driving tours in Europe

My husband and I have driven lots in all of your interested countries. There are differences, as you say, but I would say they are equal challenges. I wouldn't worry about the autobahns in Germany. If you're worried about the speed, just keep in the slow (right) lane, or the middle lane. You'll soon get used to the driving. German roads are very well marked and signed. Just learn the words for exit and you'll be fine. Buy a good road map book - or have a good GPS. Maybe both..... England and Scotland will have the challenges of narrow secondary/tertiary roads, and driving on the left, but everything is in English, so language is not a problem. As I recall, signage was pretty good. You'll do just fine where-ever you go. Have fun!

I have driven in America and many countries in Europe, all of which are on the “wrong” side of the road. Driving on the opposite side is a non- issue after the first day.

Navigating where you are going and manual vs automatic is more of an issue.

I wouldn’t decide which country to visit based on driving, but on the cities and countryside that you want to see.

Take a look at this post I wrote last year on the limitations of GPS - or at least the one we had in our car - in Europe.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/for-a-european-road-trip-gps-is-essential-some-tips

We did not find any of the countries we visited as easy to drive in as the US, because of confusion over the toll systems, roundabouts everywhere and very few direct routes from one place to another.

In the US I normally go long distances by maps, and once you choose the route, you can stay on the same road for hours and hours. In Europe I don't think we were ever on just one road for more than an hour and a half, and even that much was highly unusual.

Still, as long as you go with a sense of adventure, you should be fine. We did have a lot of fun!

I agree with Jennifer - the "wrong side of the road" is a quick change. To prepare, even today, start looking carefully in BOTH directions at each intersection.

To prepare, even today, start looking carefully in BOTH directions at each intersection.

Is not looking in both directions something one learned as a child for crossing a street. If you need to 'learn' to do that to drive in a foreign country, you probably have no business driving, anywhere.

I'm going to disagree with people who say driving on the opposite side isn't an issue. I have many British and Aussie friends here in Germany who still are nervous about driving after years of living here. Likewise lots of American military go to visit the UK as a family and decide to rent a car and find the experience harrowing at best.

That said, there is the rare person that adjusts quickly and has no problem. I've met them. They are not the majority but they do exist. Maybe you're one of them? It's hard to say until you're in it, but I'd say 70% of people from "the other side" would prefer not to drive on the "wrong" side on vacation. And tellingly my American friends who live in the outskirts of London still don't have a car after 4 years. True they don't need it to get to work, but they have a space to park and still choose not to. They're from Virginia, not Manhattan, and still choose to not drive. I think that says something.

Meanwhile, the language barrier in Germany doesn't really exist. Most Germans under 50 speak some English, and most of them speak quite good English. It is possible you'll meet someone who doesn't but I don't think it would be much of a problem. You can familiarize yourself with road signs (something you'd have to do in England anyway) before you come over, but driving in Germany is not particularly confusing or difficult for Americans. I personally don't like the high-speed portions of the autobahn because I hate the semi-trucks and the constant construction barriers that often force you to be too close to comfort with them, alongside with the inevitable Audis that will tailgate you going 150 MPH if you try to pass the slow trucks in the left lane, but it's still far preferable to driving on the opposite side of the road.

Frankly you can have a lovely trip avoiding big chunks of the boring autobahn by taking the "B" roads which go through towns and villages and are far more scenic and...sane. Taking the back roads in Germany is delightful and a wonderful way to see the country.

Don't worry about the language barrier in Germany. You might visit villages where people speak little English and you'll still be fine as long as you have a good map and understand that you need to navigate by knowing which towns are in the direction/road you want to go.

We lived in Augsburg, Germany for four years, from 87-91 working for the US Army. Germans are a bit aggressive drivers, but they do follow the rules of the road.

Just don't get on the autobahns and stay in the left lane (fast lane) and expect people to pass you on the right. You must move over when overtaken by another vehicle. Be ready to move over when a Porsche come up behind you going 200 KM per hour.

As for the UK, we did a 4 week drive tour of Wales and England, driving on the left and managed well with my wife reminding me always "stay on the left." Where right lane drivers from North America or Europe get in trouble is at intersections, turning. When you are on the dual carriageways (divided highways) driving is no big deal.
Also, going through scenic parts of Britain, and it is very scenic, you go through many small towns with a 30 MPH speed limit and most have traffic cameras. I really tried not to speed, but still received a ticket for going 35 MPH in a small town. In most US towns, I wouldn't have even received a ticket only 5 MPH over, but my ticket was 40 GPB bro $51.

Here is my review of our great drive tour.
28 days in Britain and Celebrity Eclipse home
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=599139