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Driving is on the right side of the road.

All Pittsburgh Airport rental cars are automatic transmission.

Your local drivers' licence is required.

An International Drivers' Permit (or IDP) may be required, especially if your local drivers' licence is in a language other than the local language (you may inquire when you pick up your car).

Pittsburgh Driving Stress Level: 4/10

Like most major American cities, anticipate congestion during peak hours and some aggressive driving. With a multitude of hills, valleys, Pittsburgh is an eclectic town to travel by car for even the natives. Very little is straightforward about Pittsburgh travel via car, but some constants help road warriors get by.

 

A trick to not getting lost in Pittsburgh is the well-kept secret of the Belt System. The Belt System consists of 5 colour-coded routes along main roads, forming a unique system of ring routes around the City and county. It provides a navigational aid for motorists in unfamiliar portions of the county. These belts are long, winding circular paths which allow travelers to freely explore the city with little fear of getting truly lost. If you are hopelessly lost and encounter a Belt sign (blue, red, yellow...), following these signs is a good way to locate a main travel artery and get back on track, as they cross most major highways. If nothing else, the belts tend to eventually circle back on themselves and, at the very least, you will get back to where you started if you keep following them. Routes are marked with signs showing a coloured circle. For more information, check out Pennsylvania Belt System.

 

Watch out for the "Pittsburgh left". At traffic lights, a driver wishing to turn left will do so as soon as the light turns green, regardless of whether another vehicle has the right-of-way. This may sound strange and even dangerous, but it actually has a useful purpose; at many intersections, there is only one lane of travel in each direction, so someone waiting to make a left turn will block the traffic behind them if they cannot make the turn. While waiting to make a left turn at an intersection, you may find cars traveling the other direction will wait in order for you to make the left turn and keep the traffic behind you moving. While not done as much by the younger generation, the Pittsburgh Left still has its adherents.

Car Rental Protection
Learn how to protect yourself when renting a car at Pittsburgh Airport.