Driving a car is one of the most rewarding ways to explore all that another country has to offer, but many travelers find the prospect of driving abroad stressful and worrisome. This anxiety often stems from the fact that driving laws, license requirements, local etiquette, and even road signs differ across the world. For instance, in Italy, driving in some towns and city centers is prohibited unless you are a resident. In Australia, drivers aren’t allowed to stick their arms outside windows. In Spain, it’s illegal to drive in flip-flops. These are just a few regional nuances that travelers don’t know or expect and could result in confusion, fines, or even accidents.
But one company is on a mission to eliminate any fear or reluctance to drive abroad and thus open up a whole other side of exploration for international travelers.
Driven by his passion for encouraging a love of travel and helping fellow adventurers navigate safely and confidently, John Cortese founded Tripiamo. John’s extensive knowledge and experience in product development, product management, and data analytics, particularly in the tourism sector, helped him develop Tripiamo’s signature driving tutorials. Interactive, practical, and comprehensive, Tripiamo guides are designed to ease travelers’ anxieties about driving in a digestible and approachable way.
John shared, “Although I’ve traveled to over fifty countries in the last decade, I’ve always felt limited in the places I can visit in other countries. I noticed that no single resource helped me feel comfortable enough to get around abroad via car. Information from national governments or blogs and vlogs didn’t cut it.”
John believes there is more to each country than their popular tourist landmarks, many of which are becoming untenably overrun by tourists. “I was trying to figure out how we can help people get beyond the tourist hotspots, lessen the negative environmental impact of over-tourism, and create opportunities to better immerse people in the local culture. The answer I came to is driving. Current tourist options of a guided tour bus or public transit unfortunately miss the mark. And many people don’t realize just how easy it is — if you already have your driver’s license in your home country, you’re essentially 90 percent of the way there. You just need that extra ten percent to be ready.” John remarked.
What makes Tripiamo stand out is the innovation behind its products. Unlike YouTube videos, blogs, or outdated manuals, each Tripiamo tutorial is interactive, engaging, and digestible, preparing international travelers with everything they need for driving abroad without giving customers an information overload. A series of quick video tutorials provides the essential information to get a traveler started. But the most exciting product is the company’s patent-pending 360-degree driving tours, which give customers a unique opportunity to experience getting around their chosen destination virtually. With this innovative tool, one can experience being in the driver’s seat to familiarize themselves with local road environments. Each tutorial also comes with a printable guide to take along. As Tripiamo grows, the company plans on offering additional tools to support international drivers along their journeys.
John assured, “We verify our guides with local driving schools and instructors. We scour through hundred-plus page driving manuals from every country, compressing relevant information into just a few short videos. We also review all our guides with expat drivers as well as locals and experienced international travelers.”
When asked about who he wants to reach with Tripiamo, John shared, “Our customers are equally those that have driven abroad before and those that are on the fence about it. We’ve had customers tell us they were too afraid to ever even think about driving in a place like Scotland, where they drive on the opposite side of the road from the U.S. But Tripiamo helped them make the mental adjustment and ultimately drive stress-free on their vacation. On the other hand, we’ve also had experienced international drivers find just as much value in our guides. One customer even mentioned Tripiamo saved him hundreds of euros in fines just by notifying him of some simple French driving regulations he wasn’t aware of.”
Ultimately, Tripiamo is in a class of its own, providing dynamic online driving tutorials curated per country. Aside from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, more destinations will be featured in Tripiamo’s driving tutorials in the near future.
