Getting around Zambia: driving, licences and public transport

Zambia drives on the left, and self-driving is the most flexible way to link Lusaka, Livingstone and the safari circuit, but the roads and the traffic on them demand real caution. Long-distance public transport comes with its own safety trade-offs, so how you move around matters as much as where you’re going.

Driving yourself

A UK photocard driving licence lets you drive in Zambia for up to 90 days¹; a Dutch licence is only valid if you also carry a valid international driving permit² alongside it, so sort that out before you fly, not at the rental counter.

Once on the road, many roads are severely potholed, and vehicles sharing them are often poorly maintained and badly driven, with frequent fatal crashes alongside that. Drink-driving and using a mobile phone while driving are illegal but common, so don’t assume an oncoming driver is sober or watching the road. Driving outside the main towns after dark raises the stakes further: unlit vehicles, pedestrians and stray animals are hard to see in time, so plan to be off the road well before sunset on any inter-town drive. In the rainy season, from November to April¹, flooding can damage or wash away roads and bridges outright, so check conditions on your specific route before setting out; a tarred road on the map is not a guarantee it’s passable.

Carjacking is the sharpest risk tied to driving itself: gangs force a stopped vehicle’s driver to hand it over², and the UK Foreign Office specifically warns to watch for carjackers at locked gateways at night, or where the road is blocked¹. Keep windows closed and doors locked while moving, ignore anyone flagging you down or hitchhiking, and avoid isolated stretches of road once the sun is down; see the safety page for how this risk fits into the wider picture of crime in Zambia.

Public transport

Long-distance buses and minibuses cover ground between towns, but the UK Foreign Office warns that long-distance public transport can be dangerous because of poor driving standards, a lack of driver rest periods, poor vehicle quality and poor road conditions. Urban minibuses, the shared vans that cover short hops within Lusaka and other towns, are typically overcrowded and poorly maintained¹. A transfer arranged through your hotel or a tour operator is the safer way to cover both kinds of journey, especially after dark or on routes you don’t know. The same advice applies to a journey you might otherwise cover by unofficial taxi: ask your hotel to book a vehicle it already knows instead of hailing one on the street.

Practical tips

• Confirm your UK licence’s 90-day window covers your whole trip, or carry an international driving permit with a Dutch licence.
• Plan to finish any inter-town drive before dark; night driving brings unlit vehicles, pedestrians and animals on the road.
• Check your specific route for rainy-season flooding (November to April) before setting out.
• Keep car windows up and doors locked on the move, ignore hitchhikers, and watch for carjackers at locked gateways or where something has been placed to block the road, especially after dark.
• Book transfers through your hotel or a licensed tour operator rather than relying on street minibuses for long trips.

What to check before you go

1. Whether your driving licence is valid to drive in Zambia for your full trip, and whether you need an international driving permit.
2. Current road and flooding conditions on your specific route if you’re travelling during the rainy season.
3. Whether a hotel- or operator-arranged transfer is available for any long-distance leg you’d otherwise cover by public minibus.
4. Your own government’s current travel advisory close to departure, since the UK Foreign Office advice¹ and road conditions can change.