My husband, daughter and I will be coming to UK from the US for the first time this summer. We only have 10 days and want to see as much as we can (within reason). Our current debate is whether or not to rent a car when we head out into the countryside. Obviously we would have more flexibility and it may not be too uneconomical since there are 3 of us. My question is, how weird is it to drive on the unfamiliar side of the road. Do most people find it difficult or does it seem to be easy to adapt to it?

It's not bad but it takes getting used to. I personally think that choosing an automatic gives you one less thing to worry about, as shifting with the opposite hand is an added thing to think about.<BR><BR>I've done the switch both in Australia and in Ireland and it's fine. I grew up driving on the right, in the US. My wife grew up driving on the left in Australia, and she would tell you that I'm a menace, but I haven't hit anything yet! Close, but so far so good.<BR><BR>The main things to remember are: <BR><BR>How close you are to the shoulder. It feels like you're too close. Count on your passenger to watch the side until you're comfortable. Let them nag.<BR><BR>In roundabouts (there are plenty), mind that you yield to the right. Timing is key as stopping often isn't required or expected.<BR><BR>At four way intersections where you are turning, especially onto a divided roadway, be extra mindful to turn onto the correct side. Seems obvious enough, but after awhile of feeling comfortable, habit can kick in. I swear she still brings that up from time to time. he he. No harm, no foul.<BR><BR>It really does sink in pretty quickly and you can see so many more off the path places when you have a car to get around in. All this is to be ignored though if your name is an indication of your whole itinerary. Do not drive in London. Don't need to, don't want to.

Don't forget the driver is already sitting on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the car so you are constantly reminded of the difference. As long as you think &quot;driver to the center&quot; you will be find. We have never found it to be a problem going from the US to the UK, so you too should be fine too. As far as the automatic is concerned, I'm not even sure where it would be possible to rent a standard shift car in the US, so that is not an issue -- your rental will surely be an automatic.

I found it much easier to drive on the left than the right side, as did my husband. His problem was getting used to the stick shift, because your mind is geared to using the other hand. For me, that was also easier, but I'm left-handed, so maybe that made a difference. It also helped that I lived in England for a few years, so I knew where to look when crossing the road as a pedestrian.<BR><BR>I agree with Clifton that the switch will be much easier if you get an automatic. It doesn't cost that much more. What does cost much more is getting a car with air conditioning, assuming that you can even find one! The petrol is also much more costly, and it's per liter vs. per gallon. You will also need to learn English terms of art -- the boot, bonnet, estate car, etc.<BR><BR>The round-abouts are pretty simplistic, except Hyde Park Corner, which I would suggest avoiding altogether.<BR><BR>Another thing: country lanes. High grass, low visibility, and generally the width of a car and a half! It gets dark late in summer, but I would not suggest right off the bat going to a country pub down a country lane in the evening!<BR><BR>Finally, always remember, on the motor route drive in the left lane, pass on the right. Do NOT stay in the right lane, it's for passing only, and you will get a car coming up right behind you flashing their lights to get out of the way!

When you make turns, be careful as you may turn into a street on the wrong side!<BR><BR>The directional indicators/turn signal is different in the UK and Japan. It is on the right. In the USA and Canada, one uses their left hand to switch on the turn signals. Depending on the car, you might switch on the wipers instead!

The only thing you have to keep in mind is (as the driver) when you look outside your drivers side window you should be looking toward the middle of the road.<BR>If you are not you are in a one way street or more likely in trouble!!<BR><BR>Cheers<BR>Ned

All great tips...as I've logged about 2000 miles in the UK, my advice is...get an automatic for sure. Especially if there is even a couple of miles of driving in city. I love driving in the UK so much more than the US. Roundabouts are great, wish the US would get some of those...and in the UK, people actually know how to use the passing lane. Have fun, I miss it already!

<BR>Other drivers are for the most part highly cosiderate and will give you a short blast of their horn when you make a mistake.

Most people don't have too much trouble adapting, but pick a quiet area for your first experience of driving on the left. As an American living in England, I feel that the real danger comes in emergency situations when your reactions take over. These days I have more problems readjusting to driving on the right when returning to the US.<BR><BR>Public transport is pretty good in the UK, so there is no real need for a car unless you plan to go off the beaten track. Having a car in London is a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

I also found driving on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the road to not be a problem. I don't necessarily agree about the automataic though. We rented a standard and had no problem. Do you drive a standard at home? If you haven't driven one in years you might have trouble but otherwise I wouldn't worry. The main thing is that to get an automatic in England you have to rent a larger car, they don't come in the smaller ones. And small is good in UK as the roads are much more narrow than you'd expect. That was the hardest part, not the being on the left. <BR><BR>And to those of you who like roundabouts - come to New England, we have tons of them. We call them rotaries here.

Hi Londonbound,<BR><BR>This issue has been debated quite a lot on this message board. Normally I would suggest doing a text search for previous answers but what you'll find is some say do it, others say don't. Having an automatic I agree is almost mandatory as most of us in the US are not used to driving a stick shift normally. <BR><BR>The real issue is where do you want to go. Places like Bath and York are very easy to get to by train and the train service in the UK is excellent. I agree it's more convenient to come and go at your own pace. Driving on main motorways is quite simple since there's usually a large median in the center. The English are more mindful of &quot;passing&quot; laws (drive on the inside-the right-lane and pass on the left) however they also drive much faster (if there's not heavy traffic!) The most difficult thing I've found is the roundabouts if you're not sure of directions. If one of you is a good navigator and the other is a confident driver, go for it.

WE have never had a problem driving on the WRONG side of the road--<BR><BR>Just be careful in the round-a-bouts when you get into some of the larger towns, and you will be just fine....<BR><BR>Definitely get an automatic and NOT a huge car--smaller cars are the norm in England and are way easier to manuever...<BR><BR>Pack lite! (lol)

Thanks to everyone for your replies. This was very helpful. My husband will be making the decision since, out of gallantry, he does the majority of the driving.

That being the case, you should &quot;bone up&quot; on your navigating skills! Here's a website for driving directions<BR>http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp

Definitely get an automatic. I am from the US and I drove for the 1st time on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the road in Ireland last year. It is initially strange to have your passenger sitting to your left and make sure that passenger is a good navigator!! He was constantly telling me I was drifting too far over. He was also a wonderful help with the roundabouts, which can be very dangerous if you don't &quot;work&quot; them correctly. Also when making turns be cautious of what lane your car needs to be in, your natural instinct will be wrong! <BR>I was afraid of driving there at first, however the sight of a car coming head on toward you in the lane you're accustomed to be driving is a very persuasive learning tool! You'll do fine!<BR>

When I lived in the UK, and friends would visit from America, I found most of them to be overly confidant about driving on the left. They all said that it was easy, and they all almost killed me more than once.<BR><BR>For some reason, they all would drive way too fast on the hilly, winding roads, and then slow down on the dual carriage ways. Still have never figured that one out.<BR><BR>Just take it easy, and remember not to stop coming up to a roundabout if there are no cars on the circle--you'll probably get rear-ended if you do.

It is simply a matter of concentration.<BR>I live in UK and have driven many many times in France.<BR>It is a bit strange at first but as long as you keep the radio down and concentrate on the road while someone else navigates clearly you will be fine.<BR>One tip, stay out of the big cities until you are a little more confident.<BR>I find a run out on the motorway quickly instills enough confidence.<BR>I am sure your husband will be fine driving, after all he is a man..<BR>Lol<BR>Muck

Echoing other experiences here...driving on the left is not that difficult. Your mantra is: &quot;keep left, Keep Left, KEEP LEFT!&quot; Roundabouts are fun too ;-) for the beginner.<BR><BR>But driving in metropolitan London area is a feat that most visitors don't want to attempt. IF you rent a car, pick it up outside of London. The airports, luckily enough, work pretty well. You could also take a train to a smaller city (Bath, York, etc.) and pick up a car there for your trip in the countryside. <BR><BR>Finally, although distances are small in the UK, driving the backroads, and stopping at will, takes longer than you might expect for the distance covered. Focusing your rambles in an area, like the Cotswolds, or Yorkshire Dales, may be preferable to long distance point-to-point driving over a 10 day period.<BR><BR>Cheers<BR><BR>David White<BR>http://www.KidsToLondon.com<BR>

its easy---once you get the hang of it....suggest that you start from outside london and maybe even away from the airport....take a train into the country, say oxford and rent the car there...you will find it much easier on your nerves and easier to adjust....if anyone is left handed, let them drive first....

Over the course of the years I have driven many thousand miles in the UK with standard transmission. I am teribly right handed so that were ominious sound coming out of the transmission for the first few miles having learnetd the hard way don't get off the plane and start out, the combination of jet lag and driving on the left is scary.<BR><BR>I have planned each day's driving and written a short summary which was fastened to the dashboard.