If you're thinking about planning an international road trip with friends, you may want to consider skipping the following destinations. According to a recent post on MSN.com, these are the world's worst cities to drive in.
And you thought your daily commute was bad!
10) Manila
The rules of the road are rather lax in the Philippine capital city. Triple-lane changes, using opposite lanes of traffic to get out of jams, turning left from the far right… these are all things that car rental drivers can expect to experience during their morning drive. Manila drivers also have an aversion to signaling and tend to breeze through red lights without so much as a second glance.
9) Toronto
The Canadian city of Toronto is home to North America's busiest highway – the 401. Nearly a half a million people travel the Toronto stretch of this highway everyday, creating traffic congestion like you've never seen. It doesn't matter that the road is 18-lanes wide at times – all of them come to a standstill the minute rush hour hits.
8) Seoul
If you're planning to drive your car rental in Seoul, remember this word of warning: public transit vehicles are legally allowed to ignore traffic signals. Apparently punctuality is more important than safety in this Korea metropolis. As for the regular drivers… well, they aren't much better. Drivers have no problem ignoring traffic lights and pedestrians are considered minor distractions. And watch out for scooters. These daredevil drivers will take to any patch of pavement in order to improve their progress and bypass stopped traffic.
7) Orlando
The "Happiest Place on Earth" is actually one of the most frustrating places to drive. Cars headed to and from the gigantic malls and theme parks cause insane bottlenecks and ridiculous traffic congestion. And let's not even get started on the number of carjackings that take place in broad daylight.
6) Beijing
There are more than three million vehicles on the road in Beijing right now – and more than 1,000 new ones joining the fleet every day. As with other cities on this list, the basic rules of the road are widely ignored. This includes lane markings, traffic signs and merging instructions. But don't feel bad if you're repeatedly cut off during your daily commute. Beijing-ites extend the exact same respect to police and emergency service vehicles. It isn't uncommon to hear car rental drivers honking in frustration if a cruiser is blocking traffic at the scene of an accident.
5) Paris
Drivers enjoy very little affection in the City of Love, thanks to narrow streets and the single most confusing traffic roundabout in the world: the Arc de Triomphe. This insanely large roundabout has roughly 13 different entrances, no markings and no lines. Throw in a couple dozen confused car rental drivers and you've got yourself a recipe for driving disaster. Be sure to watch for children running into traffic, drivers cutting ahead, and just general all-around mayhem.
4) Ulan Bator
Only a quarter of the roads in this major population center are paved – and paved poorly. If you're planning on heading outside the city in your Mongolian car rental, make sure you're driving a vehicle equipped with four wheel drive – only a fraction of the country "roads" are maintained.
3) Athens
Driving in the Greek capital is anything but civilized. A general disregard for traffic laws and a lack of parking results in most streets being blocked by double- and triple-parked vehicles.
2) Mumbai
Imagine all of the terrible things your driving instructor told you not to do when you were taking your driving training. Now, imagine encountering all of these dangerous maneuvers at once. That's pretty close to what you'll experience while driving the streets of Mumbai. Car rental drivers are often overtaken on blind corners and it's not uncommon to encounter cars accelerating off side streets without looking. And that's before you throw in overburdened buses, roaming animals and tuk-tuks.
1) Rome
Car rental drivers should prepare for the worst when they get behind the wheel of their Roman rental car. Tailgating isn’t just a common problem; it's a national pastime. Rearview mirrors are accessories, as drivers never bother to look behind them. And seatbelts? Those are merely suggestions. There are literally dozens of collisions on the roadways of Rome every day, so be careful. That Fiat that's riding your bumper will likely be on top of your bumper shortly.
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