Self Drive Tips

Self Drive Tips for travelers in Uganda

For a successful Self drive car rental in Uganda, here are 10 tips that travelers must follow to enjoy their stay in Uganda.

1. Choose the right vehicle for your journey

One of the most important Self Drive Tips is choosing the right vehicle that suits your destination and travel plans. Uganda has a variety of road conditions ranging from well-paved high ways to rural rough roads and some challenging tracks in some remote areas.

For city travels and town service a Toyota Rav4 can be a good option, if you are planning a Safari or traveling on the rough roads to Uganda’s National Parks; a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a Land Cruiser GX or the Land Cruiser Hard Top can provide good ground clearance and comfort.

2. Understand Your Car Rental Agreement

Before hiring a vehicle, read and understand the car rental agreement carefully, confirm the daily rate, mileage conditions, fuel policy, insurance policy, security deposit and charges that may apply incase the vehicle is returned late or damaged.

3. Plan your route before departure

Good route planning helps you to plan unnecessary delays and unexpected challenges. Before leaving, identify your destination, the main road you will use, estimate driving times and possible places to stop for refueling and for refreshments.

4. Understand Uganda’s road conditions

Road conditions can change anytime depending on your destination. While major high ways connect many towns and cities, some rural roads and routes within the National Parks maybe uneven, dusty or affected by heavy rainfalls.

5. Follow traffic rules and drive defensively

Uganda follows a left hand drive system, so visitors used to right hand drive system should take extra care, observe road signs, speed limits, traffic lights, and overtaking rules.

6. Avoid driving at night

Plan your Self-Drive journey and reach your destination before dark. some roads have limited street lighting so somethings like animals and pedestrians may be hard to see in the night. for longer journey’s start early schedule breaks and reach before dark.

7. Monitor your fuel

Do not wait until your fuel tank is nearly empty before looking for a filling station. Fuel stations maybe nearly widely spaced in remote areas, particularly when traveling towards National Parks or less developed destinations.

8. Check the weather 

The weather conditions can affect road safety, particularly on unpaved roads and in mountainous areas. Heavy rainfall may cause slippery surfaces, poor visibility, floods which will lead to delays. Cheek the weather fore cast before traveling and seek local reliable information about road conditions when necessary.

9. Enjoy the journey and travel responsibly

One of the greatest benefits of a Self Drive Trip in Uganda is freedom to explore at your own pace. You can stop at scenic view points, discover local restaurants, visit local attractions and spend more time at places that interest you.

10. Inspect the rental car before departure

Before going with a car, here are more Self Drive Tips;

• Inspect the vehicle and photograph existing damages/dents
• Check tires, spare tires, lights and brakes
• Confirm insurance and sign rental contract
• Plan the route and download offline maps
• Save rental company’s emergency number
• Check whether and road conditions of the places you want to visit

To book a Self Drive Car Rental to any of Uganda’s destinations write an email to reservations@carrental-uganda.com or call/WhatsApp +256705911014 to reserve your ride.