Driving in Uruguay: Everything You Need To Know

Uruguay is the perfect country for a road trip.

The main destinations are all relatively close together along the coasts of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic. You can expect to rarely have more than 2-3 hours on the road between destinations.

And heck, even if you did have to drive from one corner of the country to the other from some reason, it will only take you 9 hours, max. I live in Argentina and 9 hours won’t even get you to Mendoza from Buenos Aires.

Driving in Uruguay is very easy. The highways and roads are well maintained and safe.

While things are fairly straight forward there are some specific things you should know before driving in Uruguay to avoid any headaches.

This post is a guide to all the logistical tips and advice you need for a smooth road trip in Uruguay.

Driving in Uruguay 101: Laws, Norms, & Documentation

Before you drive in Uruguay, take notes of these important things:

• Tourists don’t typically need to have an international driver’s license. If your license is in a language that uses the latin alphabet (including the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and Mercosur neighboring countries) then rental car agencies should accept your regular license for the duration of your 90 day tourist visa.
• Keep your headlights on at all times, day or night.
• Uruguay is zero tolerance. Don’t drink and drive, even “just one drink”.
• Not all intersections have stop signs or traffic lights. This is common in Argentina, as well. When you find yourself in these intersections, know that the person coming the right has the legal right of way.
• Uruguay has more cows than people. You may see some on the road. They have the right of way.
• You do not need a 4×4.The roads we drove between Colonia, Montevideo, and Punta del Este were in great condition. Rural and beach roads can be in worse shape with potholes (and said cows) but a standard car will be fine. Just slow down when necessary.

Car Rentals in Uruguay

Renting a car in Uruguay is easy and straightforward. You’ll see international names you recognize, like Sixt, Alamo, and Europcar, in every major destination.

Check rental car rates and availability here for your dates.

For the best price always rent a manual transmission. An automatic will always cost more, sometimes upwards of double the cost of a manual. If you prefer an automatic, then you can search here and filter for automatics only.

One way car rentals are possible and can make certain itineraries easier. For example, picking up your car in Colonia del Sacramento and returning it in Montevideo. Expect to pay a drop off fee for returning it to a different location.

If you’re visiting during the busy summer season (December-February), then I recommend reserving your rental car in advance. They can sell out.

Bring your own car from Argentina

If you live in Argentina and have your own car, you may want to bring your car with you rather than rent one here.

This is what we did. We own our car in Argentina so we brought it with us on the Buquebus ferry. It cost less than $100 US round trip for the car.

You could also drive to the land border crossing at Gualeguaychú-Fray Bentos and the skip the ferry all together (but we didn’t want the extra time on the road with the kids).

This is the most convenient border crossing if you’re driving from Buenos Aires and traveling to Carmelo, Colonia, Montevideo or the coast.

Make sure your car’s insurance policy covers Uruguay and have your insurance ready to show officials if asked. Buquebus requires this if you bring your car on the ferry.

Note: This advice for those who own cars in Argentina, not crossing with rental cars. Crossing the border with a rental car is either impossible or too big a headache to be worth it.

Combine public transport and rental cars to save money

If the rental car (and the required expensive gas it takes to run it) is a bit much for your budget, then you can take use a combo of the bus and rental cars for your road trip. for bus schedules and to purchase your tickets.

Take the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento. Then take the bus from Colonia to Montevideo.

Then, pick up a rental car in Montevideo only for your days in and around Punta del Este and the coast.

You can easily explore Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento without a car but I highly recommend it for the coast. It’s the only way to reach certain locations, sites, or villages without hassle (or expensive taxis). Check bus prices and schedules here.

Filling your tank

Petrol is very expensive in Uruguay, it’s the most expensive in all of South America.

Gas costs $2.20 US per liter compared to $1.35 US per liter in Argentina. That comes out to $8.33 US per gallon if you want to compare gas price to the US.

If you take your own car to Uruguay bring it with the tank full to save a hefty stack of pesos. If you’re renting a car, then prepare yourself for expensive tank top ups or try to split the cost with friends.

We found gas stations to be very easy to find along the route. They have clean bathrooms and some (in rural areas in between cities) even had small play areas to let your kids stretch their legs.

Attendants will fill your tank for you and also offer to clean your windshield. If they help me with other things (like putting air in the tire or cleaning the windshield) then I do give them a small tip.

Watch out for Speed Cameras

Uruguay takes speed seriously. Which I found awful because the speed limits felt very slow compared to what I am used to when driving in Argentina.

Highways ranged from 90-110 km/h and regularly dipped to 60 or 75 km/h in more highly populated areas. These dips are where the traffic cameras typically were, lying in wait for you to get distracted. Don’t get distracted.

Use your car’s cruise control and download Google Maps or Waze not only for navigation but for them to alert you to upcoming speed cameras.

Luckily, they do post signs warning you that a camera will be coming up. So if you pay attention, you’ll be ok.

Tolls/Peajes in Uruguay

Tolls in Uruguay all operate with Telepeaje, which means you can’t pay each individual toll booth with cash from your car window.

You need to open a tourist account online in advance or, do what we did, set it up in person at the first toll we encountered.

At your first toll, park your car (there will be a small lot to the side of the road). Go to customer service windows in the main building to register for a tourist pass.

They asked for my ID card (passport or DNI), license plate, and other basic personal information to open the account.

Then I told the agent our road trip route and she calculated how many tolls we would go through on our entire trip. I paid this amount by credit card to load it into my Telepeaje account and then put the sticker on my windshield to go through each toll (it shows the remaining amount you have in your account when it scans).

I think that if you register online then the toll booth will register your license plate number and deduct money from your account that way. But I preferred having the physical tag for it to scan since I could always see how much money I had in my account and avoid any problems down the road (pun intended).

Driving in Uruguay: A Summary

And that’s it, enjoy your road trip in Uruguay!

After nearly two decades living in Argentina (mostly in the big city) I have gotten very used to driving in high stress conditions. Uruguay is not high stress.

So slow down (the cameras will force you to) and enjoy the road.

Read more on the blog

• The 10 Best Things to do in Uruguay
• The perfect one week in Uruguay Itinerary
• A Guide to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
• Driving in Argentina: Everything You Need to Know
• All About Argentina Road Trips: Routes, Scenic Drives, and Local Tips