Car Travel

In London your U.S. driver's license is acceptable (as long as you are over 23 years old, with no endorsements or driving convictions). If you have a driver's license from a country other than the United States, it may not be recognized in the United Kingdom. An International Driver's Permit is a good idea no matter what; it's available from the American (AAA) or Canadian Automobile Association and, in the United Kingdom, from the Automobile Association (AA) or Royal Automobile Club (RAC). International permits are universally recognized, and having one may save you a problem with the local authorities.

The best advice on driving in London is: don't. London's streets are a winding mass of chaos, made worse by one-way roads. Parking is also restrictive and expensive, and traffic is tediously slow at most times of the day; during rush hours -- from 8 AM to 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM -- it often grinds to a standstill, particularly on Friday, when everyone wants to leave town. Avoid city-center shopping areas, including the roads feeding Oxford Street, Kensington, and Knightsbridge. Other main roads into the city center are also busy, such as King's Cross and Euston in the north. Watch out also for cyclists and motorcycle couriers who weave between cars and pedestrians and seem to come out of nowhere.

Remember that Britain drives on the left, and the rest of Europe on the right. Therefore, you may want to leave your rented car in Britain and pick up a left-side drive if you cross the Channel.

Rules of the Road

If you must risk life and limb and drive in London, note that the speed limit is 30 mph in the royal parks, as well as in all streets -- unless you see the large 40 mph signs (and small repeater signs attached to lampposts) found only in the suburbs. Pedestrians have the right-of-way on "zebra" crossings (black-and-white stripes that stretch across the street between two Belisha beacons -- orange flashing globe lights on posts), and it's illegal to pass another vehicle at a zebra crossing. At other crossings pedestrians must yield to traffic, but they do have the right-of-way over traffic turning left at controlled crossings -- if they have the nerve.

Traffic lights sometimes have arrows directing left or right turns; try to catch a glimpse of the road markings in time, and don't get into the turn lane if you mean to go straight ahead. A right turn is not permitted on a red light. Signs at the beginning and end of designated bus lanes give the time restrictions for use (usually during peak hours); if you're caught driving on bus lanes during restricted hours, you could be fined. The use of horns is prohibited between 11:30 PM and 7 AM. By law, seat belts must be worn in the front and back seats. Drunk-driving laws are strictly enforced, and it's safest to avoid alcohol altogether if you'll be driving. The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol, which roughly translated means two units of alcohol -- two glasses of wine, one pint of beer, or one glass of whiskey.

Congestion Charge

Designed to reduce traffic through central London, a congestion charge has been instituted. Vehicles (with some exemptions) entering central London on weekdays from 7 AM to 6:30 PM (excluding public holidays) have to pay a £8 per day fee; it can be paid up to 90 days in advance, or on the day you need it. Day-, week-, month-, and year-long passes are available on the Congestion Charge Customer Service Web site, at gas stations, parking lots (car parks), by mail, by phone, by SMS text message, and at BT Internet kiosks. Traffic signs designate the entrance to congestion areas, and cameras read car license plates and send the information to a database. Drivers who don't pay the congestion charge by midnight after the day of driving are penalized £80, which is reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.

Information

Congestion Charge Customer Service (Box 2985, Coventry, CV7 8ZR. 0845/900-1234. www.cclondon.com).

Emergency Services

The general procedure for a breakdown is the following: position the red hazard triangle (which should be in the trunk of the car) a few paces away from the rear of the car. Leave the hazard warning lights on. Along highways (motorways), emergency roadside telephone booths are positioned at intervals within walking distance. Contact the car-rental company or an auto club. The main auto clubs in the United Kingdom are the Automobile Association (AA) and the Royal Automobile Club (RAC). If you're a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA), check your membership details before you depart for Britain as, under a reciprocal agreement, roadside assistance in the United Kingdom should cost you nothing. You can join and receive roadside assistance from the AA on the spot, but the charge is higher -- around £75 -- than a simple membership fee.

Contacts

American Automobile Association (800/564-6222). Australian Automobile Association (02/6247-7311). Automobile Association (0870/550-0600; 0800/887766 for emergency roadside assistance). Canadian Automobile Association (613/247-0117). New Zealand Automobile Association (09/377-4660). Royal Automobile Club (0870/572-2722).

Gasoline

Gasoline (petrol) is sold in liters and is increasingly expensive (about 91p per liter at this writing). Unleaded petrol, denoted by green pump lines, is predominant. Premium and Super Premium are the two varieties, and most cars run on regular Premium. Supermarket pumps usually offer the best value, although they are often on the edge of the central city. You won't find many service stations in the center of town; these are generally on main, multilane trunk roads out of the center. Service is self-serve, except in small villages, where gas stations are likely to be closed on Sunday and late evening. Most stations accept major credit cards.

Parking

During the day -- and probably at all times -- it's safest to believe that you can park nowhere except at a meter, in a garage, or where you are sure there are no lines or signs; otherwise, you run the risk of a towing cost of about £100 or a wheel clamp, which costs about the same, since you pay to have the clamp removed plus the cost of the one or two tickets you'll have earned first. Restrictions are indicated by the no waiting parking signpost on the sidewalk (these restrictions vary from street to street), and restricted areas include single yellow lines or double yellow lines. Parking at a bus stop or in a red-line bus lane is also restricted. It's illegal to park on the sidewalk, across entrances, or on white zigzag lines approaching a pedestrian crossing.

Meters have an insatiable hunger in the inner city -- a 20p piece buys just six minutes -- and some will only permit a two-hour stay. Meters take 10p, 20p, 50p, and £1 coins. In the evening, after restrictions end, meter bays are free. In the daytime, take advantage of the many N.C.P. parking lots in the center of town, which are often a better value (about £2.50-£3 per hour, up to eight hours). A London street map should have the parking lots marked.