Will be driving for 3 weeks in scotland and wales, any tips on navigating? Get nav with rental car, or buy one here, or get a SIM card for phone to convert it into a local phone?
Posted by
NM, USA
911 posts
Re the nav (or what they call satnav there), if you buy it here it may not have the UK maps loaded. Most though will let you download. Check before buying.
Having a phone that will function over there would be useful for both navigation, internet searches for sights, restaurants, etc plus being able to communicate while on the trip.
Here's the link to some useful info here on the website under travel tips.
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/navigate-european-roads
Posted by
1221 posts
There are UK driving school videos up on youtube. We found them very helpful for explaining driving laws there and visually displaying things like going through more complex roundabouts. Do be aware that there can be no cell service in more rural parts of the countryside. We've got both a Garmin sat nav with the European map set for the countryside and Google maps on our phones when we're in more urban areas to get real time traffic info.
Our rule is that one person concentrates on the actual driving and the person riding shotgun is the spotter responsible for calling out correct roundabout lane placement and exit points, signs for zebra crossings, restricted lane info and speed camera enforcement zones, and letting the driver know about livestock wandering onto the road shoulder.
Posted by
Portland
3643 posts
Selkie’s last point is really important. I can’t remember how many times I rounded a curve and was faced with a bunch of sheep in the road; but it was a lot. They react with panic and mill around, rather than getting out of the way.
Also, keep in mind that if you are unsure at.a round-about, you can always keep going around until you are confident of the correct exit.