Driving in UK
 

I've never driven in Europe and I wonder exactly how challenging it really is driving in the "wrong" lane while sitting in the passenger seat? I've had every range of advice from "you'll get used to it," to wincing and gnashing of teeth and disgusted shaking of head. My plan is to rent a car in Aberystwyth, Wales, slowly head east, sight-seeing, with my teenage daughters in tow,to Oxford, and then spend the night in Oxford. I have two whole days to do this if I need, so I figure I can really take my time; and, naively perhaps, it would seem that the roads east out of Aberystwyth might not be as hectic as those near London, so I'll have a chance to get used to the asymetrical universe of UK driving. Anyway, what I'm really worried about is the next day, when I have to make it to Gatwick airport by 1:50PM to catch an international flight out (which really means arriving at 11:50 AM at the latest). I realize that it's not that far from Oxford to Gatwick, but I'll be a stranger in a strange land, with only two days experince driving under my belt, and I can imagine that it it does get a bit hectic near Gatwick, and I can not afford to miss my plane. I realize trains and buses run from the Oxford to the airport, but they are, frankly, expensive. I can rent a car for three days for about $280.00. The bus from Oxford to Gatwick (a two hour trip) is $132.00 alone for the three of us. Advice? Comments? Suggestions?

1. Suggestion: find some remote two lane (one lane is better) roads where you live. Practice driving on the wrong side. When you make a right or left turn, make SURE you wind up on the left side of the road. Once you can confidently do that 110% of the time, you're ready for the next step.
2. Due to the "wrongness", when in the UK you MUST remember to look BOTH ways at a stop sign.
3. Look up "roundabout" in the search box here--they are the bane of newbies in the UK.
4. There are some incredibly narrow roads in the Lake District (where you won't be),Wales, & the Cotswolds (where you will be). I paced one off at 12 shoe lengths wide, with a 1 foot shoulder, and granite beyond. So beware oncoming cars, stray sheep, and other such impediments. You ain't in Kansas anymore, but that's part of the charm!
I recommend the car, but get yourself some Google or Michelin or similar on-line maps for the areas around Gatwick. With signage in unfamiliar locations, roundabouts, left side driving, etc, you won't have the time to figure out where to go while driving...you must pre-determine your path. Ensure your map says when to turn, ideally in fractions of a mile/km. Designate one of the teenagers as a navigator (maybe pre-select and train her stateside with Mapquest directions). Ensure she can convert miles to km in her head, fast, without a calculator...before you leave.
My personal trick is, for the first hour, I tell myself all the other drivers are drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road, but I must avoid them even tho theyre in the wrong. After an hour, my mind accomodates to it. But I still feel like I'm flying a F-16 in a dogfight when I drive near an airport in Europe because of the need for instantaneous decision making in unfamiliar surroundings.
But you can make it, and have a great time. If Aberystwyth is anywhere near Ludlow, there's a nice castle there, and Tintern Abbey just south of it has been nicely done by the Hist. Trust.

a couple of comments:

IMHO tomboy's suggestion to practice on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the road <u>in a left hand drive car</u> is totally nuts. (Sorry, tomboy) But to get used to &quot;wrong side driving&quot; from the other side of the car will be next to useless.

second - it ia quite a long way from Oxford to Gatwick. Is this a weekday? It will be a long and hectic drive on a couple of VERY congested motorways. You would be much better served to take the coach, or drive to LGW the evening before and stay the night near the airport.

Also - where are you staying in Oxford? If you mean IN the city, then you need to know parking is next to impossible and driving is worse.

It looks like you are driving from far western Wales to Oxford to LGW in 2+ days. This is a lot of driving and not much &quot;seeing&quot;.

Tomboy made some great suggestions and while I'm certainly not an expert in this area, there are a few things I can suggest as well: Check out your rental car carefully, wheels in alignment and spare in the boot? Hertz was the rental company responsible for THAT lesson--stranded outside of London with a flat and no spare--and a car totally out of alignment which kept swerving in to the left curb. Not a good time. I've not tried this one but a friend spent an hour sitting behind a tour bus driver in London, watching carefully and taking mental notes---It worked for her! Also, put a little sign on the steering wheel saying 'look right, stay left'--works great. Tiny country lanes are fun to drive but those hedge shrouded blind curves will get you every time--be VERY careful as some people drive too fast on those tiny roads. Also, avoid driving in to London during rush hour at all costs. Go in the day before and stay in an airport hotel if you are worried about making your flight. Cheers, have a WONDERFUL time! BMK

WHY on earth would anyone need to convert miles to kilometres at all let alone in a split second? And no, you definitely don't want to drive in London - but one wouldn't go through London driving from Oxford to LGW so why mention it??

It's not useless to practice driving on the left with a left-side steering wheel. It's how we drive down here. Plenty of Europeans drive there on the left in cars with the steering wheel on the left.

I'd definitely make sure there's no way to get caught doing it in the States, though. :)

There's no need to convert miles to kilometers in the UK, they use miles. Just take care that you don't drive too close to the left side of the road. At times I scare my DH as I get too close to the hedge rows or sidewalks. However, he can't say a lot as he won't drive in the UK. If you can I would return the car in Oxford and take the coach to Gatwic.

I have just looked up the National Express prices for Oxford to Gatwick and it should cost &pound;22 per person and take between 1 1/2 hours and 2 1/2 hours, depending on the day, I strongly recommend this option. I live 40 miles north of London and drive alot on the M25, it is described as Europes biggest car park and for good reason!
As far as driving tips are concerned, Aberystwyth to Oxford will include mountain roads bordered by dry stone walls, slow A roads through small towns and villages, and the occasional stretch of dual carriageway where you may get above 60 miles per hour. On the whole not too daunting. I have driven in Italy and portugal and I think this would be a breeze by comparison. What you will need is a good navigator and an even better map book. Best tip I have is to drive with consideration and try not to panic if you find yourself in a tricky situation. On the whole we Brits are fairly relaxed on the roads.
Enjoy your trip,
Jane

We hadn't had any preparation for driving in England and really, it's not that hard. (Really! I do it with three small children whining in the backseat!)

However, I had been more nervous about highway (motorway) driving, but found it to be no problem. It's the smaller roads that can be difficult because they are just so small! I would recommend getting the smallest rental possible. You didn't mention if you're comfortable driving a manual transmission so obviously be sure what you're getting when you make your reservation. Even if you are comfortable with a stick shift, it might be worth the extra cost for an automatic so it's one less thing to make you nervous.

Ditto the advice to have someone with a map acting as navigator. Especially on the motorways, if you miss an exit you might have to drive for miles before the next one.

But really, it's not bad at all. Think of how good you'll feel to have conquered &quot;driving on the wrong side&quot;!

Millions of Brits drive on the Continent every year - i.e. on the 'wrong' side for us - and don't find it a big deal.

But why not get to Oxford a day earlier then stay the night before your flight somewhere nearer Gatwick ? Either keeping the car anyway, or returning it the day before and getting a train from Gatwick to somewhere for the night - London ? Brighton ?

I'm in my 60's and have driven several times in the UK. I get an automatic transmission...one less thing to worry about. I also think its a good idea to have a good map reader along...I don't know about GPS systems...that could work. Don't drive in London, but you can drive from Oxford to the airport on the motorways and avoid London. Just give yourself plenty of time. The most difficult part is remembering what side of the road you are on after stopping for gas or to eat. Just THINK each time you turn on the ignition. Look both ways and know the rules about driving around the round abouts. I tell my kids and grandkids to keep the chatter down until I'm safely in my lane and driving.

One more tip - if you are on the motorway don't sit in the middle lane. The middle lane and te outside lane are for passing - keep to the inside lane.

Maybe I need clarification of what you meant by driving while sitting in the &quot;passenger seat&quot;. Since you are renting a car you will not get a left hand drive car. The driver's seat will be on the right - that is why I said practicing on the wrong side of the road won't work. You would simply be more confused when you finally did sit in a RHD car.

I am not trying to talk you out of driving - driving in the UK is a pleasure. I much prefer it to driving in parts of the States.

But you have some looooong drives planned and the bit in Wales will be slow.

I totally agree w/ caroline_edinburgh - I'd drive straight to Oxford - take a full day to do the drive and stop often but do try to get to Oxford or nearby for that night. Again - driving/parking in Oxford is a problem so where are you staying.

Then the next evening drive to Gatwick and drop the car and stay in a nearby hotel for the last night.

Its not so bad. the hardest part is if you are on a country road and no one in front for you to follow. Then you can find your self veering over to the wrong side.
Brits have a great sense of humour so you could put a sign in the back window saying sorry i'm an american tourist. That way people will understand and may even laugh. Roads are quite well sign posted for the most part. good luck.

One place to be extra alert is off the road, in car parks etc. It's here that the instinct to pull to the right when meeting another car can cause big problems - just concentrate hard, and leave the relaxing at the end of the journey until the engine is off!

Not wanting to scare you, but our sense of humour does NOT extend to idiots driving on the wrong side of the road.

It's your responsibility to get this right. Every time. The alternative destroys lives.

I was scared first time I drove in the UK. But I quickly realized one thing that made it fairly easy after that: The driver should be on the side of the road where he/she is near the middle of the road, not the shoulder. It made the switch easier. Luckily, I always had a rental car so the driver's side was correct for the UK.

I drove in America with the reverse problem to you.
Having the steering wheel on the opposite side to what your used to helps concentrate the mind to what side you should be on. The main problem was adjusting the cars position on the road as I found myself straying too far to the right - you may be too far to the left - so will need to use side mirrors or line up with the car in front.
Motorways - everyone is going your way so once you're on it there shouldn't be a problem.
Welsh roads have signs in Welsh &amp; English - it is sometimes hard to read these sign when driving so ask help from your co pilot/make sure you list what roads you need to be on for quick reference.
Stick to main A roads whenever possible to avoid joining/leaving as they present your main concerns.
Avoid driving into main towns - use park &amp; ride.
Try &amp; get satnav added to your rental for added peace of mind for your copilot to give instructions when you are busy coping with driving.
On a roundabout don't worry about missing your exit - go around again.

One thing I would add that I didn't see mentioned: although roads are well signed out in the country (e.g. Cotswolds) we got by after a while without a map mainly because there are not that many &quot;main&quot; roads out there. But, the signage is different than in the U.S. whereby our main roads and interstates will show the Route # and the direction in which you are traveling. In England, they provide the Route # and the destination city that the the route goes to. We found this confusing at first because we knew we wanted to go &quot;north&quot;, but once at a roundabout, &quot;north&quot; was not an option. We would just take a couple more trips around the roundabout while we checked the map to see which destination city on the sign was &quot;north&quot;...

I want to thank everyone for all the thoughtful advice. It really has helped me make up my mind. I've decided to go ahead rent the car in Aberystwyth, and, considering the comments about hectic Oxford, forget about sight-seeing Oxford (it's of no special interest to us anyway, just seemed like a place to see), and take a leisurly longer, southerly route and enjoy the countryside with my daughters; and we'll take in whatever sights we happen to come across and look for whatever adventures we can find. I had AA UK draw up a map of my route with a stipulation to avoid major traffic. According to their estimate, this route to Gatwick takes roughly six hours. I've from 8:00AM on the 8th until 11:50 AM the 10th to make it to Gatwick. So, clearly, I shouldn't feel too rushed. And I should be prepared after a couple days on the roads for the approach to Gatwick.

You'll be driving through some lovely countryside. Enjoy your trip.

Driving on the left, driving on the right...driving is driving. Yes, it takes a little while to get used to, but it really isn't that difficult.

The only problem I ever had was doing the round-abouts. 1) We don't really use them in the States and 2) they go to the left instead of the right. Also, for some reason, left hand turns would mess me up for a short time.

But by the second day, it was very natural. Now, driving in London? Nope. Rome? Nope. NYC? Nope. However, I've had to do them all and hate them all. Heck, I drove my 34' motor home across the BQE on Friday afternoon. Not only was the road a horror, but I was so happy to learn that my RV was about 2 inches lower than the bridges. Yippee.

Driving in the UK is great in most places. The motorways are fantastic. Just remember to not pass on the wrong side.

dave

Its just not that bad folks. You do need to pay attention but don't we do that anyways.

<i>You do need to pay attention but don't we do that anyways</i>

Unfortunately a lot of us don't, and that's what causes accidents.

Driving anywhere as a stranger increases risk because of unfamiliarity with the area, as a tourist because of the temptation to look at the scenery rather than the road, and as someone who is used to driving on the other side of the road from the other side of the car because confusion can be caused by everything being the wrong way round.

As you say attention: lots and lots of it. And no jet lag.

The most important equipment if you are unfamiliar with sitting on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the road is to have someone sitting in the passenger seat constantly saying &quot;keep left&quot; particularly every time you go around a corner or a roundabout.

I'd argue against practicing at home driving on the &quot;wrong side&quot; of a deserted road but with a regular left hand drive car. That means nothing. The easiest thing to remember when driving in England is that in two way traffic, the driver keeps himself towards the center of the road.

Having driven &quot;the left way&quot; in Northern Ireland for the first time last summer, I agree with and urge special attention especially to janis and johngerard's comments-I found driving on the opposite side of the road not nearly as difficult as sitting on the opposite side of the car! Having my wife warning me in the passenger seat and eventually learning to watch the lane positions in the mirrors really helped that. The automatic transmission also made it easier as well. The countryside in the UK is beautiful; enjoy it as much as possible!

Driving in the Bahamas. Now THAT is difficult. Haven't done that for years, but unless it's changed they have only US style left hand drive cars, but you drive on the left. It really takes some getting used to, driving from the sidewalk side of the street and not from the center of it.
I've always thought people taking UK cars to &quot;the continent&quot; or vice versa would be more difficult than people adjusting to driving on the &quot;wrong side&quot; but in cars that were made for doing that.

<i>I've always thought people taking UK cars to &quot;the continent&quot; or vice versa would be more difficult</i>

My experience of 'wrong side' has only been in my own car and, in general, I think it is perhaps easier because you are used to driving your own car. It's just like driving in a one-way street in the right hand lane. You also have the advantage of being able to drive closer to the edge than you might do normally so can see down the inside of traffic very well.

The big problem is seeing to overtake. The other one that did worry me was on single track roads where the natural instinct would have been to steer left if meeting something suddenly. Concentration and keeping speed down a bit are the answers.

W/ all the US servicemen who have been stationed in the UK over the years - lots of American have driven left hand drive cars in the UK. The bases always recommend they leave the cars home - but around East Anglia, and in the old days around Oxfordshire, you'd see all these mustangs, and other US cars. And they would be poking along, stuck behind farm vehicles because the drivers couldn't see clear to overtake. (or they'd be dead on the side of the road because they DID try to overtake)

Out of curiosity, is there any American driver here who will claim he has never gotten into a rental car in Britain on the passenger side by mistake?

I've opened the passenger door a time or two - but NEVER gotten in :)

(several of my passengers have sat in the drivers seat before noticing though)

This doesn't really answer NeoPatrick's question and is off-topic, but it does have some relevance.

A friend of mine (a maturing male) was about to go out in the car with his wife on a hot day. Their young female neighbour was gardening in a bikini. My friend engaged her in neighbourly conversation before eventually getting into the car, winding down the window, shutting the door and continuing the conversation.

After a couple of minutes his wife reached over, tapped his knee and said &quot;I think you'll find it easier to drive if you sit in the front&quot;.

I never got in the passenger side, but my 75 year old mother (the passenger) tried to get in the drivers side every single time!

&quot;I've always thought people taking UK cars to &quot;the continent&quot; or vice versa would be more difficult&quot;

According to DH you are right - and he's done both in the same holiday (after we set off in our car and switched to a hire car after an accident) ! As Janis points up, the main advantage of having a car to match the roads is it makes overtaking easier. But even in our car he seems to find it no big deal.

Maybe you should try the train, they even have somebody else drive it for you.;-)

valleyk, this post goes back to March - they may well have been &amp; gone by now.

yeah, but maybe they should anyhow.