We're vacationing in England next year and would like to spend a few days in Northern France. We already have our flights booked in and out of Manchester from the U.S. Is it possible to take a rental car on the Dover to Calais Ferry?

Thanks so much.

Hi I,

Have you asked the rental car agency?

Also consider your English rental car will have the steering wheel on the right -- for driving on the left. In France you'll have to switch to driving on the right. Will this bother you? Of course, millions of Brits do this all the time.

We can drive with the right steering wheel for a few days! I have an e-mail into Avis, we'll see if they respond. I thought it might be common knowledge though.

My husband really wants to watch the World Cup games in a country that's excited about them, but I'm hoping to get to France for a few days also! After France's questionable win Wednesday I'll find it hard to root for France publicly while in England!

Several rental companies have a scheme where you rent a RHD car on the UK side - turn it in - cross the channel as a foot passenger and collect a LHD car in France.

That's what I'd look into . . . .

I've driven LHD in the UK and RHD on the Continenet - and neither would be my choice. Nearly impossible to overtake (pass) when the driver is on the 'wrong' side of the car.

We were Ok driving on either side of the road; the biggest problem come up when there is no cars on the road and you cannot make up you mind which way to turn.

On the question:
Most UK rental companies have a strict rule about going to OTHER side -- meaning NO WAY. But as jamisj mentions above there are some who coffer you to collect the car as soon as you come out from the ferry.

Good luck!

Er, I expect that the English will be at least as enthusiastic about the World Cup as the Cheating French will be. Why on earth would you want to support such a bunch of cheats?

As far as the Car hire goes, some companies allow it, some don't. You have to make sure they know you are planing to take the car abroad for insurance purposes.
I drive a LHD car in Britain a lot and never have problems with it, even for overtakaing.
I have also driven an RHD car in Holland again with no problems. Except paying at car parks when the machine is on the wrong side of the car, either side of the North sea. But that's only a problem if you are on your own.
However I have never driven an RHD car in Holland since I have become used to driving an LHD car. I think that could lead you into confusion since you are on the side of the road you are used to, but on the wrong side of the car.

hetismij

So you have a nice old English classic by any chance?

I THINK the only people who do a swap are Hertz. They call it le swap, and it's geared to their depot near the French exit of the Channel Tunnel, though I'm sure it works if you get a boat

Taking a car across the Channel, by shuttle or on the boat, is never cheap (though fares come down a lot if you travel at 2 in the morning). In addition, those car hire companies who do allow you to take the car outside the British Isles seem to charge you handsomely for the privilege

You're presumably going to have only the luggage you flew over with. It'll almost certainly be a great deal cheaper to fly from wherever to Le Touquet, a Norman airport, or even Paris, or to get the train to Calais or Lille, and hire another car in France.

Millions of us drive our own cars to the Continent every year - and really do think those Americans who go into old maidy conniptions about driving RHD cars on the right are convincing proof modern America's just plain run out of moral fibre. But mainly so we can chuck kitchen sinks, pets, proper food, enough reading matter to survive exposure to the bookshop-free horrors of France and all the other conveniences of modern living you just can't find over there.

Those arguments don't apply to you, but you're likely to find the jaunt costs you more than it costs us. You can probably watch les bleus' undeserved trip to South Africa far more cheaply if you leave the UK-hired car in the UK.

Thanks so much everyone for your help. I'll check with Hertz and see if it's worth it. Maybe we can just park our car at Dover for a few days and rent another one in France. The time I want to spend in France is in the middle of our England trip, so we need to return.

I feel so badly for Ireland. I was watching that game when France scored. It's not the way we hoped France would qualify. I love France though, so can't help wanting them in the games. My husband is so thrilled to be in England for most of the matches, June 11- July 4. Hopefully we'll have time to sight see also!

Thanks again for your help.

Why park the car in England and leave it there with the meter running so to speak? There will also be parking fees no doubt. Turn it in and start a new rental when you return from France.

I did similar trip several years ago. I had a rental in UK, used it, turned it in in Dover, rode ferry to Calis, picked up new rental, did France, returned car in Calis, picked up another rental in Dover, saw more UK, then flew home.

In retrospect, we should have done an open jaw ticket and flown from US to UK, then home from France. Would have been cheaper and simpler. Lesson learned.