OldGuyTraveler

I thought it would be easy. Who wouldn't be able to stay on the left side of the road. I even practiced making left and right turns in my mind (narrow turn going left, wide turns going right). The reality was somewhat different.

I picked up a rental at Holyhead, Wales, and planned to drive to Shrewsbury, England. I would spend time in Shrewsbury exploring the Welch and English countryside, and then drive on to York, where I would turn in the auto.

Leaving the Ferry Terminal, I found that British drivers like to park half on the road and half of the sidewalk. This practice would result in a ticket and/or a wrecked car in the US. But I found out why: there is no place to park in England

Did mention that driving on the dual carrigeway was a dream? The rest of the roads were NARROW!. And to add insult to injury, most roads (even in the country) had stone curbs which just begged you to bounce off (which I did with alarming frequency). The problem was that you had to hug the centerline. Some oncoming drivers were very aggressive in their hugging, so I would move over and give them room, and Bang! went the tire on the stone curb. I ended up with a large bubble on the sidewall of the left front tire, which I had to pay for.

The result was that the auto was not worth the aggrivation and I surrendered it as soon as I arrived in Shrewsbury.

sf7307

<<<And to add insult to injury, most roads (even in the country) had stone curbs which just begged you to bounce off (which I did with alarming frequency>>>

As did my husband. I had a massive headache the one time I was the passenger in a car he was driving from London to Oxford and return.

indy_dad

It does take some getting used to (we've had plenty of practice now). Plenty of curb cleaning at first.

It helps to have an American passenger sitting on the left for the first time making squeals, gurgles and yelps as they come closer to cars and fences than they are used to as well.

The good thing about all the cars parked in the road is that other drivers aren't alarmed when you come over on their side.

It definitely takes a different level of concentration and can be stressful at first. It was weeks before we allowed talking and months for the radio to be turned on.

Roundabouts are great though once you get the hang of it.

annhig

oh dear, oldguy, sorry that our roads were such a trial for you.

perhaps the route between Holyhead and Shrewsbury was not the best one for cutting your UK road teeth; I also wonder what size car you had. Most roads even here in Cornwall have enough room for two cars to pass each other easily, though I will grant you that in placessome of them narrow in a way that strangers might find alarming.

if it's any comfort to you, we found driving in the US a real trial too!

indy_dad

<< <i> though I will grant you that in placessome of them narrow in a way that strangers might find alarming. </i> >>

more than a few, I imagine -- Mousehole springs to mind

fortunately I wasn't cutting my teeth in Cornwall either

ssachida

I can relate. I was terrified by the narrow hedge bound winding country lanes when I first drove in the UK.

People are just used to less clearance between cars than in the US. Also, I learned very quickly, that when in the UK, don't hire the biggest car for your money as you would in the US.

I generally agree with you about cars not being worth it on holiday. Who needs the stress?

annhig

fortunately I wasn't cutting my teeth in Cornwall either>>

very sensible, indydad. the german guests in our barn frequently comment on the width of the roads and the solidity of cornish hedges. [which are actually walls covered in grass and other plants].

Devon is just as bad but the hedges tend to be higher!

Michael

I was very happy to have rented a Fiat 500 for my week in the English countryside.

tomboy

I vividly remember driving in the Lake District one night; the road wasn't wide enough to pass the (one) sheep meandering down the road that evening...had to wait for her to exit. The next day I measured that road's width....12 shoes wide.

azzure

Indydad - I drove once (in Ireland no less) and was a passenger once (in the UK) and I absolutely believe that being a driver is easier. I was the one emitting "squeals, gurgles and yelps" that second time; I often felt my face was three inches from a stone wall.

nytraveler

We have done it several times and had no problems. Yes, it's different - and not just driving on the left but also:

1) tons of roundabouts (traffic circles) versus lights - which are practically unknown in the US

2) country roads are narrow - often with ditches on either side

3) there are lots of animals (we nearly ran down some lambs that had escaped from a nearby pen - and cuoldn;t get them back in - and they kept jumping in front of the car - luckily the farmer came along with his sheepdog)

But if are a confident driver - and it helps to come from an area with many narrow roads and tiny parking spaces (not all highways and malls with gigantic parking spaces) - it's really not a problem.

Caveat: We always rent an automatic - trying to do std in an unknown car in unknown territory doesn;t let you enjoy the scenery)

nukesafe

I have driven in the UK a lot over the years, and have gotten quite used to it, even the roads in Cornwall and Devon. There is only one thing I cannot master. I am damned if I can comfortably shift with my left hand.

The gear pattern is the same, just slid over to your left side. I come to a hill and my brain tells me to shift down a gear. Quick as a flash I relay that information to my shifting hand.

My left hand, which has been napping, says, "What?"

"Who, me?

"I'll think about it."

"I think I'll try this."

Crunch, grind, goes the gearbox!

I guess I should try for an automatic, but they are so hard to come by, so expensive, and my pride (as an ex stick-shift cab driver in San Francisco) just won't let me.

Michael

I do not like English roundabouts compared to the French ones because in the former one must know ahead of time how far one will rotate on the roundabout and choose the lane accordingly. Moreover, if the turn is the first one, it is often on a tangential lane--but as the confused tourist, it is not always clear which lane to choose.

bilboburgler

The first time I drove on the "wrong" side, I'm used to driving on the left, I had Mrs Bilbo do the gear stick movements with her "normal" hand until I got used to the odd road position.

Gordon_R

>>but as the confused tourist, it is not always clear which lane to choose.<<

That's what the direction signs on the approach to the roundabout are for. If you miss your exit, just go round again (obviously not Griswold-style though .

Heimdall

Parking "half on the road and half of the sidewalk" is an offence in the UK as well, because it obstructs pedestrians, especially mothers with strollers, disabled users of mobility scooters, etc. On narrow streets police and traffic wardens often overlook it unless someone complains.

Driving on the left is easy to learn, but a right hand drive (RHD) car takes some getting used to. Along with learning to shift gears with your left hand, another problem is positioning yourself within the lane correctly. The tendency is to drive too far to the left until you are used to sitting on the "wrong" side of the car. ;-)

ira

Hey BB,

>The first time I drove on the "wrong" side,,,,

Good thinking.

jane1144

I am a Canadian with a fair but of experience driving in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. My worst experience driving on the left was in the Bahamas where they drive American cars on the left side of the road! You can't see what's coming at you and it would be a lethal experience to pass another car.
The only thing I have never been able to overcome is turning on my windshield wipers when I am actually trying to signal a turn!!

bettyk

I really want to do another driving trip in the UK next year, but DH usually does most of the driving and he's not that keen. I still remember how difficult it was to get use to on our last trip back in 2004.

We lived in the UK for a year back in the 1980's but after so much time away (and much more traffic) you tend to forget how narrow some of the roads are!

Heimdall

<i>...you tend to forget how narrow some of the roads are!</i>

And somehow trucks, buses, and tractors towing farm machinery seem to manage just fine on those "narrow" roads. If you see something like that coming towards you make sure there is room to get by, but otherwise you should be okay. ;-)