martinah

I would like to consider renting a car at NAS airport to settle in at the Harbour Resort in less than a few weeks..We have been in countries with left hand roads before..but never actually driven ourselves this way. My husband is not a nervous driver..and wants to do this..However, I am wondering if we should specifically ask for an American style rental car? Does this make matters even more confusing? Are there places I can go on the net to get good directions from NAS to the resort? and Back? I have looked everywhere to no avail...Sorry for soooo many questions...But very grateful for any input from anyone who may have given renting a car a whirl!

Martinah....P.S. We have friends in Nassua who have warned us that some of the drivers there are pretty crazy! We also have friends in the states who have done this...saying it would take some getting used to at first ....but they do it all the time.... I am hoping that this forum will help me through those two confounding messages.

JAGIRL

I live in one of those "countries with left hand roads" (left hand roads?) and drive all the time in the US.
It's not hard to do.
It's just a matter of reminding yourself when you take a turn which side of the road you're to drive on. It's easier when there's someone in front of you...you just follow them naturally.
After a day of driving, it becomes habit. That's the beauty of the brain. Anything practiced for a little while becomes habit.
Go to Nassau. Drive. Stop worrying about it. Have fun. Come back and tell us all about your trip.

liza

I haven't driven in Nassau but I have driven in Jamaica and I caught on to the left-hand thing very quickly - I would not advise getting a car set up for right-hand driving, you want to be in on the side of the road that is closest to the middle.

When we came home I caught myself turning into the left lane for a couple of days

SAnParis

I would suggest an automatic, I had enough to think about without trying to shift wrong-handed. Turns are what will get you in trouble...Once you get going it's no problem, but I still found myself wanting to turn into the right hand lane...

ejcrowe

Well, at home I am accustomed to driving on the right side of the road, but on vacation I have driven on the left on a few islands in the Caribbean. Contrary to other folks' experience, I greatly preferred a traditional US car with left-side steering for driving on the left side of the road--I was MUCH better able to judge how close to the edge I was like that, and on roads with no guard rails and occasionally precipitous drop offs, it made me far more comfortable to have the left sided steering.

If I am traveling someplace for the first time, I never pick a car up at the airport--I always get a taxi and then ride up front with the driver to orient myself to the left-side driving. It's the turns and the roundabouts that I need to visualize before entering.

By the second day of driving that way, it felt very natural. For me it's no longer a big deal, at least on the islands I've visited.

Tuxedocat

I never seem to have trouble switching to left-hand driving in the Virgin Islands. I have to remind myself to stay right when I get home... go figure. There are crazy drivers everywhere. I think it is not a big deal if you are driving a left-hand steering wheel car which you're used to. Getting accustomed to a right-handside steering wheel (like in England) and driving in the left lane might be difficult.

martinah

I must apologize for not getting back here until now to say thank you for those responses...We will very happily come back to this site and let everyone know how we fared on the left side of the road...But more especially how our much needed, and well justified vacation goes!

We are going to Paradise Island Bahamas from Wed July 12 through Wed July 19th....Can't wait!

And thanks again for the tips! Martinah

Scubagirl

here's a link to a series of Maps that may be helpful.
http://www.bahamasgp.com/islp-maps.html

Driving in and around town is a horror.. but once you're out of town, it's not that bad.
My car has the steering on the right, and it didn't take lont to get used to it. what I can't get used to.. is the maniac drivers who drive on the sidewalk and speed past you on the wrong side of the road to pass.

Also.. stay on the main roads, there are very few street signs and markers.

Have fun!

wantsomesun

If you are staying on PI, DON'T get a car you don't need it at all. There are shuttles and honestly no where to park.

YOu can easily walk the entire area, and anywhere you want to go, there are buses and jitneys that will take you there for a nominal fee. Traffic is bad and parking is non-existant.

Trust me DO NOT get a car, take a taxi to your resort and have a GREAT TIME.