the specific plan. The goal is to land with the profile ready, without accidentally using the wrong line or starting the plan before you need it.
What should I photograph before leaving with the rental car?
Photograph every side of the car, bumper corners, wheels, windows, the dashboard, and the fuel gauge. Photos do not replace the rental company's inspection form, but they create a clear record of the vehicle's condition at pickup.
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