Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim1mack
Considering taking a road through Ireland and Scotland. If you’ve driven in these countries I’d like to know your experience in getting accustomed to driving on the left. Our plan is to cover a good portion of each country.
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I spent a school year at Oxford without driving at all. Walking, busses, and trains were enough. I was about thirty-five when I first drove in the UK. I’ve never been to Ireland, but I’ve driven several hundred miles in Scotland. My first time behind the wheel, coming out of a multi-lane roundabout, I brushed a high curb with a hubcap, which ripped the hubcap off the car. That cost me about £250 when I turned in the rental car a couple weeks later, at a time in my life when that was about a week’s pay after taxes.
While I did eventually get used to driving on the left, it took constant vigilance. There’s a tendency for your mind to think should be farther left than it should be. Your driving position is like being in the passenger position here. I’m rarely in that position, and the highway looks different from there.
I’d say do not rent an SUV “for better visibility”, as that extra width can be scary and dangerous on many roads. It will also make you unhappy when you have to refill the tank. A smaller car is better. Not necessarily the smallest, but the smallest that is comfortable enough.
I found driving in the UK made me tense. There were places where the country roads were adequate for relaxing, but many were not.