The drink driving limit abroad is lower than you think

Trek Guide Most of Europe allows 0.5 g/l, four EU countries allow zero, and England and the US sit at 0.8. The full table by country, with the novice limits. By Anjali Shrestha · Oct 4, 2026 Read the full story

Most of Europe sets the drink-drive limit at 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood (0.05% BAC), but the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia allow none at all, and Sweden, Norway, Poland and Estonia stop at 0.2. England, Wales and Northern Ireland… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

How to read a drink-drive limit in any unit

Every limit in this article is blood alcohol concentration, and 0.5 g/l equals 0.05% BAC equals 50 mg per 100 ml. Europe mostly writes grams per litre (sometimes "per mille", or mg/ml, which is the same number). The US writes a percentage. The UK writes… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Drink-drive limits by country

Standard drivers in most European countries may drive up to 0.5 g/l, but professional and novice drivers usually face a lower limit, and in some countries it is zero. The European figures below are from the European Transport Safety Council, cross-checked… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The novice-driver rule that catches visitors

Several countries set a lower limit by how long you have held a licence or by your age, and they apply it to the driver in front of them, wherever the licence came from. Check this if you passed your test recently or are under 21. France: 0.2 for drivers who… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What happens if you are over the limit abroad

Expect a fine at minimum, and in many countries a driving ban, points or a criminal record, sized to how far over you are. The penalties are set nationally and are not harmonised across the EU, so the same reading costs very different amounts. Two examples… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

How many drinks is that? Our honest answer

We will not convert a limit into a number of drinks, because no official source does it reliably for an individual, and getting it wrong is a crime. Your result depends on body weight, sex, food, the strength of the drink and how long ago you had it. A large… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Frequently asked questions

Most European countries use 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood (0.05% BAC). The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia use zero; Sweden, Norway, Poland and Estonia use 0.2; Lithuania 0.4; England, Wales and Northern Ireland 0.8. In the EU, the… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

Which countries ask for one, and how to get it. CDW, excess and the counter upsell. Where it goes wrong, and how to stay left. Buy the pass before the border. Sources: European Transport Safety Council, Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) drink driving limits across… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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