France drives the right way - on the right?
 

I had thought I would be driving on the wrong side of the road there. May be a stupid question, but do they drive on the right side of the road?

they actually drive on both sides of the road - but right is the right side to drive on.

If you mean the right-HAND side of the road, yes.

Those Fodorites in the UK (and other former British colonies) would likely take you to task for saying the "right/wrong" side of the road :-), but YES in France one drives on the right as is the case in the US.

Best, Dave

What a relief! All this time, I was preparing myself for driving on the left. Yes Underhill, right as the same as the US

That isn't European, it's a British thing. I don't think they do that anywhere except in the UK, current/former British colonies or places they occupied, etc., and Japan.

In Sweden they drove on the left handside until mid 1960s.

And UK should get with it and drive on the right (the right) side of the road!

I always thought the wrong side of the road was the direction traffic was coming at you :) Unless you are in Ireland

Apparently the American colonies used to drive on the left as well;

Apparently the difference is between whether soldies were on foot or on horseback (explained to me by a guide at Winchester Cathedral)

If you are on foot, you will pass an oncoming person keeping them to your left, so you can strike at them with your sword over the top of your shield.

If you are on horseback, you keep you opponent to your right.

Or perhaps it's the other way round...

I wonder why the colonies and then everyone else that counts in the motoring world (China, India, Pakistan, OZ obviously don't) changed to the right after the Brits had us initially going on the left?

Thailand drives on the left.

I'll agree with the world going to RH drive, if everyone else agrees to go metric :) Methinks it ain't going to happen.

Thailand drives on the left.

so does Nepal. Argentina did i believe before it, like Sweden changed. The big problem in Sweden was changing doors on trams and buses i believe as well as a feared spike in accidents. But the Swedes finally 'got it right'

They always drive on the right when they are crossing rickety-rackety bridges.
That way, they puzzle trolls

France is very understanding with British cars in the region near the Eurotunnel, because it even provides autoroute toll booths on the 'wrong' side for those who need them. But within 50 kilometers, you have to work out a system with your passenger (if you are lucky enough to have one), because this facility quickly disappears.

Indonesia drive on the left.

I suspect it's news to General Motors that China doesn't count, and simply gobsmacking- since the major local car maker is in the process of overtaking GM on every measure you can think of - that Japan doesn't.

But not nearly as astonishing as it'll be to the Chinese that they:
- are an ex-British colony, and
- drive on the left.

More likely that the US will switch to the left.

Most people being right handed, it would facilitate drive by shootings to a huge degree :)

Hong Kong, China i believe drives on the left.

No China wasn't an official British colony but waz run by British - ever heard of the Opium Wars, where Brits forced Chinese to buy their opium?

Why do some countries drive on the right
and others on the left ?


If you are planning to visit the UK and happen to come from one of the many countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, the following advice, direct from the Ministry of Transport, is for you:

“Visitors are informed that in the United Kingdom traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In the interests of safety, you are advised to practise this in your country of origin for a week or two before driving in the UK.”


History and origin
List of left-driving countries
List of right-driving countries
Population distribution
Some anecdotes…
Location of the steering wheel