Ecuador Colombia
Ecuador 
ColombiaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
The Rumichaca Bridge at Ipiales links Colombia with Tulcán in Ecuador.
Driving rules in Colombia
- Pico y placa restricts driving by plate number on set days.
- 0.02% alcohol limit, strictly enforced.
- Headlights on outside urban areas.
- Toll roads (peajes) are common.
What to see when you arrive in Colombia
- the walled old town of Cartagena
- the coffee region around Salento
- Bogotá's La Candelaria and Monserrate
- Tayrona National Park
- the Caño Cristales river
Once you're driving in Colombia
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Tourists may drive on a valid home licence for the duration of their stay (up to 90 days, extendable). An IDP is not strictly required if your licence has a photo and is in Spanish or English, but it is recommended to ease police checkpoint interactions.
Tolls & road charges
Colombia has roughly 180+ toll booths (peajes), regulated by ANI/Invías, costing about COP 10,000-17,000 (~USD 2.70-4.60) per booth for a car; carry small-denomination cash as card acceptance is not universal.
Parking in the cities
Use guarded paid lots (parqueaderos) rather than the street in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena; heed signed restrictions and 'no parquear' zones, as towing (grúa) and immobilization are enforced in central districts.
Fines & camera enforcement
Speed cameras (fotomultas) are widespread; speeding, no seatbelt and phone use draw fines set in daily minimum wages (often hundreds of thousands of pesos). Officers should not collect cash on the road; camera and towing fines are passed to the renter via the rental company.
If you have an accident
Call 123 (national emergency line) for police and ambulance; do not move vehicles if there are injuries. SOAT covers bodily injury only; exchange details and get a police report for the rental insurer.
Driving in the capital
Bogotá, Medellín and Cali enforce 'pico y placa', barring cars on set weekdays by the last plate digit during peak hours - it applies to rental cars too, so check the city's Secretaría de Movilidad schedule before driving.
Sources: expat.com · tyremap.com · en.wikipedia.org · internationaltravelpermits.com