Russia car hire

Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.

Before you rent a car in Russia, you will need to understand the country’s driving rules. You must drive on the right-hand side of the road and use low beam headlights at all times. Unless you use a hands-free kit, the use of mobile phones when driving is illegal, as is driving with a dirty car and driving while intoxicated. All passengers in the front and back seats must wear seatbelts. Most of the road signs are in Cyrillic characters, not English, and you will encounter toll roads on the M3, M4, and M11 highways, where you can expect to pay around 25 RUB (0.39 USD) per km.

If you plan to rent a car in Russia, the minimum age for drivers is 21 years old; however, this can vary depending on car category. You must have held a valid driver’s license for a year, and you must also hold an International Driving Permit. Drivers younger than 25 years old need to pay an additional young driver surcharge, and the maximum age for renting a car is 70 years old.

When you rent a car in Russia, you will find that the average price of petrol is 45,70 RUB (0.71 USD) per liter and 2.84 USD per gallon. At petrol stations, you generally pay for your petrol first and then pump. If you cannot find a petrol station, you can often buy petrol in plastic tanks or bottles from roadside vendors. In rural areas, petrol stations are no farther than 70 km (43 mi) apart.

When you drive on Russian roads, you will need to follow the national speed limits. In urban areas the speed limit is 60 km/h (37 mph), and outside of built-up areas, you can travel up to 90 km/h (55 mph). In some residential areas, there may be signs for 20 km/h (13 mph). On highways, the maximum speed limit is 110 km/h (68 mph).