Driving in the UK

I've driven through Scotland and Ireland before on the left and don't find it too difficult at all; I seem to be able to switch over pretty quickly in my head. But, I'll give two caveats: (1) it's always been in an automatic (I can't drive a stick well, so I pay more and reserve an automatic) - so, I don't know how difficult shifting on the left would be to get used to; and (2) I've not done it in a big city - but I would think York to Bath would be fine.

Not unduly difficult for me...just pay attention. Some folks overthink the matter and create anxiety. If the thought of driving scares you spitless, just take public transport.

Hi. It's very doable, but in my experience it requires quite a bit of extra concentration. At every intersection or roundabout, I felt I needed to think in advance about what to do - i.e. "OK, my instinct is to xxx, but what I need to do is xxxx'. If you are OK with that, and the increased risk of accident, it is a fun challenge / adventure. Enjoy your trip!

Hi from London

There's loads of advice on driving in the UK scattered through this forum, and you can find loads of genuinely helpful videos on YouTube too. But in a nutshell:
1. if you've never driven manual (stick), then don't learn it in England, on the left.
2. It is easier to acclimatise if you rent a car with an auto gearbox - one less thing to worry about. I did the same when I first drove in Spain (on the right - 'foreign' to me!), years ago, until I got my confidence up after a few separate drives there.
3. Be ready to be driving on very (to most Americans) narrow roads, particularly off the main highways. It is generally the case that minor country roads in the Lake District and in any non-urban area (North Wales) are often single carriageway i.e. room for a car going one way, and not the other. They are also not straight in most cases - blind bends; hidden dips and odd cambers sometimes.

I don't mean to put you off as it is not at all impossible to drive well and safely in the UK - you just need to re-set your expectations from what you may be used to in the US.

Thanks for the input. I did reserve an auto transmission vehicle. I learned to drive with a stick shift, but wouldn't want to do it now! I thought we might find a big parking lot in York (train station?) to practice in before we take off. Are the GPS devices accurate in rental cars?

I have driven in the UK in Scotland and North Wales. Scotland was not a problem, the roads in the Highlands were plenty wide. I don't remember problems in the small town. North Wales was another issue. The roads were narrow, often winding, and with stone walls where we would expect a shoulder. Quite an adventure, especially when coming up behind a bicyclist.

It helps (a lot) to have a navigator to help negotiate roundabouts. The whole process is easier with two people. Get a good navigation app for you smart phone and learn to use it before you leave home. I used Co-Pilot on my iPhone and iPad. It even shows that correct path thru roundabouts.

One of my problems with driving on the left is that often when tried to use the turn indicator my windshield wipers would run. The controls on the steering wheel are also reversed!

Please read the Highway Code before you drive, it's not just about being on the other side of the road, signs and terminology are also different to the US:

http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/uploads/3/2/9/2/3292309/the-official-highway-code-with-annexes-uk-en-12-04.pdf (Downloadable).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMQtO6qhkIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diu1k_5H45k

We rented a car for three days out of Harwich after our British Isles cruise in 2013. We turned it in at Heathrow.

We had an automatic and a navigation system, which I highly recommend for Americans not familiar with driving on the left.

One bit of advice, avoid the M25 if you can.

We drove to Salisbury, Stonehenge, Stone Circle at Avebury and another day to Windsor Castle. Driving on the left was not so bad, but I was not aggressive at all. Fortunately, British drives don't tend to be aggressive like German drivers can be.

My wife was very helpful in navigating, even with a nav system, it is important to have a map open for your route. She kept reminding me On the Left. Take care at the double roundabouts. When in doubt, move deliberately and be polite and defensive.

The British countryside is amazing, some of those country roads with hedges and or stone walls can be very narrow, but it is manageable.

I too learned to drive with a clutch and have driven both in Ireland and England. Go with the automatic, take a good map and don't ever rely on GPS.

You should also plot your routes via Google satellite view. It's how I know I'm heading in the right direction, i.e., what towns, I might see mentioned on road signs. Also remember a gas station is a petrol station and understand the concept of roundabouts.

Lastly, I'm always bemused why we yanks seem fearful of driving on the left side of the road. My many Brit and Irish friends never seem to worry about when they rent a car at LAX and drive to Disneyland.

One tip: If you can, try to rent from an agency that is out of the city hub. My first time to drive on the left was in Dublin. We rented a car near the city centre, and it was harrowing driving off the rental lot into heavy traffic. The next time we were in the Cotswolds, so I had plenty of open road to get back in the swing of it. Regardless, I've found that after Day One, it becomes much easier. Best of luck!

My British friends gave me two good pieces of advice. The legal alcohol limit is lower in G.B. and enforced, and the speed limits are also very much enforced. You probably won't be tempted to speed in the rural areas.

The first time I knew I was going to drive in the UK I spend about 45 minutes in a cab and asked the driver to drive me around...I asked questions, paid attention to to the differences in turns, pedestrians, road markings, signals, etc. It was invaluable and worth the extra hour it took out of my visit...I was much more confident when I finally got behind the wheel.

My husband has loved driving in the U.K. He said one thing he always kept in mind is no matter what you're doing, the driver should end up in the middle of the road.

I just got back from visit to Britain with my son. We picked up a car in Inverness, spent a week in Forres with family, and traveled to Edinburgh, parking the car and using buses and trains to get around. Next we went south to Merseyside, again, a family visit. Afterwards, North Wales, Bath, South Wales for one night, and turned the car in in Reading. I like to use the RailAir connection to Heathrow.

The car was interesting. We didn't get what I had ordered and paid for in advance, but got the only automatic transmission vehicle that Hertz had. We were told that several of their automatics had been in accidents that week. We were given a Mitsubishi SUV, with sat/nav. The only issue was that it was semi-automatic, with no clutch! As my son was driving out of the lot, he noticed that the car wasn't shifting! He quickly figured out that he had to shift up slowly, all six gears, but it did shift down. The work "SHIFT" did come up on the dash.

I was surprised how fast the traffic moved on the motorways. There are cameras everywhere, but we were passed by vehicles doing at least 90 mph! The sat/nav was a blessing, although we did end up in some strange places in Wales.

I agree, don't drink and drive. I believe the limit is 0.05, but it's better to walk or take a taxi.

The roads are very narrow, parking is frequently on the sidewalks, and it's best to pull in to let other driver go first. Roundabouts can be very small, or huge with traffic lights. Look for the lane markings for guidance.

You won't need a car in Bath, it's easy to walk around there. We stayed in Leith instead of Edinburgh, there are frequent buses,
a day pass is £4, and a single is £1.60. Those seem to be standard fares in a lot of places.

Have a great vacation!

Thank you all for the excellent advice. We will have an automatic transmission, and I downloaded a book on driving on the left in the UK from Amazon that has pictures of all the road signs. Plus, we won't drink and drive; we don't do that in the US! I appreciate all your input.

Another recommendation for UK driving videos on youtube. The nice British driving school instructor who put out the 15-20 minute video explaining roundabout driving seriously saved our bacon over there. There's a world of difference between reading a traffic rule and seeing it actually demonstrated for you in the virtual flesh.

Save for the grocery store lot, assume you'll have to pay to park pretty much everywhere. Do not assume that the credit card reader at the 'pay and display' kiosk will be working or that they've recalibrated properly for the new pound coins, and have a pocket or change purse full of assorted and diverse change to feed the beast as needed.

Even smaller cities will often offer park and ride lots for taking the bus into the city center. If you see one, it's generally cheaper and less stressful to park and ride when you can rather than try to navigate and park in streets mapped out in 1357.

Just got back from a trip driving having picked up the car outside Bath with stop's in Wales, Keswick, and dropping the car at York. For me it was easy to switch, but others we talked with it wasn't. Take your time along the smaller roads and you'll be fine.

I have driven in England many times over the past 20 years. The first time I was very nervous. Now I am quite used to it. I have found that the mechanics of driving do not seem different. What is more challenging are narrow roads and parking spaces.

Here are my suggestions:
1. Rent a compact (unless you will have alot of luggage). Some of the roads in the countryside are narrow. Many parking spaces are narrow. Don't let the auto rental company assign you a car bigger than you want. Sometimes they assume Americans who have "hired" an automatic want a large car.
2. Driving distances can be deceiving. What is a reasonable distance for a day trip in the US might involve more driving time in the UK. You can get an idea of driving times on www.theaa.com, Route Planner.
3. Be very careful parking in narrow parking spaces!!!
4. There are many speed cameras. Don't speed.
5. Play it safe and buy optional insurance. Auto rental companies in the UK are very picky about even small dents or scrapes.
6. Having a SATNAV is very helpful in terms of knowing which exit to take as you approach a roundabout.
7. Minimize driving in cities. Once you get to Bath, a car will likely be a nuisance.
8. Consider renting a hybrid to save on petrol costs. I don't drive a hybrid in the US but have done fine with them in the UK and France.