Driving in England if you're an American - is it that difficult?

I have never heard of lessons to prepare you for driving in the UK but I have done a lot of driving there and, yes, it does take some getting used to.
The first time I knew I was going to be driving on the "wrong" side of the road I hired a friendly cabbie for about 45 minutes to just drive me around and explain the rules, both official and unspoken, to me. I asked lots of questions and it was great! I got the feeling for it quickly and it really helped riding around with the sole purpose of learning how it feels, how to navigate things as simple as corners, and getting used to looking right instead of left when preparing to turn. It really isn't hard once you get the feel for it.
Once you get the rental car start by driving around in an uncongested or more rural area until you're comfortable. The highways are no different from those here and people don't tend to drive any faster than in the US - being from the LA area it seemed pretty comparable. Since you've driven in Europe before you are far ahead of most!
People will often say that parking is difficult in English towns but I really haven't found that to be the case. Most sizable towns have a park and ride on the edge of the city or public lots that are clearly marked and not hard to find. We have come to prefer a car in England so that we can have the flexibility to stop where and when we like and deviate from our planned route if we want.
I think you'll be fine!

Some people here say it's not that difficult, and others won't drive there and take the train.
So take your pick of answers.
You won't really know how it's going to be for you, until after the first 15 minutes of driving there.

If you've driven in Paris and navigated that big roundabout on the Champs d'Elysees, you can drive anywhere. There must have been 50 cars in my rear view mirror making that loop.

If you're a good driver, switching to the "wrong" side of the road is not that big of a deal. The most confusing thing is figuring what exits to get off on when driving controlled access highways.

It's nice to now have Mapquest, Google Maps and GPS's to guide you, however.

I live in Arizona but love driving in the UK because of the good drivers there. If you have driven in Europe then you are farther ahead than the average American. I would think required reading is the "UK Highway Code", which is the driving manual for the UK. If you google it you will find versions for reading online or download as a PDF. Especially read the sections on roundabouts for the rules for which lanes to be in for taking a particular exit for multi-lane roundabouts. Also read the sections on the different types of pedestrian crossings, and the lane markings.

It will not be automatic to drive on the left side. You have accumulated many unconscious habits, such as looking left at an intersection, that you will need to be aware of. You would need to stay focused and avoid distractions, such as other people in the car. I believe that your brain adjusts for having the steering wheel on the left in the US, and mentally centers your vision. I found on my first couple trips to the UK I would be leaning to the left in the seat.

If you do decide to rent a car there are several rest stops on the road to Bristol on the M4. I would recommend stopping often to get a break. I believe the first on just west of Reading. At an intersection, if you can, take a moment to study the other traffic and the lanes to determine where you need to go and what direction to look out for oncoming cars. If appears you may do a lot of driving on the motorways, which is good because they are easier than city driving. Avoid driving in cities as much as you can.

I hope this helps.

I drove in rural Scotland with no problems at all, but your routes would be more trafficky. Still, I would guess that it would not be that bad as long as you stay away from London. One nice thing about the roundabouts is that a spotter can tell you where to exit, and you can go around more than once, so there is no pressure to get the turn right the first time.

Also, you can find plenty of Youtube videos about driving on the left in the UK. I found that they gave me a decent feel for what it is like.

Whenever I read one of these driving questions the first thing that goes through m mind is how good a driver is the person asking the question. If you have driven in Paris, you are not a sissy and you have played in the big leagues so go for it. The automatic is a good idea for two reasons; 1) It lets you pay full attention to the driving process and 2) shifting gears with the left hand can be really awkward for a lot of people. If possible, pick the car upon the fringes of town so you can start the adapting process in relatively open traffic. Based on a personal experience, you need a calm reliable navigator with you who will on occasion have to yell 'bear left' after you make a right hand turn. The first fifteen minutes are the biggest hurdle and it just gets easier from there. Roundabouts are also a bit awkward but if you miss on your first try, you can always take another lap.

Also I am a big believer in taking your own GPS with a European map chip. You want something that you know how to use from the get go rather than sitting in a rental car parking lot trying to figure out how the one that is in the car works. Also with you own unit, you can declare your parking place to be Home, put it in your pocket and know that no matter how many twisty-turny streets you wander down, our good friend Ms. Garmin (or one of her kin) will get you back to your car. Don't forget some good paper maps to supplement the electronics. Have a great trip.

Mari, having just done so last fall I fully understand your concern. Here are some tips I have in no particular order. I prepared by following the The Official Highway Code on facebook. You can find information here http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/uploads/3/2/9/2/3292309/the-official-highway-code-with-annexes-uk-en-12-04.pdf I found this very useful. You will be required to know the speed limits of the roads that you are on since the U K does not post them as often as we do and they use speed cameras everywhere. I mean everywhere. I did not drive in London. We spent a few nights in London and then picked our car up at Heathrow. Driving on the side streets of little villages can be interesting. "A" roads can vary in width. We spent time in Aberfeldy Scotland. The A827 going east out of Aberfeldy was less nerve wracking than going west out of Aberfeldy. You will encounter rock walls or stone fences literally right up to the edge of the road. A good number of roads in the countryside will not have a shoulder. The edge is the edge. I tended to hug my side of the road and paid for it with a flat tire. Mental tip: city buses/school buses passed each other going in opposite directions so the car you will be driving can do the same. Be very careful when leaving car parks or entering road ways to ensure you are on the side of the road you belong on. In Scotland we saw directional arrows painted on the roads in some areas. Most of the time you will have a vehicle in front of you so it won't be as hard as you think. Take or rent a good GPS. We relied on our phones only to be in some areas of Scotland where mobile reception was non-existant. PM me if i can be of further assistance.

I'd just like to clarify that the train to Harry Potter - surely that's the reason you are going to Watford Junction, not to visit the Costco at Bushey? - to and from the West Country isn't particularly complicated.

If you are driving you want to follow the brown signs (there are none in advance, just one at the actual junction of the M25 and then the last couple of miles on local roads) direct to the studio.

Taking the train couldn't be easier. Board any suitable train in Bristol, at either Bristol Temple Meads station or Bristol Parkway to London Paddington. The train will be supplied by First Great Western, and will go most of the time at 125 mph, much faster than you can drive. At the end of the line in London, go downstairs to the Bakerloo Line tube and get on a frequent tube train northbound to Harrow and Wealdstone. Cross over there to the train to Watford Junction, just a couple of stops on the Southern or London Midland train which comes every few minutes. Walk out the front of Watford Junction station, following the signs, and diagonally (not Diagon Alley) across the forecourt is a very clearly marked bus stop for the special double decker bus to the studio. When the bus arrives you can't miss it. Settle in and your experience begins. In just a few minutes you pop up at the studio and fun fun fun. Reserve ahead because the studio sells out most days.

Going back, it is the same thing in reverse except you take the train from Paddington to Bath.

Driving in and around Watford can be frustrating, traffic on the M25 between Heathrow (where the M4 goes) and the M1 (just beyond the turning for the studios) is infamous, particularly around Maple Cross.

You may want a car around Wiltshire. It may be not a lot of help in Cardiff - but I don't know where the Dr Who Studio tour is.

"Advance" train tickets can be exceedingly cheap, and depending on their ages the child units may be free or half price of that.

You REALLY don't want to try to park a car in Bath. And some of the hills are very steep and roads narrow there. How are you at driving in San Francisco? Now put yourself on the opposite side of the road and very narrow roads with cars parked both sides....

With regards to speed limits, this may help:
http://www.bedfordshire.police.uk/advice_centre/casualty_reduction_partnership/speed/know_your_speed_limits.aspx

It is not as difficult as you think it will be. Have the non driver be the navigator and be the 'reminder'. He/she should be aware to remind the driver to keep left, which lane to turn into, and to look for traffic.

Here's an reality to ponder. Here in Los Angeles, where cars rule, there is a large contingency of UK residents. I find it amusing that my UK friends who live or visit here never seem to complain about driving on the opposite side of the road. Even with horrendous complications they face traffic wise they love the ease of getting from one side "of town to the other," because the roads are laid out in an acceptable grid. No roundabouts, teeny country roads, etc. Surely the concept of driving in LA is as daunting as driving in the UK and yet our UK friends just get on with it! The brain can be re taught anything and driving on the other side of the road takes little time to rewire that learned experience. A bit of concentration, a bit of caution and off you go.

I found it to be more stressful in the passenger seat. Drivers new to the driving-on-the-left lifestyle are in some ways new drivers. It doesn't feel normal and we take that for granted. And recently teaching my daughter to drive reinforced that. The result is 'new' driver stay a bit further off the centerline than the more seasoned driver. And the roads in the UK are narrower in general, and the passenger will be ever-fearful of hitting curbs, hedgerows and parked cars. For me, I have to remind myself or my wife to hug the centerline.

There is also the custom of cars parking in half the driving lane on both sides, so the two way street is a bit of dance with you negotiating with oncoming traffic of who goes first.

It's a bit stressful. But checking out rural England is so worth it.

in my opinion the drivers in the UK are much more aware of their surroundings vs. here in the states so it actually helps you if you make a mistake in lanes etc., one challenge for me personally is just being used to checking over your right shoulder to check your blind spot. Good luck you can do it !

One thing that as happened to me a number of times is that I will look at an oncoming car to see where the driver is looking to find no one behind the wheel. After an initial shock, I realize the dirver is in the right seat, not the left ;-)

I'm with those who say that if you have driven in Paris this should not be a problem for you. If you are not a lifelong driver of standard shift cars, then you would be wise to request an automatic. However, do not panic if you get stick. The pedals are the same and the shifting with the left hand is not as difficult as you might think. After my first trip driving in the UK, I came home and when I go into my car for the first time to drive, I slammed my left hand into the door trying to shift! That was after ten days of driving. :)

You've gotten some great advice. I would add that you should plot your trip in advance on a map even though you'll have GPS. The signs in the UK are oriented to the major town as they are in France. So, it's helpful to have that list of towns ready for your navigator as you head out on your journey. (I will always remember driving from Chartres, all the way around the South and East side of Paris to get to Senlis. The TI staff member gave me a list of towns and made me swear to never doubt the list! It worked and I've been a fan of listing out towns ever since.)

I agree that you'll probably hug the left hand curb. That means that your tire will likely bump against and because of the closeness of the hedges and walls it is likely you'll have a slight mishap or two and get a scratch. That's why you buy full insurance, or are willing to pay the deductible. They check the car over very carefully when you turn it in, so check it carefully when you accept it.

I enjoy driving in the UK. But you'll have a great trip whichever way you go.

Pam

There are useful videos on Youtube (and some dross) that will help. The first thing is get any passenger involved to remind you to keep left as you go along.

Perhaps a green 'P' plate, something recommended to new drivers in the UK, may help with the jitters as it advises other road users that this is a novice driver. DO NOT get the red 'L' or red 'D' as these have specific legal meanings, the 'D' is the Welsh language equivalent. Try to keep to filling stations that are left in left out.

And laugh. One time in France we went to our hire car, and as driver I got in. Only to find someone had moved the pedals and steering wheel, and remember British roads are Communists. Left, left, left.

Never park on the right side of the road. Even if the only parking space is on that side, go to the end of the road, turn round, come back and park on the left.
Otherwise the risk is too great that you will get back into the car, and just drive off on the right.

You will have to get used to the mirrors being in different places, rear view mirror top left, wing mirror bottom right.

And, you will need to suppress the feeling of panic (and desire to swerve) as an oncoming car goes past you on the wrong side.

I certainly think that people can get used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road. I do it every year when I drive to continental Europe, and hundreds of thousands of tourists do it every year.

My point is that the actual trip being planned - Bristol to Watford to Bath - is so very much easier done by fast train.

And I have since thought that the trip to Watford is likely to be in the morning when it would be competing with rush hour traffic into London, and the trip to Bath is likely in the afternoon when it would be competing with the evening rush hour out of London.

Mari, which airport did you eventually settle on for your flight after Bath?

Two points of advice:

1. Involve your passenger as a reminder. Tell him/her to say "left, left, left" all the time
2. Remember that the round-abouts go the other way as well. I still remember seeing a wall of cars coming towards me the first time.

Thanks so much for all your replies and responses. We are using the Bristol airport.

Those of you that have mentioned the ease of travel between Bath and Watford Junction on the train, could you please elaborate? The only trains I've found have you going to London, taking a bus/tube to another train, and then doing the reverse on the way back. There's also the issue of cost. I can rent a car for my family for well under 200 pounds for 4 days, but trains from Bath to Cardiff, and Bath to Stonehenge, and Bath to Watford Junction, and then finally to Bristol are a lot more money and the train we'd need to take back from Watford Junction get into London near midnight and has taking an 8 minute walk to the next train, something I'd prefer not to do in an unfamiliar big city. So thank you for letting me know if I've looked at the wrong thing and made this overly complicated.

Mari, a small point. The Harry Potter studio tour is not at Watford Junction. It is at Leavesden studios some miles away. Watford Junction is the nearest convenient railway station.

Well you've made up your mind and I won't try to change it. You must have the unfortunate last slot on the tour which ends at 10pm. If you want to go back to the West Country after a long day by car around midnight (By the way, the street lights have been turned off on the motorways) go for it.

I take it that you know about the discounts available on train fares like half fare for children, Advance cheap cheap tickets, and Groupsave tickets?

I found some helpful websites geared towards passing to UK driving exam.

There were helpful videos with explanations of what to look out for. I am planning to rent a car for a couple of days in Northumberland and thought some preparation ahead of time would be helpful. Don't be deterred. Hopefully, you and your partner are the best judges of your ability.

I think I googled "uk driving tips".

We've lived in England (London) and did try at one time to drive a rental and hated it. You have to maintain constant vigilance since you are sitting on the right side of the car and driving on the "wrong side" of the road. Not very relaxing. We ditched the car and just used public transport (very good) and trains (excellent and relaxing). Your husband is right.

Just because some people find driving worse than the train does not mean everyone does... there are plenty of people who prefer having a car and moving about on their own schedule. Often the stress of having to meet train schedules is a real pain... there are different ways to travel and if one cannot navigate a car, that's fine. But, it does not mean that you can't. Some people won't drive in LA, NYC, or Chicago... doesn't mean you can't.
After a little bit, it becomes second nature, especially because you are on the other side of the car. If you can handle Paris, you can do this. If there was only one way to travel we would not need this forum:)

I believe the main concern would be how you and your husband work together under stressful situations. My husband and I would not be able to manage a car as we would end up screaming in frustration at each other! My friend and her husband rented a car in Ireland and she said it was a nightmare due to stress of round a bouts, driving on left, narrow roads, not being able to enjoy the scenery as so focused on road and the tension in the car because of those issues! We are in London now with our daughter and her British husband. We drove about 90 minutes out of city yesterday and back with much of it bumper to bumper and very busy round a bouts. It was exhausting for all of us but especially the driver. I understand the cost savings versus trains, but do consider your mental health and ability to enjoy the view!

I didn't find it too big of an adjustment, and was getting fairly comfortable with it after a week. It helps to focus on the middle of the road and not the side, i.e. look where you want to be, not where you don't. A little route planning helps too, with a little effort and a willingness to make some deviations, you can avoid some of the narrower roads (I recommend doing so in and out of Bath). If you do a lot of the driving on motorways and "dual carriageways" (roads beginning with M or A) it will be easier, on a multi-lane, road it's pretty easy to stick to your lane, just be careful getting on and off. I found Google street view very useful for that. Good call on getting an automatic, you don't want to add shifting with the left hand to the challenge.

We are a retired couple who drive in UK once a year. We never get an automatic. What we do is get the smallest car that is comfortable for us and our luggage. We avoid picking up our rental in high population areas and ask the agency to pick us up at our lodging. We have never had trouble with this. We also have one dedicated driver and one dedicated navigator who has a good map and is responsible for "looking left". We have had no difficulties that would not occur driving in a strange city in the US. You will do fine.

I'm having this same dilemma myself. I'll be spending about 3 weeks in the UK in October, and for a few days at the end of that trip I plan to go to Wales to see the village where my grandparents came from. It is out in the country outside of Cardiff, and the only reasonable way to get there and poke around seems to be by car. I've never driven "British" before, but I've lived in major US cities (NYC, DC and Seattle) and am used to "daredevil" driving so to speak. I'm hopeful after spending 2 1/2 weeks driving around as a passenger in cabs and tour buses, I will feel somewhat accustomed to the "wrong side" scenario and be able work up the courage to rent a car in Wales and attempt to drive out to the countryside.

It all depends on how confident a driver you are. My wife hates driving in Europe but I find I get used to everything being on the wrong side quite quickly.

It is usually easiest if you pick up the car somewhere close to a motorway. That way, you spend the first couple of hours getting used to the car being on the left, looking behind and to your right when you overtake and so on, without having to worry about where to go at junctions. By the time you do get to a crossroads, you'll already feel more comfortable than if you reached one in the first few minutes.

I've never found the driving at all difficult. Keep your wits about you, especially on the first day, Be deliberate with traffic circles. If you can't drive a stick shift, specify an automatic transmission (and verify it). Rentals will almost always have standard transmissions unless you ask for an automatic,

I think American visitors should focus more on navigation and correctly interpreting the signs, which are both done differently than in the U.S.

Avoid attempting to drive in major metros. It's just not worth it.