The postings all seem well placed. Roundabouts are better than our major intersections. And, yes, the Brits are very patient and courteous. I rented our stickshift car in near Harrod's...by the time I was out of Greater London, I was seasoned. Incidentally, not yet mentioned...their slow lane would be our fast lane. I got a lot of smiles and waves on that one. Later found out that the car agency had put a sign in the rear window..."this is a visitor to our country. Treat him courteously" and, LO, they did just that... Great time as I am sure you will have. Your apprehensions will disappear rapidly. Good trip !!!

The postings all seem well placed. Roundabouts are better than our major intersections. And, yes, the Brits are very patient and courteous. I rented our stickshift car in near Harrod's...by the time I was out of Greater London, I was seasoned. Incidentally, not yet mentioned...their slow lane would be our fast lane. I got a lot of smiles and waves on that one. Later found out that the car agency had put a sign in the rear window..."this is a visitor to our country. Treat him courteously" and, LO, they did just that... Great time as I am sure you will have. Your apprehensions will disappear rapidly. Good trip !!!

I am always worried that I will have to react quickly on the highway and swerve to the right, as would be my tendency here in the States. Of course, on a multi-lane road that puts you into the faster lanes, and into the oncoming traffic on a two-way road. My few near misses in England have come after getting off a long trip on a multi-lane road with light traffic. Now I try to break up my drives with lots of rest stops so that I don't go into "auto-pilot" mode and lose my concentration. It seems to work and I have driven right through London with no mishaps.

If this is your first time driving in the UK, splurge on the automatic. As you're touring on unfamiliar roads, I agree with the person who advised that there is enought to think about without the added complication of shifting. But make sure your request for an automatic is make well in advance--they are rare and may need to be brought from another rental location. Remember to think "Drive left, look right"...Train travel into London should be easy--unless there's a rail strike or bomb threat--both happen periodically in and around London (we have yet to go when there wasn't one or the other) so have alternate plans at the ready!

My husband and I rented an automatic Rover 400 Sedan (basically a Honda Accord) last spring from Heathrow and drove to the Cotswolds. Had no trouble at all except when trying to return the car at Kemwel's lot at Heathrow -- EXTREMELY poor signage and return instructions as to exit not accurate. Don't know if Gatwick would be as bad. Remember -- you'll be jet-lagged and, depending on how well you sleep on the flight over, your reflex reactions might not be as quick as you'd like in unfamiliar traffic situations. I'd recommend (despite the extra $$'s) at least a mid-size automatic -- I think our Rover was a full-size. You'll be surprised at how little luggage trunk space there is. You really don't want to be parking and leaving luggage in full view in the back seat.

British drivers extremely polite and the roundabouts get easier as the days go by. Remember to allow PLENTY of time to return the car before your flight home, just in case you have trouble locating a gas station to fill up or (like us!) can't find the lot!

Forgot to mention that you will have no difficulty with the trains into London. You can buy either a 3-day or a 7-day transportation pass that is good on the underground and the buses and will even provide free use of the trains within certain zones. We took the train to Hampton Court Palace at no extra charge and the train to Windsor required only a slight extra fee.

Have a great time!

Driving the LA Freeways is a snap by comparison to driving an Irish Road. You could count the number of Motorway miles on two hands - the rest are very narrow country roads with no berm and walls or hedgerow that pinch right up to the inside white line. This "hedgerow" is like nothing you have seen before - it towers up to 15 feet or so and is extremely thick. Tires are regularly flattened by unsuspecting tourists backing into it. It is just <not> for the unitiated. If you <must> drive, pick your car up at Shannon airport where most of the best buys can be had. AGain, I was born and raised there and return to the UK on a regular basis and I still have some scary moments. Think about alternatives. In any event have a good time.

Last year was my first experience driving in England and we opted for the more expensive automatic and were glad we did. The roads are narrow and windy and we didn't need to be thinking about shifting with the wrong hand. (it was bad enough with the automatic, I kept banging my right hand into the door. It doesn't take long to get used to the round-abouts, but we have them here and call them circles. The English drivers are much better behaved. I found it had to judge the left side of the car and hit the curb a few times. Just try to stay as close to the center of the road and that will prevent trouble on the left. It wasn't so traumatic, we're doing it again in June.
Have fun. (Judging by all the responses here, everyone in the US must have tried this already)
Also, as others have stated, have a good map person with you.

In your excitement and confusion upon arrival, it is best to ask the car lot people to mark the location where you will return their car on a good map. Upon our day to return the car, we had a heck of a time finding their lot. If you are confused when driving, always pull off the road. That way, when you have made up your mind and pull back onto the highway, you will not do what you would do automatically in the States, drive on the right. Keep your wits about you, never lose your temper, and you will be OK. Good advice, I guess, whether you are here or there. And don't be surprised, when looking at a car ahead of you, that it appears that a large dog is "driving" -- it's just Fido is in the "passenger's seat" while tiny Mum is behind the driver's wheel. It happened to us in 1969...and we're still laughing about it.

I have enjoyed all the above postings! I am from Australia, and as we drive on the same side of the road as the UK, we had no problem. However, we had all the fun and games driving around the Continent and the US. I can definately recommend having one person as the designated driver and one as the navigator. That worked well for us - I was much better at navigating than my husband, whereas he preferred the driving. Still got lost fairly frequently, so we perfected the art of a U-turn! We drove a manual everywhere. Having the gears on the other side does take getting used to - you'll find that you whack your hand against the door a lot when you go to change gears. The first day you have your car, don't plan a rushed day. Leave plenty of time to get where you want to go, so that you can travel along at your own speed and take time to adjust to the different conditions. You will adjust, and it won't be too traumatic an experience! The navigator needs to be in"drive mode" also, especially the first few days, watching the road and reminding the driver what side of the road to head for when turning. Roundabouts take a little thought. We are used to roundabouts, but when you are on the opposite side of the road, you have to stop and think "Now, which way do I go?" We found that when we came home, we had to remind each other to drive on the "normal" side of the road again! As for Gaelic only signs, I saw a couple in Ireland out near the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, but that was it. Have fun, and enjoy your trip!