International Travel Advice needed

[WhiteDaisy128]

Originally Posted by dekeguy

Reserve your rental car before you fly. Most major rental companies are international and you can do this on line. The key reason is that UK rentals tend to be standard shift so you have to specify automatic. Even if you are used to driving stick you will be doing it from the other side which can get a bit interesting. Automatic is the way to go.

Yes, the cars at the rental places WILL be manual - so make sure you reserve an automatic before hand. Driving on the "other" (not wrong) side of the road does take some getting used to, but it's not too bad...especially on the motorways.

People have VERY good lane discipline in the UK...so make sure to stay in the slow lane unless you are passing. Do not sit in the passing lane. Most people are much more courteous drivers than drivers in the US.

Rural driving very well could be scarier - there are often small farm lanes that are one lane (but two way). It gets fun.

Speed limits in the UK are posted in Miles per Hour (not Kilometers per Hour like someone else mentioned). On smaller roads, though, a limit might not be posted (or certainly not posted often) - roads are classified by size and the presence/absence of a median. A "single carriageway" (2 lane road w/ no median) will be 60 mph. A "dual carriageway" (2 or more lanes with a median) will be 70 mph. And a motorway will be 70 mph (they will always have medians). There are often electronic speed limit signs on motorways that will change the speed limit depending on conditions.

Watch for speed cameras. They are everywhere!

You might want to pick up a "Learner" magnet from a grocery store - new drivers always have them and it warns other people to give them a little space and a break if they do something stupid.