SkyscraperCity Forum banner

Countries and overseas territories with the same road lay-out and road signs

27K views 98 replies 33 participants last post by  Road_UK 
#1 ·
I have a particular interest in road lay-out and road signs between different countries and territories. For my own experience I have only driven in one complete different area of Britain: Gibraltar. It´s an experience. Even though they drive on the right, and all speed limits are in kilometres, road signs and lay-out are exactly the same as in Britain. I also would like to see more pictures and comparisons of the Falklands and Hong Kong for example. Also I believe a lot of north-African countries use the French system, as well as French Guyana, while Dutch (ex) overseas territories use a mixture of their own based on Dutch influence.
I have noticed that the Greek motorway system virtually has a German road lay-out with German style signs in a different colour.
And Finland seems to copy the Swedish style.

I want to know more!
 
#56 ·
Quite curious to point "Spain". Should they point "Airport" or just North-South... will be similar

Otherwise, with accuracy what they should point would be "border customs", because there is only one lane to exit there.
 
#59 ·
A mixed system...

Andorra has a tunnel to connect to France. Both entrances are in Andorran territory but eastern is very close to France (and it would be difficult if they have to adapt the road to avoid French territory).


This is a pictures of the area (last photo taken in Guess the motorway... was very near here)

https://maps.google.es/maps?q=pas+d...hnear=El+Pas+de+la+Casa,+Encamp,+Andorra&z=16


As you can see, all Andorran territory is built there. You just cross the border and it is a full duty free shop and tax free (and google borders there are accurate)

The same entreprise made the tunnel to arrive there from the rest of the country (Tunel d'Envalira)


This roundabout is in France. Just in one corner besides the van is the tunnel entrance. Border is half way from roundabout to tunnel entrance.

The entreprise who built the tunnel put the Andorran common signals (which are close to Spanish one), so in this picture you can see two different countries and two types of signal in the same roundabout!!!!!

https://maps.google.es/maps?q=pas+d...K4H2IfWuM6Zk0Kr4KRL_Cw&cbp=12,211.71,,0,22.11


(Custom border is some kilometres down in the valley. Usually no problem for passport control but even French or Spanish policemen, very strong with goods because duty free)
 
#62 ·
Tell me more about Alland. I know it is autonomous, belonging to Finland, but language is Swedish only. Does Sweden have a say in its affairs? Obviously, roads wise it has a Swedish system, with Finnish road numbers. I also know it is a tax haven. I have never been on land, but whenever I´m on that ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, it makes a stop in Alland at 4am, presumably to enable duty free shopping on that ferry. And to let a few people on and off of course. So I only saw it standing on the outside deck of the ship.
 
#68 ·
Åland, in Finnish Ahvenanmaa, is a small archipelago area with less than 30,000 people. Autonomous since 1921 and demilitarized since 1856.

Part of EU: Yes
Member of Schengen area: Yes
Part of Nordic passport union: Yes
Part of EU Customs union: Yes
Part of EU VAT Area: NO

Own flag, own post system with own stamps, own internet country code. No own money, no own telephone country code.

The main reason not belonging to the EU VAT Area is traffic: The islands are fully dependent on the good sea connections to both Sweden and Finland. The arrangement allows the tax-free sales at the ferries between Finland and Sweden if the ferries make a stop at Åland, thus making the frequent all-year services profitable. In addition, Åland is the home base of the Viking Line shipping company.

The autonomy does not mean Åland being authorized to make any laws. The autonomy basically covers areas like education, culture, health, traffic, environment, local administration, police, post, radio, and television. In many "hard" areas, the Finnish jurisdiction applies: constitution, freedom of speech, foreign policy, crime, taxation with exceptions, defense (taking the demilitarized status into account), money, justice, nationality, marriage, etc.

Åland is not a tax heaven but the Finnish taxes including VAT apply (with some exceptions.)

There is a customs border between Åland and the mainland Finland. Normally, that can be mostly ignored by the travellers. Still, the import regulations apply, because import from Åland to Finland is treated almost similarly to areas outside the EU. (Almost = no duties, as Åland is part of the EU customs union.)

Åland has their own traffic laws, which are derived from the Finnish laws. Thus, very similar. Most of traffic sign and road markings layout is derived from Sweden, but some exceptions apply. The road numbering overlaps with the one used in the Finnish mainland. There are only a handful of numbered roads.

The ferries between Turku and Stockholm make one round on 24 hours. The daytime ferries call at Mariehamn, which is the capital of Åland. As the schelude does not allow two stops in Mariehamn, the night ferries call at Långnäs, which is located close to the main route.

The ferry route from Helsinki to Stockholm is longer, and the ferries make a round in about 40 hours. That allows a call at Mariehamn in both directions, and that happens at night.

The biggest islands are connected by smaller ferries. Rather a complex tariff scheme applies. Two ferry routes have their far end at the Finnish mainland (in Vuosnainen/Kustavi and in Galtby/Korpo). Those smaller ferries are rather crowded during the summer time. The demand is regulated by rather high prices for those non-residents not using the the local accommodation services.



m/s Viking Cinderella at the Turku-Stockholm route



m/s Gudingen at the "southern route" Långnäs-Galtby
 
#63 ·
No, Sweden doesn't have a say. And as far as the region's internal affairs are concerned, Finland doesn't either. Finland is responsible for foreign relations, though.

The region has its own parliament with 30 elected members, and own government. In addition, 1 of the 200 members in the Finnish parliament is elected from Åland. Road maintenance and signage is the responsibility of Åland government, not Finland's.

The sign in the link above is brand new. Still most signs - and in the beginning of the 2000'ies almost all of them - are of Finnish design. I guess this is changing, but how fast, I have no idea.

The number of boarding and landing passengers isn't large enough to financially justify Helsinki-Stockholm ferries stopping in Åland. The primary reason in their doing so is, as you said, to enable shopping.
 
#64 ·
Åland is not a tax haven, far from it. Compared to real tax havens, à la Jersey, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, etc., Åland is a tax hell, just like every other Nordic region. It is outside the VAT area of the European Union, but in reality its sole advantage is the tax-free shopping for beverages and tobacco products on the cruise ships visiting the island. Which really doesn't make it a tax haven.
 
#66 ·
The directional signage in Estonia is based on the Finnish system. But from the limited sections that I have seen, there seem to be differences in the diagrammic signs. Where the Fins use a simple fork sign, Estonia seems to have signs that show focals left and right of the road.

In road markings and regulatory signs, there are larger differences between the countries. Use of yellow is very common in Finland but not in Estonia.
 
#70 ·
I always use Silja Line Stockholm-Helsinki. [/IMG]
My decision making algorithm is easy: If I shall drive north of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, I use Silja Line, else Viking Line. Just to avoid congestion.

Silja uses the Värtan harbour, which lies at the north side of the city of Stockholm, while the Viking calls at Stadsgården harbour at the south part of the city.

Of course, exceptions apply to this basic rule.
 
#71 ·
When I go to Finland, I usually have to go to Salo, at the Nokia factories. Of course it is quicker to go via Turku instead, but I don´t like that boat. I prefer going to Helsinki, more to do on that boat, and when I get back in Helsinki, I park the van at the terminal, and go shopping in the city, Stockmanns etc, until 4pm, and time to reboard the same ferry I arrived on, and keeping my same cabin.
 
#72 ·
Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire uses the same as The Netherlands (For obvious reasons lol)

Argentina uses Spanish/American signs is weird I mean they look European but is different :crazy:

Chile uses Spanish/German signs


I find European signs better and more efficient than U.S ones
 
#77 ·
I do not know if it is the correct thread

Everyone knows the Stop signal, and would remember when it was a circle signal.

But I got very surprised in the Guantanamera movie when I watched written in Spanish. Most of Cuban signals are only in Spanish... including the Stop one (be sure no many English speakers drive there...).

Looking at google you can see several versions in some languages.... but in the circle old signal and in other language different than English, I think only in that movie.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top