Getting Around the Turks and Caicos

The road fact that catches people

Driving is on the left. Most rental cars, however, are left-hand drive. You sit on the side of the car you are used to and then drive on the side of the road you are not, which removes the physical cue most drivers rely on without noticing.

If that combination is new to you, the first hour is the one to plan. Take it on a quiet road, in daylight, before the first roundabout.

Speed, light and livestock

• The speed limit is 20mph in towns and 40mph elsewhere.
• Street lighting is limited, particularly away from the main roads.
• Livestock regularly wander on to the road, especially on Grand Turk.
• There is an increasing number of accidents on Leeward Highway on Providenciales, particularly at night.

Those four facts point the same way: this is a daylight driving destination. A night drive on an unlit road at 40mph, in a left-hand drive car, on the left, with animals about, is stacking four risks that are individually manageable.

Licenses, and the one month limit

A UK photocard driving license can be used to drive in the Turks and Caicos Islands for one month. An older paper license may need updating to a photocard, or the correct version of the international driving permit as well.

Rental companies routinely set stricter conditions than the law does. A year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and an international driving permit are all common requirements, and they are the rental company's to state rather than the government's. Confirm them with your provider when you book, not at the counter.

Taxis: agree the fare, and ask how it is counted

There are standard taxi fares for most destinations on the main islands, and you may be charged per person. Confirm the fare with the driver before starting a journey.

The per person convention is the part worth registering. A fare quoted for a journey and a fare quoted for a passenger are different numbers, and a party of four discovering the difference at the end of the ride is a poor way to start a trip.

Between the islands

More than 40 islands and cays make up this archipelago. Roads connect some of them and not others, so movement between islands is a booked, scheduled activity with its own weather sensitivity rather than a decision you make on the morning. Build it into the itinerary as an event, and see our weather guide for why it is the first thing a storm takes away.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Turks and Caicos Islands safety and security: the record that hurricane season normally runs from June to November, that earthquakes could be a risk and the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies publishes guidance, that a replacement passport cannot be obtained locally, and the diving guidance on operator credentials, safety equipment and oxygen on the boat. Accessed 18 September 2026.
• Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board: Official tourism record: that more than 40 islands and cays make up the archipelago, that English is the official language, and that the US dollar is the currency. Accessed 18 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Turks and Caicos Islands travel advice: the record that the territory is a British Overseas Territory, that there is no British Embassy, and that the Turks and Caicos Islands government will support a visitor who needs help. Accessed 18 September 2026.