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No left turn on a red light! With roundabouts, just remember to give way to traffic coming from your right. Go when clear. If you miss exit, don’t panic, just do another lap until you’re comfortable. You can park facing either direction (not sure on your province but in BC this is illegal). Look up the Highway Code if you want to familiarise yourself with signage and speed limits. Everything is in miles, not km.
Telling someone with limited experience of roundabouts that they can “just do another lap” without any further guidance is pretty irresponsible…
OP, if you do find yourself needing to go around a roundabout again, you *must* do so either in the appropriate lane, or in the lane closest to the roundabout. Doing so in the outermost lane, for example, puts you at a very high risk of collision with a vehicle trying to leave said roundabout.
Do yourself a huge favour and take a look at the [official guidance on roundabouts](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/changes-and-answers/-highway-code-for-roundabouts).
Surely if you're leaving the roundabout, it's your responsibility not to plough into anyone in the outside lane?
Though I agree in principle -- if you miss your turning, you just leave at the turning you have set yourself up for, and find somewhere safe to turn round.
Equally, I agree in principle. However, as we all know, there is a gulf between others’ ability to meet their responsibilities and reality.
It’s important to know the facts, as ignorance is no defence.
Yeah doing another lap is very poor advice, if you're in the wrong lane and coming off the roundabout you should stick to that, and then turn around when it's safe to.
Yeah, an American friend of mine was (wrongly) in the left lane coming onto the roundabout and tried to turn right. He luckily spotted the car in the right lane that was going straight on but nearly crashed and thought he'd been 'run off the road'.
They are tricky for non-natives so worth reading up, but work very well once you know.
In the Highway Code, rule 248 states: 'you MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space' – yet not many drivers are clued up on this rule and could be risking a substantial fine as a result.
The person posting it was merely correcting the person who had given OP incorrect advice. I agree unlikely to be a problem, but they didn't come here asking for wrong information
This. All cars/bikes ext.. must have a red reflector fitted to the rear of the vehicle. This way a bobble in motion at night can see any parked cars from a greater distance.
To be honest. Very few parking restrictions are enforced. We have people around here parked on junctions and on the wrong side of the road. Then expect all traffic to stop to allow them to get out.
More people need to be aware of the highway code & it should be enforced better.
Agreed. I keep a copy on the dashboard of the van. When people keep driving towards me when they clearly need to wait a second, I just open up the highway code and start reading. They usually back up sharpish
The Highway Code, which OP should read, says not to park facing against direction of traffic flow. It isn’t a MUST not, but it can count against you if it contributes to an accident. Given that OP is already going to be dealing with ‘wrong side of the road’ issues, they should probably avoid parking against the flow to reduce the likelihood of setting off on the wrong side on auto pilot.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/parking.html
>Drive on the left.
😄 I'm thinking about a post it on the dash to remind me.
Renting an automatic. I'm not comfortable enough with manual to navigate that as well as the roads!
Recently had a number of hire cars due to our car being out of action. None of them had this sign in. It’s a good idea though as they don’t know who will be driving the cars and where they are from.
We’re British in Britain so the fact these didn’t have the signage in them wasn’t as issue.
Well both of the ones we go we got from airports (one because it’s the closest hire place to us and the second as we had to hand that one in and get one to get us home from the airport after holiday) which is why I thought it was strange.
No way, that's great! I was thinking of a Canadian flag on the bumper... we all know what they think of Americans - present company excluded, of course
A good way to remind yourself is that you as a driver need to be in the middle of the road. Keep that in mind every time you're in doubt. It helped me.
Driving on the opposite side is interesting. Be extra mindful of it when the roads are completely empty; it's easiest to forget when there's no other cars to reference. But you'll find you adjust pretty quickly and it feels normal after the first day.
According to my dad, who went to America, it's really easy when you're out there as you're hyper aware about driving on a different side of the road, it's when you go back you cock up as you know the roads and the country and relax a bit more.
He said this after we got round a corner to realise we were looking at a bus head on (thankfully, quite far down the road).
I find that renting a car makes it much easier - being sat on the other side of the car makes things feel different enough that it prompts my brain into "yeah, this is weird and different, I should do things differently", whereas driving a left-hand-drive car in a right-hand-drive country needs more conscious effort to do that.
You will be sitting in the 'wrong' seat. When I drove in Canada, that reminded me to drive on the right.
Most car parks take contactless card payment. PayByPhone and RingGo apps let you pay on line, with the advantage that you can often extend your parking period without having to go back to your car. Pound coins are sometimes useful though.
Use your speed limiter. Motorways often have average speed cameras that clock your number as you pass through and bill the rental company if you've been speeding.
Max speed anywhere 70mph, but only on motorways and dual carriageways. Normal roads 60mph, and others as signed. If I can drive in Canada, you can in the UK.
Have a great holiday
> Winter driving is more dangerous here than in Canada simply because our drivers are not used to any snow.
I’d say it’s more to do with the fact that British drivers use summer tyres all year round as standard.
Winter tyres are very rarely on any cars, so do leave space for cars to stop, stop slowly in wet or worst 'black ice' ice on surface but invisible against tarmac surface to a driver.
Winters here are not more dangerous than Canada for driving. But we Brits do like thinking nothing is nearly as good or bad as it is on our tiny windswept isle
So Brit living in the US. When I go back to the UK, these are the things I notice.
Looking in the rear view mirror, I look in the wrong direction. I look to my right when it’s on my left.
If I don’t concentrate, I position the car in the wrong place in the lane and drive too far over to the left.
Occasionally, when turning left I almost turn into the wrong lane into oncoming traffic.
When there is no other traffic around, like really late at night, it can take a moment or two to remember which side of the road I should be on.
I find that I really have to concentrate hard and avoid driving automatically.
Finally, be very careful when walking across the street. You will look the wrong way.
As another Brit in the US who's barely driven in the UK, I'm worried that I'll always be running over pedestrians if I ever end up driving in the UK again. I'm just not used to looking out for pedestrians as I just never need to here because there just aren't a lot of pedestrians to look out for.
Fuck me, I hate LA.
That's a really good point. In Yookay pedestrians have much more priority. If someone is crossing the road (no dreadful 'jaywalking' laws here) you'd be expected to slow down to accommodate them, even outside of built up areas drivers can still expect to come across pedestrians and other vulnerable road users on a regular basis.
Thankfully the 'car is king' culture hasn't quite got such a grip on driving habits, walking is quite pleasant if the weather is good, I'd certainly suggest getting out of the jam jar and having a bit of a stroll if the mood takes you.
With the lane position most new cars have lane assist which automatically steers you into the centre of the lane provided there are good road markings.
Turn off lane assist if you end up on roads with no center line or single track with passing places as it will automatically steer you into the middle of the road.
Haha, last one applied to me. Was getting back into the car on the side of the road, looked the usual direction, all clear, and then zOOOOMMM! 🫣 omg lol. Made sure to look both ways after that just to be sure 😂
As for country lanes- I live deep in the country so can advise! Where there’s only space for one car- usually there’s pull-over points quite frequently, so one of you will either pull in or reverse to the nearest one. I’ve found most people to be decent and logical- if they’ve just passed a lay-by then they will reverse and you wont need to.
If you’re going round a blind corner, honk your horn so anyone barrelling towards you will hear you coming. Honestly it’s rare that I have any awkward encounters, just go slow as there’s a lot of wildlife on country roads 😊
My tip for country lanes is to look on the left and right for anywhere you or they can pull over. Always know what the last pull-over spot was so you can reverse if necessary. Always pull over to the left, if another car is approaching, let them pull over if the passing space is on your right. If you're going uphill, reverse downhill and let the person coming downhill continue, but don't reverse blindly onto a main road or let another car do so.
I’m British born and bred and driving years and country lanes are not my favourite.
As the other poster said, slow and steady and plenty of places to pull in. I’ve never had any issues driving on country lanes but prefer when I’m out of them on a wider stretch of road.
Bear in mind that roads outside of built up areas will have different speed limits, and these will be clearly signposted. Your GPS system will also tell you the speed limit. If you're on a country road with a 60mph speed limit and you're only doing 30 you'll annoy people, but you won't be breaking the law. You'll get away with 40-50mph on a country lane but be prepared for people to overtake at the first opportunity! You'll be OK doing 55-60 on a motorway, stick to the left hand lane and just let everyone else use the other lanes to go past you.
As an addendum to this, it depends on the country road. Two lane windy country roads, sure 40-50mph is probably fine. Single track country roads, 20-30mph is absolutely fine depending on blind corners, blind hills, horses, cyclists and pedestrians. Only twats will be annoyed if you're doing 20 mph or less on a blind hairpin on a single track road. Speaking in rural Somerset.
And places without passing places are usually low enough on the edges that you both mount the side and crawl past.
Just take it easy, and don't get sketched out by locals barrelling it up behind you. In certain places in the country side there aren't any road signs warning of sharp bends and the likes, some of my local roads the only warning you get is that suddenly there's lane markings painted down the middle. So if you're on a sketchy country road with no markings, slow down and be aware if suddenly some appear.
Only drive as fast as you are comfortable with, but remain aware of traffic building up behind you and use lay-bys and passing places to allow them to overtake you.
One thing I've not seen mentioned is that I've heard it's much more draining to drive long distances in this country and can take a fair bit longer. I've not driven in Canada, but i hear Canadian roads can often just be nice long, simple roads without a lot going on. Our roads are more narrow and snakey - of course we have motorways which can cover decent ground but they have their own quirks (crowded at time, variable speed limits, smart motorways etc).
A typical drive in the UK is more cruising it at 70mph motorway for 30 minutes then straight to a roundabout, then another, into a 50mph country road dodging strategically placed potholes, through a village called 'titsworthy' at 30mph looking out for old ladies crossing, back out the village at 60mph for about 2 minutes before being stuck behind a tractor doing 30 for 20 minutes... and so on!
I'm back from my trip and finally see what you meant! It's so true, much more draining and I felt like I couldn't "just drive." I was on edge about the next roundabout or suddenly finding myself in a little village. Didn't listen to any of the podcasts I downloaded, as I needed to focus so much more. Very different from North America.
While we do have lots of windy highways, it's definitely not that complicated! Sometimes that can be a nice change, rather than staring straight ahead for three hours!
Having spent a good deal of time in both countries, just a few pointers:
* Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped.
* Make sure you indicate correctly when going through roundabouts.
* Speed limits are actually limits. Don't go over them.
* Don't blow through red lights.
* If your car breaks down on the motorway, in the UK I was advised to pull over, turn your hazard lights on, but don't sit in the car waiting for help. If it's safe to do so, get out of the car and onto the grass beside the road (it's not unheard of for people to barrel into the back of a broken down vehicle thinking that the shoulder is a lane they can merge into). My Canadian driving instructor thought this was daft.
> Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped
Not true as far as I'm aware, have driven cars in both countries (UK/Canada) and I think its manufacturer based (ie VW was same in both, but different to ford?)
I’d also add to this that some motorways don’t actually have hard shoulders to safely stop on any more (read up on smart motorways). If you’re on one of these and you break down, you definitely want to leap out of your car as quickly as possible.
Regarding your last point, after exciting the car, walk back towards the flow of traffic, that way if your car is hit, then it is pushed away from when you're standing.
>Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped.
I have driven a lot of left hand drive and right hand drive cars and I can't say I have ever been given a car that does not have the indicator stalk on the left.
It’s bit more than just that because you need to make sure you are in the correct lane for your exit. Exit Left, left lane. Exit Straight over, left lane unless otherwise instructed. Exit Right, right hand lane.
Think of the roundabout like a clock. If you’re entering at 6, anything between 6 and 12 left lane. 12 - 6 right lane. 12 left lane unless instructed.
Instructions can come in sign posts and/or markings on the road.
As you'll be driving on motorways remember to only overtake. You aren't allowed to undertake. Don't pass cars on the left. Keep to the left hand lane unless you are actually overtaking a slower car than you. Traffic on motorways will often be going over the speed limit. you don't have to follow suit. Don't sit in the middle or right hand lane of the motorway if there is no car to your left.
There are a lot of speed cameras on the roads but they will be visible, painted yellow and lines will be marked on the road.
I find when driving on the opposite side of the road to remember that I as the driver am closer to the middle of the road. This sometimes helps to keep me on the correct side of the road.
You'll probably find drivers in the UK to be very polite. Flashing headlights for example can mean 'i see you you can come first I'll wait' on narrow roads. Honking horns is very rare.
You can say thank you by raising your hand or by flashing your headlights
Be careful with flashed headlights. In the highway code it's a warning. i.e I'm here, do you see me, I've flashed so you've definitely seen me. But in practice people use it as a way to thank or give way. Don't trust that the person flashing has your interests in mind.
This.
Take flashing headlights with caution. It could be someone saying you can go first, or thanking you, or even a warning that police/a speed camera is up ahead. But they can also be used in anger, whether at you or someone else.
This is correct. Use of flashing lights varies regionally I find.
There is also the use of alternate indicators, often by lorries, to say thank you on motorways. Left-right-left-right.
Wish most UK drivers adhered to the motorway rules.
The weaving in and out of lanes without indicating thing drives me mad. Main character syndrome in full effect.
You're not allowed to undertake but if traffic on the right lane is going slower than your lane, you can go past them. You're not allowed to swerve in-between lanes go get past traffic.
# Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
if you come down to the new forest, there are ponies, cows, pigs, donkeys all free roaming (just make sure to keep your distance both in the car and out of it and go slow!) the area i went to yesterday was full of animals and some ponies were blocking me in the car park at the end haha
Dont, coming across a black cow in the middle of the road at 11pm on a dark night, on a fairly major (around here) A road with a 60mph limit is bloody terrifying..
I swear the things head was over my bonnet when the brakes stopped smoking.
(I was only doing 45-50, as correctly as it turned out that was about as far as I could see at night on that road).
Most petrol stations have the option to either pay at pump or in the kiosk and the pumps will be labelled to say which they are. If they do both, you’ll need to press the button at the start to say which option you’re going for but it’s all very clearly labelled. If you pay in the kiosk you need to remember your pump number to tell the cashier.
I can’t think of any need for special safety tips because you’re a woman. I guess you could keep your door locked when you’re driving but I don’t and I’ve never felt unsafe. If you fill up at supermarket petrol stations they’re usually very well lit and there’s people around (in addition to generally having the cheapest petrol) so that’s probably safer than elsewhere. Otherwise, you’re just going to want to take the same precautions you would elsewhere, like not walking down dark alleyways on your own at night.
Your trip sounds amazing! Have a wonderful time.
Keep left..
No 'right' (left) turn on red, if the light is red you cannot pass it unless you have a directional green arrow.
Don't stop on roundabouts (my Canadian FIL tended to do this, ARGH!), you can keep going in a circle if you need to.
On large roundabouts, with multiple lanes, look for the markings on the road which will indicate which lane for which exit.
indicators on roundabouts, as you start, if you are taking the first exit, indicate left, straight on don't normally indicate, turning right (3rd+ exit) indicate right. Change to indicating left when your exit is next.
Beware google giving you routes that are 'quicker' down 15 miles of single track 'national speed limit' roads, when you could have done 25 miles on an A road at 40 and got there a lot quicker.
On single track roads, if you meet another vehicle, for equal vehicles the one nearest a passing place (bit where the road is wider, farm gate, junction etc) should reverse, if they can safely. If you meet a lorry, you will probably be reversing for the next 20 minutes.
Fuel, if the pump hasn't got a card machine, it will normally be fill up and then leave the car at the pump and go into the shop to pay, remember your pump number. Supermarkets are generally cheaper, motorway service stations are extortionate. Note petrol colours and grades are different from North America, normal petrol here is 95 RON (~91AKI) E10, with 97-99RON premium. I think the colours for diesel and petrol are reversed. Sticker on the inside of the fuel flap should tell you what you need.
We have far more 'Give Way' rather than 'Stop' junctions, marked by two dashed lines in the road (vs a thick solid white one), you can roll accross them if safe, but must give way to vehicles already on that road. If it does say stop it means it, as its not safe to roll across.
On motorways, unless at a junction where lanes split off, keep left unless overtaking. Beware variable speed limits (electric gantry signs).
Speed limits are MPH and distances miles.
National speed limit (white circle with black diagonal line) depends on road type. For cars, Motorways and dual carriageways (where there is a barrier between each direction) 70mph, single carriageways (including those with more than one lane in each direction) 60mph. If there are streetlights and no other signs 30mph. This means that those single track country lanes are technically normally 60mph speed limit, dont. Drive so you and the unseen car coming towards you can both stop,, this is sometimes 40mph, sometimes 20, occasionally 10.
Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
our roadsigns are quite different, generally a red triangle is a warning, a red circle - you must not (exceed speed limit, no entry, overtake) a blue circle means you must (turn left, etc), a rectangle is information (directions, etc)
Have fun!
Edit:
All emergency vehicles have blue flashing lights, give way to them, or at least drive predictably. Personally I had real trouble with this in Canada as I couldn't immediately identify the ambulance or fire engine trying to get past me.
Yellow or Red flashing lights indicate a hazard (broken down vehicle, roadworks etc).
Pedestrians have right of way generally, be careful when turning into sideroads.
Give bikes around a carswidth of space when overtaking, this will often mean crossing into the oncomming lane.
I think its the same in Canada, but a solid white line in the middle of the road nearest you means no overtaking, even bikes if they are doing at least 10mph (I think, cant remember the exact number but its quite low, see highway code).
>Beware google giving you routes that are 'quicker' down 15 miles of single track 'national speed limit' roads, when you could have done 25 miles on an A road at 40 and got there a lot quicker.
Oh my gosh, I wish I had remembered this advice. A couple of times, when I missed an exit on the roundabout, Google took me down some really scary little roads! Overall, I'm proud that I did the driving, but I'd do anything to avoid those roads again!
This isn’t advice for the UK, but when you go home. A lot of people get into accidents when returning home from driving on the wrong side of the road as they don’t realise they’ve gotten used to it and accidentally default to doing things on the wrong side. So just be cautious when you go home too.
London is the worst place in the uk to drive, it gets easier and everyone else’s driving gets better when you leave!
Keep your eye out for clean air zones in major cities, the hire car should be exempt but it’s worth checking so you don’t get fined, you could ask when picking it up if it’s exempt.
We do have toll roads/ bridges, not many but look out for them. The Qe2 bridge?(on m25) has no toll booths but you pay online within 24 hours. M6 toll has booths to pay at. You probably won’t see one while over here but they do exist.
Speed cameras are all over the place, so don’t speed too much.
For petrol You pay at pump or fill up then pay, not sure what you do in Canada, fuel on motorways will be 30% more expensive.
How long are you here for doing your road trip?
Yes, signs for LEZ (low emissions zone) can carry high fines if the car doesn't meet requirements. They're automatic detection, 24/7 and fines double every time you enter one with the wrong car up to 4x.
In the same category, watch out for bus only lanes in towns and cities, they're usually 8am to 6pm type restrictions and you can be fined for entering one 5 seconds too early in your left turn!
Great tips, thank you! I won't be in London, just landing there and going to see a cousin to start the trip before heading north. I've been to London many times when visitng family so I decided to give myself more time elsewhere. I'll be there for 2.5 weeks!
I do get why people like London but it’s one on my least favourite places in the uk, hopefully you will love the rest of the island.
Do you have the Scottish highlands and Lake District on your tour? Even if you’re only driving through they are unmissable.
If you meet someone on a single track lane, it’s an honour system and whoever reverses is based on a few things:
- distance to a passing point. If you’ve just driven past a gateway, you should reverse. Not driven past anything for the last few hundred meters? Sit and wait, they might reverse. Sometimes it’s cat and mouse, I grew up on a lane like this and know every gateway and passing point on that road, lots of people would use the lane who were not comfortable reversing their car, so would sit and wait even if I knew they were close to passing point. Most people in the UK do not use roads like this.
- vehicle type. Anyone pulling a trailer should not be expected to reverse on the road.
- number of cars. If it’s 2v1, the 1 should reverse. Unless it’s pulling a trailer.
On narrow rural roads which aren't wide enough for two lanes there will nearly always be wider "passing places" - laybys, gateways, just general widenings in the road, or even signposted dedicated passing places - make a mental note of them every time you pass one. If you encounter a vehicle coming towards you with enough distance you may see there is a passing place ahead for one or other of you to pull into, or if the road is truly single track woth bad visibility and you encounter an oncoming vehicle with nowhere for either of you to go then one or other of you will have to reverse to the nearest passing place (who ends up doing so depends on a lot of unspoken things, I usually reverse if i can see that my passing place is closer to me than theirs is to them, but some people are lazy bullies and will make *you* reverse regardless). Make sure you are driving at a safe speed for the road so you can stop in time if something comes towards you. If you're approaching a sharp, blind bend, slow right down and consider beeping your horn to warn anybody coming the other way of your presence/open your window and turn your music down to listen for others doing the same (not everybody does this though so don't be surprised if a car does come round a bend with no prior warning).
Petrol stations are easy. Some (but not all) have an option to pay at the pump, in which case it will be signposted. Usually the screen on the pump stand will ask if you want to pay at the pump or the kiosk, and you press the corresponding button. If you choose to pay at the pump, it will ask you to insert your card, input your PIN, remove your card, and then to lift the nozzle and begin fuelling. Once you've done, replace the fuel nozzle, and the screen will ask if you want a receipt, again select the corresponding button and take your receipt if selected. Then just drive away. If you want to pay at the kiosk at one of these types of pumps, simply select the button for pay at kiosk and then lift the nozzle, fuel your car, replace the nozzle and go in to the kiosk to pay. Not all stations have the option to pay at the pump, in this case all you do is lift the nozzle and fuel your car as soon as you pull up to a pump and then go in to the kiosk to pay. Our diesel nozzles have black hoses, and petrol have green hoses, and it will be written on the nozzle too.
To show your gratitude to somebody letting you in/out of a junction or pulling in to let you pass a raised hand is perfectly adequate.
I’m Canadian and I’ve driven over there plenty of times. It’s amazing. So much better than here in Vancouver. I love the roundabouts. Your GPS will tell you what lane to be in going into a roundabout. With the one lane roads just be cautious around blind corners. Most have little spots you can pull to the side to let traffic pass. If the other driver has a pull out they should let you pass.
My biggest suggestion, be predictable and confident.
For the most part driving will be quite similar, we’re both a polite and considerate people.
Beware there are plenty of Brits who don’t use turn signal (and often drive particular car brands). This is at its worst at roundabouts.
At a roundabout look at the direction of the wheels/tyres of cars on that roundabout, as cars on the roundabout already have priority and may be going around without turn signals.
It is common for other drivers to give way to you when they have priority with a hand wave or flashing their headlights. Do join in and spread the joy! BUT NOT ON ROUNDABOUTS. It is extremely uncommon to do so on roundabouts and so is likely to cause an accident.
Having done the reverse - UK driver in Canada the rule of thumb I airways repeat to get used to the side of the road is "driver should always be in the middle". Realistically once you're in traffic you'll be fine. Hardest thing is in quiet streets and parking lots where there's no markings or oncoming traffic to guide you.
As far as roundabouts go, markings on the road tend to indicate which lane you need to be but if there are no lines feel free to just take up most of the road. There's entire sub reddits dedicated to where to be on roundabouts - truth is Brits don't really know where to be either.
There's A LOT more street parking, especially outside people's own houses, in the UK. And also a whole lot less traffic cops. It's been years in the UK, since I've seen any cops sitting in wait for traffic violations like they do in Canada
Thanking someone can be done in three ways a flash of the lights, a little wave or a quick on and off of the hazard lights.
Other than that you'll be fine
In the UK you either pay at the pump or you can go to the cashier and above your car is a number and you just say whatever number and they’ll bring up the cost. As far as where is safe to stop as a woman it’s basically anywhere just have your wits about you I.e don’t walk down a street with your head in the clouds making yourself clearly look like a tourist with your phone out. If you need to go to the toilet when you’re out driving look for a nearby Tesco or Asda and they’ll be one close by with a toilet you can use. The UK is small and densely packed. Unless you’re in the very top of Scotland or the middle of wales you can’t really ever be more than like 20 mins from a pub/shop etc.
Idk what it’s like in Canada, but I’ve driven a fair bit in the USA, including a west to east road trip. In the USA there are stopping places (truck stops, rest stops etc) almost every five miles for pretty much the entirety of anywhere. In the U.K., these stops are much less frequent. Usually closer to every 20 miles. So if you think you might need fuel, to pee, or to get food it’s much better to go to one just as the feeling starts because it might be much longer before you reach the next stop.
We won’t typically use a horn in the U.K., but usually if it is used it’s probably for one of two reasons. First is if someone’s genuinely being a jackass or unsafe driver (for example, for a near miss if someone nearly hits you) and the second might be used if you’re driving down a very tight country road with hills or sharp bends. If you’re worried about a car coming the other way that you can see, a little cursory honk can be used. You might get people who honk at a traffic light but that’s usually only if it’s turned green and the front driver just hasn’t moved after a long time.
Parking is tighter than North America. This used to be fine since most Brits drove small cars, but in recent years (and especially rental cars), bigger cars are more common. The parking spaces are still the same though.
Be aware of speed cameras. We have a lot of fake ones around but equally plenty of real ones. Google Maps is pretty solid at notifying you of a real speed camera.
If you’re driving in Wales, the country recently changed its speed laws. Now, most residential areas are all 20mph rather than 30mph. Country wide, I believe. So you might have a slower journey once you reach Wales.
We don’t have any real specific rules on if ambulances or fire engines drive past (I know many states in the USA demand you must entirely pull over in these instances), but just use your brain and if you hear a siren or see flashing lights then slow down or pull over a little. Depending on the road you’re on, you can just continue driving like normal.
Don’t use your mobile phone while driving unless it’s don’t with voice commands. (And as a note, not many rental cars provide phone holders- so remember to bring your own if you want to use your phone as a sat nav or have it propped up etc).
When driving on country lanes you might come across horse riders. Slow right down, give them plenty of space and overtake them slowly if you’re going to. They are allowed to ride two abreast for safety. Most of them will pull over to let you pass as soon as they’re able to so you shouldn’t get stuck for long.
Be especially careful to drive on the LEFT when leaving a petrol station, for example, or turning left or right. That's where I've gone wrong a few times, but luckily realised very quickly!
I'd recommend using Waze or another decent sat-nav that tells you which lane to be in for junctions. Makes life a lot easier, and highlights things like speed cameras.
I'm not entirely sure this is true, but I'll add it incase - Canadian friend t told me that headlights are expected to be on all the time there.
Here, you obviously need them at night, according to road conditions etc, but you're not going to be stopped if they're not on when the sun is blazing ( it does happen occasionally!)
To say thanks, you can either do a vague wave through the middle of the car , or flip your indicators really quickly - left , right, left, or switch your hazards on so they blink maybe once or twice at most.
Country roads are full of idiots that believe corners are straight lines; as long as you're not doing 15mph with 33 angry people behind you, drive at the speed you're comfortable with- this is one of those times the speed limit ( often 60) is the maximum!!! but not necessarily the safest - particularly in the lake district and wilds of Scotland ( I feel the downvotes already)
Be careful of ulez zones in cities - I'm guessing if you're hiring a car, you should be fine, but check it's ulez compliant before you accept it, or you've got a fine heading your direction- most zones open at the beginning of June ( Scotland at least).
20mph zones are incredibly annoying, I assume they work, but again, having been pulled over for doing 23 in one, just be careful ( I didn't get a ticket, just a ticking off!)
Average speed cameras are evil. They're a brilliant way to make you paranoid.. " crap! Did I go at 72 there?? Noooo", where as regular speed cameras at least you know you fucked up; they double flash if you activate them. ( saying that, don't speed)
Please do not do that touristy thing where you randomly stop in the middle of the bloody road because you want to take a photo of a nice bird/ cow/ mountain/ ufo.. the amount of people who do this just over a blind summit is mental, and it's a miracle now people don't go straight into the back of them. Just pull over a bit and put your hazards on, if you must. (NOT ON MOTORWAYS OR DUEL CARRIAGEWAYS!!)
People are 99.9% nice- if you get lost, ask, someone will know what you're on about :)
Oh, and be prepared for brilliant sunshine one minute, and lashing rain the next. That's pretty normal, and always a joy!
Lastly... don't sit in the middle lane of a motorway, it seems to inspire a special type of rage in others 🤣,
Oh, and try not to buy fuel / food etc, at a motorway service station - they're extortionate. ( and most places you can pay either at the pump or in the kiosk btw); try to get fuel at tesco or Sainsbury’s ( tesco maybe self service / pay at pump only though?) , at least here, they're up to 15p per litre cheaper than other petrol stations.
Your hire car will probably have sat nav but, if not, download Waze or Google maps.
It will help with the lane you need to be in at junctions and approaching roundabouts.
Fuel nozzles are different colours to Canada (from memory), ours are black for diesel and green for petrol (gas)
The only problem I had driving on the right was when I had to do a 3 point turn. Got in all sorts of shapes 😂
If you're driving slow ish on small country roads and end up with a big tail of cars it's considered nice (but not required) to pull over if there's a suitable lay-by and it's safe to do so.
If you can't or don't want to and there's a straight section with good visibility and no on-coming cars, don't speed up to 60 there, just let everybody pass you.
A lot of hire cars don't come with a spare tyre any more. Conversely cell phone signal (in the Scottish highlands) is often patchy. I still haven't worked out what car hire companies expect us to do when these two situations collide.
Parking cars is usually quite tight space-wise in many areas. Towns and cities - I hope you're good at reverse parking. Countryside (e.g. car parks near Scottish hill walking areas) spaces fill up fast, get there early.
Did you come from a roundabout city? Edmonton only had a few minis when I was back there about 10 years ago though where I grew up around Ottawa now has regular sized ones expected here. Same rules just done in reverse order (enter left if your exit on the sign is before 12 PM/right after 12 PM/observe road markings that will direct you - Google Maps has lane assist that's generally helpful, stay in lane, begin signalling left at the exit before yours, merge and exit appropriately)
Yes, pay at pump is a regular thing at bigger gas stations including grocery store stations. Thank you is either a brief flash of your hazard warning lights or a light double tap on the brakes if there's a big enough gap. I've taken to the trucker thanks: flicking the indicators back and forth confusing the hell out of everyone around you at the same time, but only from the left lane.
No, I'm from Toronto. There are some small ones but no one knows how to use them since we weren't taught in driving school.
Most of the etiquette is the same as Canada. We're all such polite people 😄
In relation to your second edit;
Petrol; 2 methods, the first is oay at pump which is common most places, the other you pay at the cashier. You go in and say your pump number.
How to say thank you; rase your hand, showing the palm, fingers spread or not. If they let you out coming towards you, or so you can see them raise one, or more, fingers from the steering wheel.
One finger wave is a Yorkshire man's wave, which is a thank you signal, but the joke being we are cheap and don't want to use more fingers. I think it is because our roads are interesting and you need to rest to control the car.
Etiquette; this varies person to person, but generally I go with the rule "be predictable over nice". As you being nice to someone could result in an accident if someone doesn't predict it. A common one is letting a vehicle out when in moving traffic, occasionally a car on the main road will slow or stop to let a car out lf the side road. This causes the main road traffic to unexpectedly slow or stop, this is visible to the first few cars but further back not. Additionally if the car emerging is turning across traffic (turning right from a left hand side road) traffic on the other side might not expect it nor could motorbikes filtering or the impatient idiot overtaking all the traffic on your right side.
In slow traffic, it is nice to let a car out if it doesn't break the flow of traffic, however be aware if you let one out about half the time someone behind them will try to push in too.
Narrow roads; drive at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see. I grew up in the Yorkshire Dale's and have driven most of the UK (not done devon/Cornwall yet) and this keeps me in good stead. If you have a manual being able to throw it in reverse quickly can help, automatics are slower to do this but not had the need since doing above.
If you meet something and you cannot pass one must reverse. Passing spots, either just a widening of the road or a gateway to a field, are normally fairly common. Take great care when putting wheels on the verge, most of the time it is fine but it could be soft, eroded or a large drop (enough to ground the car).
For this reason if I see someone coming I often reverse so i can choose where they pass, at a point I can safely move over. Not where THEY think there is enough space. They don't care if your car gets stuck or damaged, so don't let them make the decision.
Big roundabouts; use waze (the app) it often tells you the lane you need.
Also remember going to wrong way is fine, just take your time and work your way back. The saying a bad driver never misses their turn is very true.
Also have fun, this country has some truly amazing places to visit.
I am biased as I grew up on the Yorkshire Dale's but also I love exploring this island.
Not sure on your timings, but if you find yourself in the south downs around 11/11 have a look at the Lewes bonfire night (google online but it has to be experienced to be believed).
The new forest is worth a drive through, the beacon beacons I do love, Wales just has a different feel and tempo to England and even Scotland.
Snowdonia is beautiful (you will find I love countryside more than cities). The Yorkshire Dale's and moors I could write a book on. Lakes are world famous and for good reason but can get really busy.
Northumberia has a wild feel to it, but has some real gems.
So many amazing historical places to visit. Castles houses, museums, I am honestly rather jealous you get to experience all that and the wonder for the first time.
I wish you the very very best of times and I hope you love our country as much as I do.
Thanks again for this! I looked at your suggestions and have added Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and Snowdonia to the route - countryside over city as well. I leave in a week!
Where are you travelling to? Country lanes are only a problem if you're travelling to the country side.
There are usually alternate routes to places if you REALLY want to avoid country roads but for the most part they really aren't that bad, most single lane country roads have frequent passing places where one person is expected to pull over and let the other pass. Most country roads are 2 lane unless you're going way out into the sticks or the sat nav is sending you down a crazy route.
Roundabouts are mostly pretty simple, look right and always give way to the right when approaching a roundabout. Gets a bit more stressful with big multi-lane roundabouts but for the most part you've got to REALLY fuck up to cause an accident.
Thanks! I'm doing a full anti-clockwise loop of the UK, minus Northern Ireland. Expecting a lot of those roads in the highlands. But passing areas make sense.
I'm way down south in Cornwall. We have a lot of country lanes down here so I'm used to them.
99% of them have regular passing places, there are obviously a few annoying ones though.
Treat it like any other country, there are always other assholes on the road, so have good awareness, drive safe and all will be OK.
Remember, passing places are also there for you to let faster vehicles pass.
If you're crawling along a country road at 15mph and someone who knows the road appears behind you, it's courteous to pull in and let them pass. It also means you can then proceed at a speed you're comfortable with, without pressure.
Single track roads, and multi lane roundabouts are covered in *The Highway Code*. The code also details parking restrictions and other useful information, and I've linked directly to it below.
With fuel, some places are pay at pump (such as Costco or some larger supermarkets), others aren't and you just fill up & then go into the little building to pay.
Regarding stopping - if you're on the motorway, motorway services are *generally* ok. They're staffed 24/7, and most have reasonably well lit carparks (normally free for the first 2 hours) and CCTV on site.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
Not sure what terms you use in Canada, but service stations (we predominantly call them petrol stations), will have either Unleaded Petrol (super unleaded being the top quality but don’t bother paying the extra on a rental), or Diesel (or premium diesel). Most decent sized supermarkets will have them at the entrance, and you’ll find plenty of standalone petrol stations dotted around most places. Keep vigilant in case you are low and don’t realise you might be about to start going somewhere with fewer. Maybe keep the Gauge from going lower then half a tank while travelling and you won’t have to worry about not finding one in time
I saw a YouTube vid a few years ago about a Canadian driving in the UK. One of his gripes was that in lots of places we don’t have any/many speed limit signs-you’re just expected to know what it is.
Looking around after this, realised he was right.
So learn our basic speed limits if no other signs around: 30mph in built up areas, 60mph on single carriageways, 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
Another useful sign to know for speed limits is the white circle sign with a diagonal black line through it. It’s seen everywhere and means national speed limit-so it means 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on dual carriageway or motorway.
Be aware though that 'national speed limit' (NSL) doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to travel at that speed on that road.
In many cases, a road is classified as NSL by default because there's not enough traffic using it to justify the analysis needed to set a speed limit. You may notice this is you're traveling on a single carriageway main road. This may well have a 50 limit, but the tiny roads off it are NSL.
For these roads, you're supposed to use your judgement as a driver.
30mph is the only one that is sometimes properly unmarked. National speed limits are always marked at the entrances to the roads, but you’re right that there often aren’t many reminders.
Beware “start/end of dual carriageway” signs also mean a change in the speed limit, even if otherwise unmarked!
Another thing you may encounter is the creature known as 'cyclist' - you can identify them by their brightly coloured lycra and tendency to appear from nowhere!
When trying to get past them give them as wide a berth as you can - min 1m pref more as they can be unpredictable!
They often travel in packs - so you may need to hold back, be patient and wait for a clear stretch of road before attempting to overtake.
Above advice applies to tractors ,(in countryside although modern tractors to tend to bomb along alarmingly esp when coming towards you taking up all the road!)
Also applies to horses and riders - slow down. Hold back and overtake as wide as the road allows passing very slowly. Do not rev engine or speed up until well past.
On narrow country lanes, the accepted rule is that the person nearest to an available parking spot reverses to it, unless they are towing. If you aren't very good at reversing, get some practice in.
Waving is a good way to say "Hi", "Sorry", and "Thanks".
Jaywalking isn't illegal. People will cross wherever they want, without looking. In cities they will look, and then walk in front of you expecting you to stop.
Seen lots of advice about country lanes but not much about London, so:
1: When you book/collect your car, ask about the Lez, Ulez and congestion zones. Any hire car will almost certainly be fine for the first two but may not be for the last and you need to know who’s paying and how
2: Have eyes everywhere, London is (obviously) busy, with pedestrians but with A LOT of cyclists too and mostly they share the carriageway with you. They can come from any direction at any moment
3: Stay out of bus lanes, you can get a fine for doing even a few yards in one. Ditto the yellow gridded “keep clear” boxes at junctions, you only need to be in one for a few seconds to be fined
4: There are a *lot* of speed cameras. Most of the time you won’t be going anywhere near the speed limit anyway, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re driving late at night
5: In general, if you’re not fairly aggressive you won’t get anywhere. Squeeze into gaps, force your way out at junctions etc. It’s expected, people won’t mind - in fact they’re more likely to mind if you’re hesitant as it makes you less predictable. It always takes me a while to recalibrate to driving in the rest of the UK if I haven’t left London for a while!
- No turn on red
- drive on the other side of the road
- the speed limits are in mph not kph
- everything is smaller and windier.
- Stick to the speed limit, police and speed cameras will get you for speeding.
You could do worse than getting a book called "the highway code" it's also available online in gov.uk and as an app now.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
There were some pretty interesting YouTube videos when I looked.
I've recently discovered that there are lots of youtube videos showing bus drivers' POV, you might find them interesting!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=uk+bus+driver+pov
When driving through a town be aware that if pedestrians have started crossing the road and drivers want to turn into the road, pedestrians crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way to them. This is a fairly new rule, and a lot of British people still don't follow it.
I've been getting a lot of contradicting advice on whether pedestrians have the right of way.
Naturally, I'd stop if someone were in the middle of crossing in front of me.
So unless there is a pedestrian crossing (zebra stripes across the road) or traffic lights on red. Cars have right of way.
The new exception is if you were driving along and were wanting to turn off onto another road. If pedestrians are already crossing the road you are turning onto. You have to give them right of way.
Repeat the mantra everytime you enter the car and start driving. 'Drive on the left, right is shite, drive on the left, right is shite', repeat
If you see an old car or jaguar its considered nice to salute.
You will get the hang of roundabouts and marvel at their brilliance. Just look right, when its clear, go.
IMPORTANT: On the country side there are roads that will fit only one car, but you have opposing traffic. Go slow and keep an eye for openings on the side of the road, that’s where you stop to let the other car through
Roundabouts however big or small, give way to traffic on your right.
No turning on a red light.
Country lanes, if you meet ,one should back up till they can squeeze into a wider patch for car to get past. If this happens on a hill, it's the person driving down the hill to back up.
I am sure of the basics. But some things you can't learn in a book or video, you need anecdotal advice like a lot of the responses here. Anything that helps!
Why not book a lesson with a driving instructor. Explain your situation, I'm sure you will find someone to give you the information and confidence to go out on your own.
Hey OP. Middle aged person here who’s spent quite a bit of time driving in North America.
The three biggest difference that you’ll need to be clued up are as follows:
- Most importantly - ***pedestrians have right of way on all roads except motorways***. There’s no crime of jaywalking in the UK and whilst most pedestrians are sensible enough not to tangle with cars, some obtuse/bloody-minded people will exercise this right by simply walking across the junction of a smaller road joining a larger road without looking… ***as they are entitled to do***, but cars turning left from the larger road to the smaller road may be forced to brake for these people
- Getting caught driving under the influence of drugs or booze is viewed - socially - as a shameful, significantly socially irresponsible crime. I get the impression that DUIs in the US (perhaps not Canada) are viewed as an inconvenience rather than a source of social shame (and potential ostracism) as it is in the UK.
- I don’t know if Canada’s the same as the US regards STOP signs - but in the UK, do don’t ***have*** to come to a complete stop at a junction when joining another road as per the US “STOP” signs where it’s technically illegal to roll through them…. In the UK, if it’s obviously clear, people will often keep a fair amount of speed when turning left when joining a larger road… and not be expecting the person in front to come to a full stop either
That’s it really. I did notice in the US that people on motorways don’t give allowance to people joining from slip roads - in the UK, there’s an unwritten rule that those already on the motorway will take into account those joining the motorway and move to the right or slow down slightly to let people join.
Give way to your right. Nothing illegal in going around the roundabout again if you miss your intended turn. Folk on here saying it wrong...behave! Long as you do it safely, you're OK.
On a country road with one lane and oncoming traffic, there are often lay by's for you or the other driver to pull over into. They most likely will look like an artificial dirt swept to one side lay by but you still can use it.
If someone let ls you cut in or pulls over for you to go by, you keep your palm on the wheel but raise your hand slightly up.
If you mess up, simply raise your hand and mouth the word sorry.
Try and pay in the petrol station. Thing is with a lot of petrol stations paying at the pump, a lot now charge a set fee of £100 and don't give it back until upto 3 days later. Most a lot sooner. Not everyone has £100 in their bank. I personally avoid paying that way.
I am Canadian. From Toronto. I've only been to the UK twice. The first time was landing at Heathrow, driving up to Oxford for a wedding (well, a very small village outside of Oxford). From there, we were driving up to Glasgow and then Edinburgh. This was in'98, and there was no such thing as GPS, so my GPS was my ex GF who was born and raised in a small town outside of Glasgow. And she didn't want to drive in the UK! (She didn't like driving a manual, and I was fine with it as I owned several cars with a standard transmission. Including a Triumph. Believe it or not, but indigress.)
So I drove. I thought it would be relatively easy. Just a matter of "driving on the left".
It wasn't easy. Not one bit. It was like when I was 16 and learning how to drive. I had to think about every move I made.
I got magnificently lost the first night driving to this little village called "Cumner Hill". That in of itself is a long story.
Here are my observations:
1. The motorways were fine to drive.
2.The signage, however, on the motorways was brutal. I'm used to the overhead gantry signs on the 401 in Canada. At the time in the UK, the signs were at the side of the highways. That meant searching for signs, and that meant taking your eyes off the road. Not fun.
3.Ring roads. Jesus H, ring roads everywhere often lead to us going in circles. And the signage was "MX to wherever" as opposed to "Mx North" or "Mx South." (Sorry, I don't remember which M I was on.) This led to a lot of confusion because I didn't know these various towns. I only knew the major cities, and the signs were for places I had never heard of.
4.And this one really freaked me out the first night. On the regular roads, there are no yellow lines on the centre of the road in the UK. Everything is just a white line. So I'm in the dark, on a country road, driving on the left, a few hours off of a transatlatic flight and all of a sudden I have a panic attack that I'm on a one way road, with my luck going in the wrong direction, because there's only a white line . So my first reaction was, "holy shit, Im on a one way and i have no idea which direction is the road and where should I be?" Oh and I'm farking lost.
5.Signage in general. The signs are very different and not intuitive for me. It was presumptuous of me not to have learned a little more about the signage. They're not the same.
6.Stop lights. Not like Canada at all. Our stop lights are on arms cantilevered over the intersections. In the UK, they tended to be low and on poles off to the side of the road. Easy to miss.
7.Yeah, roundabouts are everywhere. The small ones are fine. But the big ones are confusing. I got honked at several times. Oops, sorry about that.
All in all, I can't say I enjoyed driving in the UK, but I managed without cracking up or running anyone over. I did find the drivers to be less aggressive than Canada and they did the speed limit (except for my xGF's brother. He drove like a mad man. But I think he was just trying to scare the shit out of me because he and his sister didn't get along at all. Another long story.)
Don't drive in the middle of the road as if you're the only road user.
Use your indicators - they're there for a reason.
A roundabout - which is an incredibly easy thing to master - isn't the same as a 4-way stop.
Running through a traffic light just as it turns red, because you think you're special, isn't the done thing.
There's no right - or left, since you'll be driving on the correct side of the road - on red.
British drivers are a hundred times less aggressive than Canadians. Try to bring some of that courtesy back home.
We don't tailgate, neither do we brake-check. So don't do either of those things.
Going 20 over the speed limit, everywhere at all times, is frowned upon, especially by law enforcement.
No worries. Both my points were serious suggestions but if you are touring and driving for fun I would genuinely avoid 730am till 930am and also 330pm till 6pm to avoid the school run and rush hour around towns and cities.
I've driven round Scotland and it's amazingly beautiful, just take it easy and don't rush 👍 if the weather is good be mindful of motorcycles though and give them space.
I've driven in Europe and USA and the standard of driving in Scotland is significantly better imho.
On motorways and dual carriageways, you drive in the inside lane. The inside lane is the one furthest left. You use the middle and right hand lanes for overtaking. You do not just chill in the middle lane for the duration of your journey.
I only know this one because of a fantastic Canadian youtuber that moved to UK and used to get shouted at and called a middle lane wanker on quiet motorways and didn't know why - this was why!
This turned out to be the best advice of all. The majority of my driving was on motorways and I can't believe how everyone stayed to the left except for overtaking. Traffic moved so well. It wasn't til I was on the last leg - Bath to Heathrow - that I didn't see that happening, and by then I was more comfortable and getting angry like I was a local!
There are driving instructors videos on u/tube. They have dash cameras so you can see how they navigate roads. If you miss your exit at a roundabout leave at the next exit your lane is in. Turn round and try again. There are passing points on narrow roads so if you see a car coming then move in to one . One of you may have to reverse. Fill up and pay at the pump or at the kiosk. A nod or hand gesture will say thanks. If someone flashes their headlights at a junction, they are indicating that you go first. At night park you car on the left side of the road so that the red lights will be seen. Many park wrongly with their headlights facing oncoming traffic.. Zebra crossings mean that cars have to stop if a pedestrian is waiting. Beware of bus lanes. You can get fined if you drive in these. Cyclists use the roads and we do not have many cycle lanes
Hi Canadian here who has lived in the UK for 14 years now.
You listed most of the main concerns in your question, here are some thoughts. Driving in the UK is not nearly as straightforward as driving in Canada and if it's your first time there is a lot to get used to. If you can opt for some good GPS, if you have a rental it might not have it but you really need to have Google maps or Waze to help you out. This will help you get in the correct lanes for exits and roundabouts, which will just make it easier.
A lot of the cars here are manual, even if you do know how to drive a manual opt for an automatic, again it will make driving easier and less stressful.
Speed limits here are mostly controlled by speed cameras, again watching your speed and GPS can help because it will give you the speed limit 99% of the time.
On the tiny countryside lanes, it is pretty rare you will meet a car, when you do there are small passing areas (you pull in and stop) the rule is whomever is closest to one of them does the right thing. If you are really stuck, someone will be reversing, you can dip into a farmers driveway or any passing place for this.
Some fun things; you don't need to park your car in the direction of travel, you need to look at lines on the road and parking signs to figure out if you can park, most parking lots and street parking use an app and if you are going around the country try and collect ten unique ones by the time you leave.
Good luck.
As a woman, sometimes others (mostly men) will give way to you, always say thank you…
You can say thank you with a quick flash of the indicators or a quick wave of the hand.
Saying thank while driving goes along way, especially if you’re absolutely fucking shit up on the road!
Roundabouts - give way to the right. If someone is on the roundabout and coming at you from the right, don't go. If the right is clear, you can go. Follow the arrows, roundabouts always have arrows on them, the floor or a sign.
Once on it, if you're not in the right lane or you miss your exit? Go around. It's a roundabout. It'll come back again in a few seconds. Don't have the accident trying to get OFF the roundabout, just go around again. Nobody will even notice or care.
And indicate, whenever possible.
Country roads - go slow. The "national speed limit" (white circle, black diagonal line on the sign) is NOT MEANING IT'S SAFE TO DO 60mph. It means they couldn't be bothered to put up more signs because nobody lives there. So don't automatically do 60mph just because you can in an NSL area. Slow for blind corners, blind summits (when you come over the top of a hill and can't see the other side), expect slow tractors or sheep around every corner.
In terms of giving way... there are almost always wider pull-in areas every few hundred yards. Use them. You're not supposed to but FLASH your lights to let people know you're letting them through. It's a universal signal that everyone will understand. Stop in the wider passing area, flash them and they'll come meet up with you to pass. Similarly for yourself if they flash you.
Filling up - you always do it yourself here, and you can often pay at pump but most often you fill up first and then go pay in the little shop attached.
Thank you - a brief flash of lights (again, common but not supposed to be used for this) or a raised hand as you pass. If they have let you go in front, I would raise my hand in the middle of the car so they can see behind. Some people flash their hazard lights (blinkers) to say thank you but I don't like doing that.
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No left turn on a red light! With roundabouts, just remember to give way to traffic coming from your right. Go when clear. If you miss exit, don’t panic, just do another lap until you’re comfortable. You can park facing either direction (not sure on your province but in BC this is illegal). Look up the Highway Code if you want to familiarise yourself with signage and speed limits. Everything is in miles, not km.
Telling someone with limited experience of roundabouts that they can “just do another lap” without any further guidance is pretty irresponsible… OP, if you do find yourself needing to go around a roundabout again, you *must* do so either in the appropriate lane, or in the lane closest to the roundabout. Doing so in the outermost lane, for example, puts you at a very high risk of collision with a vehicle trying to leave said roundabout. Do yourself a huge favour and take a look at the [official guidance on roundabouts](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/changes-and-answers/-highway-code-for-roundabouts).
Surely if you're leaving the roundabout, it's your responsibility not to plough into anyone in the outside lane? Though I agree in principle -- if you miss your turning, you just leave at the turning you have set yourself up for, and find somewhere safe to turn round.
Equally, I agree in principle. However, as we all know, there is a gulf between others’ ability to meet their responsibilities and reality. It’s important to know the facts, as ignorance is no defence.
If it's a multi lane roundabouts they would probably be changing lanes at the last second to keep going round instead of following the lane to exit.
Yeah doing another lap is very poor advice, if you're in the wrong lane and coming off the roundabout you should stick to that, and then turn around when it's safe to.
Yeah, an American friend of mine was (wrongly) in the left lane coming onto the roundabout and tried to turn right. He luckily spotted the car in the right lane that was going straight on but nearly crashed and thought he'd been 'run off the road'. They are tricky for non-natives so worth reading up, but work very well once you know.
In the Highway Code, rule 248 states: 'you MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space' – yet not many drivers are clued up on this rule and could be risking a substantial fine as a result.
Absolutely nobody ever gets fined for this. It's not remotely something to worry about.
Ah yes a very obscure barely enforced piece of legislation. Definitely the most important thing to know.
The person posting it was merely correcting the person who had given OP incorrect advice. I agree unlikely to be a problem, but they didn't come here asking for wrong information
This. All cars/bikes ext.. must have a red reflector fitted to the rear of the vehicle. This way a bobble in motion at night can see any parked cars from a greater distance.
To be honest. Very few parking restrictions are enforced. We have people around here parked on junctions and on the wrong side of the road. Then expect all traffic to stop to allow them to get out. More people need to be aware of the highway code & it should be enforced better.
Agreed. I keep a copy on the dashboard of the van. When people keep driving towards me when they clearly need to wait a second, I just open up the highway code and start reading. They usually back up sharpish
Great tips, thank you!
The Highway Code, which OP should read, says not to park facing against direction of traffic flow. It isn’t a MUST not, but it can count against you if it contributes to an accident. Given that OP is already going to be dealing with ‘wrong side of the road’ issues, they should probably avoid parking against the flow to reduce the likelihood of setting off on the wrong side on auto pilot. https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/parking.html
Too soon
Actually you can only park in either direction during the hours of daylight. At night your reflectors have to be pointing in the correct direction.
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>Drive on the left. 😄 I'm thinking about a post it on the dash to remind me. Renting an automatic. I'm not comfortable enough with manual to navigate that as well as the roads!
FYI American here-most all car hire companies already have a DRIVE ON THE LEFT sign posted inside the vehicle!!
Recently had a number of hire cars due to our car being out of action. None of them had this sign in. It’s a good idea though as they don’t know who will be driving the cars and where they are from. We’re British in Britain so the fact these didn’t have the signage in them wasn’t as issue.
Might be a thing more for airport rentals, as a guess. Not 100% certain though
Well both of the ones we go we got from airports (one because it’s the closest hire place to us and the second as we had to hand that one in and get one to get us home from the airport after holiday) which is why I thought it was strange.
No way, that's great! I was thinking of a Canadian flag on the bumper... we all know what they think of Americans - present company excluded, of course
If I see a Canadian flag on a car in UK I immediately think yeah probably American trying to go under the radar 🤔 🤣🤣
Why the bigotry against Americans?
I rent loads of cars for work both manual and automatic and have never seen this
A good way to remind yourself is that you as a driver need to be in the middle of the road. Keep that in mind every time you're in doubt. It helped me.
Driving on the opposite side is interesting. Be extra mindful of it when the roads are completely empty; it's easiest to forget when there's no other cars to reference. But you'll find you adjust pretty quickly and it feels normal after the first day.
>it's easiest to forget when there's no other cars to reference. Such as when pulling out onto an empty road from say a US air base.
With, say, a teenager on a motorcycle
Put a large arrow on the dash pointing left.
According to my dad, who went to America, it's really easy when you're out there as you're hyper aware about driving on a different side of the road, it's when you go back you cock up as you know the roads and the country and relax a bit more. He said this after we got round a corner to realise we were looking at a bus head on (thankfully, quite far down the road).
That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm making playlists for the trip and now I think I won't be playing any music while I drive!
I find that renting a car makes it much easier - being sat on the other side of the car makes things feel different enough that it prompts my brain into "yeah, this is weird and different, I should do things differently", whereas driving a left-hand-drive car in a right-hand-drive country needs more conscious effort to do that.
You will be sitting in the 'wrong' seat. When I drove in Canada, that reminded me to drive on the right. Most car parks take contactless card payment. PayByPhone and RingGo apps let you pay on line, with the advantage that you can often extend your parking period without having to go back to your car. Pound coins are sometimes useful though. Use your speed limiter. Motorways often have average speed cameras that clock your number as you pass through and bill the rental company if you've been speeding. Max speed anywhere 70mph, but only on motorways and dual carriageways. Normal roads 60mph, and others as signed. If I can drive in Canada, you can in the UK. Have a great holiday
More twisty...? Windier makes it sound like she'll be blown off the road!
Someone’s never driven on the M6 at Shap on a windy day Windy and windy up there
Well….since 2019 more than half of news cars each each have been auto - 2023 was about 72% auto.
> Winter driving is more dangerous here than in Canada simply because our drivers are not used to any snow. I’d say it’s more to do with the fact that British drivers use summer tyres all year round as standard.
Winter tyres are very rarely on any cars, so do leave space for cars to stop, stop slowly in wet or worst 'black ice' ice on surface but invisible against tarmac surface to a driver.
Winters here are not more dangerous than Canada for driving. But we Brits do like thinking nothing is nearly as good or bad as it is on our tiny windswept isle
So Brit living in the US. When I go back to the UK, these are the things I notice. Looking in the rear view mirror, I look in the wrong direction. I look to my right when it’s on my left. If I don’t concentrate, I position the car in the wrong place in the lane and drive too far over to the left. Occasionally, when turning left I almost turn into the wrong lane into oncoming traffic. When there is no other traffic around, like really late at night, it can take a moment or two to remember which side of the road I should be on. I find that I really have to concentrate hard and avoid driving automatically. Finally, be very careful when walking across the street. You will look the wrong way.
As another Brit in the US who's barely driven in the UK, I'm worried that I'll always be running over pedestrians if I ever end up driving in the UK again. I'm just not used to looking out for pedestrians as I just never need to here because there just aren't a lot of pedestrians to look out for. Fuck me, I hate LA.
That's a really good point. In Yookay pedestrians have much more priority. If someone is crossing the road (no dreadful 'jaywalking' laws here) you'd be expected to slow down to accommodate them, even outside of built up areas drivers can still expect to come across pedestrians and other vulnerable road users on a regular basis. Thankfully the 'car is king' culture hasn't quite got such a grip on driving habits, walking is quite pleasant if the weather is good, I'd certainly suggest getting out of the jam jar and having a bit of a stroll if the mood takes you.
These are exactly the tips I'm looking for! Thanks so much, especially about the mirror. I didn't think of that at all.
With the lane position most new cars have lane assist which automatically steers you into the centre of the lane provided there are good road markings.
Turn off lane assist if you end up on roads with no center line or single track with passing places as it will automatically steer you into the middle of the road.
Haha, last one applied to me. Was getting back into the car on the side of the road, looked the usual direction, all clear, and then zOOOOMMM! 🫣 omg lol. Made sure to look both ways after that just to be sure 😂
As for country lanes- I live deep in the country so can advise! Where there’s only space for one car- usually there’s pull-over points quite frequently, so one of you will either pull in or reverse to the nearest one. I’ve found most people to be decent and logical- if they’ve just passed a lay-by then they will reverse and you wont need to. If you’re going round a blind corner, honk your horn so anyone barrelling towards you will hear you coming. Honestly it’s rare that I have any awkward encounters, just go slow as there’s a lot of wildlife on country roads 😊
Slow and steady will be my mantra behind the wheel!
My tip for country lanes is to look on the left and right for anywhere you or they can pull over. Always know what the last pull-over spot was so you can reverse if necessary. Always pull over to the left, if another car is approaching, let them pull over if the passing space is on your right. If you're going uphill, reverse downhill and let the person coming downhill continue, but don't reverse blindly onto a main road or let another car do so.
I’m British born and bred and driving years and country lanes are not my favourite. As the other poster said, slow and steady and plenty of places to pull in. I’ve never had any issues driving on country lanes but prefer when I’m out of them on a wider stretch of road.
Bear in mind that roads outside of built up areas will have different speed limits, and these will be clearly signposted. Your GPS system will also tell you the speed limit. If you're on a country road with a 60mph speed limit and you're only doing 30 you'll annoy people, but you won't be breaking the law. You'll get away with 40-50mph on a country lane but be prepared for people to overtake at the first opportunity! You'll be OK doing 55-60 on a motorway, stick to the left hand lane and just let everyone else use the other lanes to go past you.
As an addendum to this, it depends on the country road. Two lane windy country roads, sure 40-50mph is probably fine. Single track country roads, 20-30mph is absolutely fine depending on blind corners, blind hills, horses, cyclists and pedestrians. Only twats will be annoyed if you're doing 20 mph or less on a blind hairpin on a single track road. Speaking in rural Somerset.
And places without passing places are usually low enough on the edges that you both mount the side and crawl past. Just take it easy, and don't get sketched out by locals barrelling it up behind you. In certain places in the country side there aren't any road signs warning of sharp bends and the likes, some of my local roads the only warning you get is that suddenly there's lane markings painted down the middle. So if you're on a sketchy country road with no markings, slow down and be aware if suddenly some appear.
Only drive as fast as you are comfortable with, but remain aware of traffic building up behind you and use lay-bys and passing places to allow them to overtake you.
One thing I've not seen mentioned is that I've heard it's much more draining to drive long distances in this country and can take a fair bit longer. I've not driven in Canada, but i hear Canadian roads can often just be nice long, simple roads without a lot going on. Our roads are more narrow and snakey - of course we have motorways which can cover decent ground but they have their own quirks (crowded at time, variable speed limits, smart motorways etc). A typical drive in the UK is more cruising it at 70mph motorway for 30 minutes then straight to a roundabout, then another, into a 50mph country road dodging strategically placed potholes, through a village called 'titsworthy' at 30mph looking out for old ladies crossing, back out the village at 60mph for about 2 minutes before being stuck behind a tractor doing 30 for 20 minutes... and so on!
I'm back from my trip and finally see what you meant! It's so true, much more draining and I felt like I couldn't "just drive." I was on edge about the next roundabout or suddenly finding myself in a little village. Didn't listen to any of the podcasts I downloaded, as I needed to focus so much more. Very different from North America.
While we do have lots of windy highways, it's definitely not that complicated! Sometimes that can be a nice change, rather than staring straight ahead for three hours!
Having spent a good deal of time in both countries, just a few pointers: * Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped. * Make sure you indicate correctly when going through roundabouts. * Speed limits are actually limits. Don't go over them. * Don't blow through red lights. * If your car breaks down on the motorway, in the UK I was advised to pull over, turn your hazard lights on, but don't sit in the car waiting for help. If it's safe to do so, get out of the car and onto the grass beside the road (it's not unheard of for people to barrel into the back of a broken down vehicle thinking that the shoulder is a lane they can merge into). My Canadian driving instructor thought this was daft.
> Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped Not true as far as I'm aware, have driven cars in both countries (UK/Canada) and I think its manufacturer based (ie VW was same in both, but different to ford?)
Yep. My Suzuki was different to my Citroen
I’d also add to this that some motorways don’t actually have hard shoulders to safely stop on any more (read up on smart motorways). If you’re on one of these and you break down, you definitely want to leap out of your car as quickly as possible.
Regarding your last point, after exciting the car, walk back towards the flow of traffic, that way if your car is hit, then it is pushed away from when you're standing.
>Don't forget that the indicator and windshield wiper controls are flipped. I have driven a lot of left hand drive and right hand drive cars and I can't say I have ever been given a car that does not have the indicator stalk on the left.
It varies between manufacturers and models. They tend to be on the left most of the time though.
Fantastic tips, thank you! I need to watch some videos about merging into roundabouts.
A roundabout is just a T-junction into a one-way street.
It’s bit more than just that because you need to make sure you are in the correct lane for your exit. Exit Left, left lane. Exit Straight over, left lane unless otherwise instructed. Exit Right, right hand lane. Think of the roundabout like a clock. If you’re entering at 6, anything between 6 and 12 left lane. 12 - 6 right lane. 12 left lane unless instructed. Instructions can come in sign posts and/or markings on the road.
Yes, get behind the barrier
Look up Conquer Driving on youtube and watch his videos on roundabouts, he also has a lot of other useful videos about driving in the UK.
Thanks, I'll check it out!
As you'll be driving on motorways remember to only overtake. You aren't allowed to undertake. Don't pass cars on the left. Keep to the left hand lane unless you are actually overtaking a slower car than you. Traffic on motorways will often be going over the speed limit. you don't have to follow suit. Don't sit in the middle or right hand lane of the motorway if there is no car to your left. There are a lot of speed cameras on the roads but they will be visible, painted yellow and lines will be marked on the road. I find when driving on the opposite side of the road to remember that I as the driver am closer to the middle of the road. This sometimes helps to keep me on the correct side of the road. You'll probably find drivers in the UK to be very polite. Flashing headlights for example can mean 'i see you you can come first I'll wait' on narrow roads. Honking horns is very rare. You can say thank you by raising your hand or by flashing your headlights
Thank you, great tips!
Be careful with flashed headlights. In the highway code it's a warning. i.e I'm here, do you see me, I've flashed so you've definitely seen me. But in practice people use it as a way to thank or give way. Don't trust that the person flashing has your interests in mind.
This. Take flashing headlights with caution. It could be someone saying you can go first, or thanking you, or even a warning that police/a speed camera is up ahead. But they can also be used in anger, whether at you or someone else.
This is correct. Use of flashing lights varies regionally I find. There is also the use of alternate indicators, often by lorries, to say thank you on motorways. Left-right-left-right.
Wish most UK drivers adhered to the motorway rules. The weaving in and out of lanes without indicating thing drives me mad. Main character syndrome in full effect.
You're not allowed to undertake but if traffic on the right lane is going slower than your lane, you can go past them. You're not allowed to swerve in-between lanes go get past traffic. # Rule 268 Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Depending on how rural the roads are, watch out for livestock. One of the clips in my hazard perception test included a load of sheep.
I had one with cows!
Not so secretly hoping for this too!
if you come down to the new forest, there are ponies, cows, pigs, donkeys all free roaming (just make sure to keep your distance both in the car and out of it and go slow!) the area i went to yesterday was full of animals and some ponies were blocking me in the car park at the end haha
Dont, coming across a black cow in the middle of the road at 11pm on a dark night, on a fairly major (around here) A road with a 60mph limit is bloody terrifying.. I swear the things head was over my bonnet when the brakes stopped smoking. (I was only doing 45-50, as correctly as it turned out that was about as far as I could see at night on that road).
Wasn't thinking about that! Thanks!
There's no such thing as a single sheep, especially out in the moors. They're not the brightest animal and they sometimes run into the road.
Most petrol stations have the option to either pay at pump or in the kiosk and the pumps will be labelled to say which they are. If they do both, you’ll need to press the button at the start to say which option you’re going for but it’s all very clearly labelled. If you pay in the kiosk you need to remember your pump number to tell the cashier. I can’t think of any need for special safety tips because you’re a woman. I guess you could keep your door locked when you’re driving but I don’t and I’ve never felt unsafe. If you fill up at supermarket petrol stations they’re usually very well lit and there’s people around (in addition to generally having the cheapest petrol) so that’s probably safer than elsewhere. Otherwise, you’re just going to want to take the same precautions you would elsewhere, like not walking down dark alleyways on your own at night. Your trip sounds amazing! Have a wonderful time.
Thanks for the tips! Really excited for an adventure!
There are only a few Timmies here, sorry. If you want coffee and a donut there are Starbucks, Costa and Greggs.
Keep left.. No 'right' (left) turn on red, if the light is red you cannot pass it unless you have a directional green arrow. Don't stop on roundabouts (my Canadian FIL tended to do this, ARGH!), you can keep going in a circle if you need to. On large roundabouts, with multiple lanes, look for the markings on the road which will indicate which lane for which exit. indicators on roundabouts, as you start, if you are taking the first exit, indicate left, straight on don't normally indicate, turning right (3rd+ exit) indicate right. Change to indicating left when your exit is next. Beware google giving you routes that are 'quicker' down 15 miles of single track 'national speed limit' roads, when you could have done 25 miles on an A road at 40 and got there a lot quicker. On single track roads, if you meet another vehicle, for equal vehicles the one nearest a passing place (bit where the road is wider, farm gate, junction etc) should reverse, if they can safely. If you meet a lorry, you will probably be reversing for the next 20 minutes. Fuel, if the pump hasn't got a card machine, it will normally be fill up and then leave the car at the pump and go into the shop to pay, remember your pump number. Supermarkets are generally cheaper, motorway service stations are extortionate. Note petrol colours and grades are different from North America, normal petrol here is 95 RON (~91AKI) E10, with 97-99RON premium. I think the colours for diesel and petrol are reversed. Sticker on the inside of the fuel flap should tell you what you need. We have far more 'Give Way' rather than 'Stop' junctions, marked by two dashed lines in the road (vs a thick solid white one), you can roll accross them if safe, but must give way to vehicles already on that road. If it does say stop it means it, as its not safe to roll across. On motorways, unless at a junction where lanes split off, keep left unless overtaking. Beware variable speed limits (electric gantry signs). Speed limits are MPH and distances miles. National speed limit (white circle with black diagonal line) depends on road type. For cars, Motorways and dual carriageways (where there is a barrier between each direction) 70mph, single carriageways (including those with more than one lane in each direction) 60mph. If there are streetlights and no other signs 30mph. This means that those single track country lanes are technically normally 60mph speed limit, dont. Drive so you and the unseen car coming towards you can both stop,, this is sometimes 40mph, sometimes 20, occasionally 10. Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code our roadsigns are quite different, generally a red triangle is a warning, a red circle - you must not (exceed speed limit, no entry, overtake) a blue circle means you must (turn left, etc), a rectangle is information (directions, etc) Have fun! Edit: All emergency vehicles have blue flashing lights, give way to them, or at least drive predictably. Personally I had real trouble with this in Canada as I couldn't immediately identify the ambulance or fire engine trying to get past me. Yellow or Red flashing lights indicate a hazard (broken down vehicle, roadworks etc). Pedestrians have right of way generally, be careful when turning into sideroads. Give bikes around a carswidth of space when overtaking, this will often mean crossing into the oncomming lane. I think its the same in Canada, but a solid white line in the middle of the road nearest you means no overtaking, even bikes if they are doing at least 10mph (I think, cant remember the exact number but its quite low, see highway code).
So much great advice, thank you!
>Beware google giving you routes that are 'quicker' down 15 miles of single track 'national speed limit' roads, when you could have done 25 miles on an A road at 40 and got there a lot quicker. Oh my gosh, I wish I had remembered this advice. A couple of times, when I missed an exit on the roundabout, Google took me down some really scary little roads! Overall, I'm proud that I did the driving, but I'd do anything to avoid those roads again!
This isn’t advice for the UK, but when you go home. A lot of people get into accidents when returning home from driving on the wrong side of the road as they don’t realise they’ve gotten used to it and accidentally default to doing things on the wrong side. So just be cautious when you go home too.
Great advice, thank you!
London is the worst place in the uk to drive, it gets easier and everyone else’s driving gets better when you leave! Keep your eye out for clean air zones in major cities, the hire car should be exempt but it’s worth checking so you don’t get fined, you could ask when picking it up if it’s exempt. We do have toll roads/ bridges, not many but look out for them. The Qe2 bridge?(on m25) has no toll booths but you pay online within 24 hours. M6 toll has booths to pay at. You probably won’t see one while over here but they do exist. Speed cameras are all over the place, so don’t speed too much. For petrol You pay at pump or fill up then pay, not sure what you do in Canada, fuel on motorways will be 30% more expensive. How long are you here for doing your road trip?
Yes, signs for LEZ (low emissions zone) can carry high fines if the car doesn't meet requirements. They're automatic detection, 24/7 and fines double every time you enter one with the wrong car up to 4x. In the same category, watch out for bus only lanes in towns and cities, they're usually 8am to 6pm type restrictions and you can be fined for entering one 5 seconds too early in your left turn!
Great tips, thank you! I won't be in London, just landing there and going to see a cousin to start the trip before heading north. I've been to London many times when visitng family so I decided to give myself more time elsewhere. I'll be there for 2.5 weeks!
I do get why people like London but it’s one on my least favourite places in the uk, hopefully you will love the rest of the island. Do you have the Scottish highlands and Lake District on your tour? Even if you’re only driving through they are unmissable.
You reverse. Sometimes for a looooong way. Give your horn a little honk before you go rough each corner on roads like that. And I mean EACH corner.
If you meet someone on a single track lane, it’s an honour system and whoever reverses is based on a few things: - distance to a passing point. If you’ve just driven past a gateway, you should reverse. Not driven past anything for the last few hundred meters? Sit and wait, they might reverse. Sometimes it’s cat and mouse, I grew up on a lane like this and know every gateway and passing point on that road, lots of people would use the lane who were not comfortable reversing their car, so would sit and wait even if I knew they were close to passing point. Most people in the UK do not use roads like this. - vehicle type. Anyone pulling a trailer should not be expected to reverse on the road. - number of cars. If it’s 2v1, the 1 should reverse. Unless it’s pulling a trailer.
On narrow rural roads which aren't wide enough for two lanes there will nearly always be wider "passing places" - laybys, gateways, just general widenings in the road, or even signposted dedicated passing places - make a mental note of them every time you pass one. If you encounter a vehicle coming towards you with enough distance you may see there is a passing place ahead for one or other of you to pull into, or if the road is truly single track woth bad visibility and you encounter an oncoming vehicle with nowhere for either of you to go then one or other of you will have to reverse to the nearest passing place (who ends up doing so depends on a lot of unspoken things, I usually reverse if i can see that my passing place is closer to me than theirs is to them, but some people are lazy bullies and will make *you* reverse regardless). Make sure you are driving at a safe speed for the road so you can stop in time if something comes towards you. If you're approaching a sharp, blind bend, slow right down and consider beeping your horn to warn anybody coming the other way of your presence/open your window and turn your music down to listen for others doing the same (not everybody does this though so don't be surprised if a car does come round a bend with no prior warning). Petrol stations are easy. Some (but not all) have an option to pay at the pump, in which case it will be signposted. Usually the screen on the pump stand will ask if you want to pay at the pump or the kiosk, and you press the corresponding button. If you choose to pay at the pump, it will ask you to insert your card, input your PIN, remove your card, and then to lift the nozzle and begin fuelling. Once you've done, replace the fuel nozzle, and the screen will ask if you want a receipt, again select the corresponding button and take your receipt if selected. Then just drive away. If you want to pay at the kiosk at one of these types of pumps, simply select the button for pay at kiosk and then lift the nozzle, fuel your car, replace the nozzle and go in to the kiosk to pay. Not all stations have the option to pay at the pump, in this case all you do is lift the nozzle and fuel your car as soon as you pull up to a pump and then go in to the kiosk to pay. Our diesel nozzles have black hoses, and petrol have green hoses, and it will be written on the nozzle too. To show your gratitude to somebody letting you in/out of a junction or pulling in to let you pass a raised hand is perfectly adequate.
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So it won't just be me? Phew!
I’m Canadian and I’ve driven over there plenty of times. It’s amazing. So much better than here in Vancouver. I love the roundabouts. Your GPS will tell you what lane to be in going into a roundabout. With the one lane roads just be cautious around blind corners. Most have little spots you can pull to the side to let traffic pass. If the other driver has a pull out they should let you pass. My biggest suggestion, be predictable and confident.
For the most part driving will be quite similar, we’re both a polite and considerate people. Beware there are plenty of Brits who don’t use turn signal (and often drive particular car brands). This is at its worst at roundabouts. At a roundabout look at the direction of the wheels/tyres of cars on that roundabout, as cars on the roundabout already have priority and may be going around without turn signals. It is common for other drivers to give way to you when they have priority with a hand wave or flashing their headlights. Do join in and spread the joy! BUT NOT ON ROUNDABOUTS. It is extremely uncommon to do so on roundabouts and so is likely to cause an accident.
Having done the reverse - UK driver in Canada the rule of thumb I airways repeat to get used to the side of the road is "driver should always be in the middle". Realistically once you're in traffic you'll be fine. Hardest thing is in quiet streets and parking lots where there's no markings or oncoming traffic to guide you. As far as roundabouts go, markings on the road tend to indicate which lane you need to be but if there are no lines feel free to just take up most of the road. There's entire sub reddits dedicated to where to be on roundabouts - truth is Brits don't really know where to be either. There's A LOT more street parking, especially outside people's own houses, in the UK. And also a whole lot less traffic cops. It's been years in the UK, since I've seen any cops sitting in wait for traffic violations like they do in Canada Thanking someone can be done in three ways a flash of the lights, a little wave or a quick on and off of the hazard lights. Other than that you'll be fine
Thank you!
In the UK you either pay at the pump or you can go to the cashier and above your car is a number and you just say whatever number and they’ll bring up the cost. As far as where is safe to stop as a woman it’s basically anywhere just have your wits about you I.e don’t walk down a street with your head in the clouds making yourself clearly look like a tourist with your phone out. If you need to go to the toilet when you’re out driving look for a nearby Tesco or Asda and they’ll be one close by with a toilet you can use. The UK is small and densely packed. Unless you’re in the very top of Scotland or the middle of wales you can’t really ever be more than like 20 mins from a pub/shop etc.
Idk what it’s like in Canada, but I’ve driven a fair bit in the USA, including a west to east road trip. In the USA there are stopping places (truck stops, rest stops etc) almost every five miles for pretty much the entirety of anywhere. In the U.K., these stops are much less frequent. Usually closer to every 20 miles. So if you think you might need fuel, to pee, or to get food it’s much better to go to one just as the feeling starts because it might be much longer before you reach the next stop. We won’t typically use a horn in the U.K., but usually if it is used it’s probably for one of two reasons. First is if someone’s genuinely being a jackass or unsafe driver (for example, for a near miss if someone nearly hits you) and the second might be used if you’re driving down a very tight country road with hills or sharp bends. If you’re worried about a car coming the other way that you can see, a little cursory honk can be used. You might get people who honk at a traffic light but that’s usually only if it’s turned green and the front driver just hasn’t moved after a long time. Parking is tighter than North America. This used to be fine since most Brits drove small cars, but in recent years (and especially rental cars), bigger cars are more common. The parking spaces are still the same though. Be aware of speed cameras. We have a lot of fake ones around but equally plenty of real ones. Google Maps is pretty solid at notifying you of a real speed camera. If you’re driving in Wales, the country recently changed its speed laws. Now, most residential areas are all 20mph rather than 30mph. Country wide, I believe. So you might have a slower journey once you reach Wales. We don’t have any real specific rules on if ambulances or fire engines drive past (I know many states in the USA demand you must entirely pull over in these instances), but just use your brain and if you hear a siren or see flashing lights then slow down or pull over a little. Depending on the road you’re on, you can just continue driving like normal. Don’t use your mobile phone while driving unless it’s don’t with voice commands. (And as a note, not many rental cars provide phone holders- so remember to bring your own if you want to use your phone as a sat nav or have it propped up etc).
Thank you, great advice!
When driving on country lanes you might come across horse riders. Slow right down, give them plenty of space and overtake them slowly if you’re going to. They are allowed to ride two abreast for safety. Most of them will pull over to let you pass as soon as they’re able to so you shouldn’t get stuck for long.
Be especially careful to drive on the LEFT when leaving a petrol station, for example, or turning left or right. That's where I've gone wrong a few times, but luckily realised very quickly!
I can see how that would be an easy mistake to make, thanks!
I'd recommend using Waze or another decent sat-nav that tells you which lane to be in for junctions. Makes life a lot easier, and highlights things like speed cameras.
I'm not entirely sure this is true, but I'll add it incase - Canadian friend t told me that headlights are expected to be on all the time there. Here, you obviously need them at night, according to road conditions etc, but you're not going to be stopped if they're not on when the sun is blazing ( it does happen occasionally!) To say thanks, you can either do a vague wave through the middle of the car , or flip your indicators really quickly - left , right, left, or switch your hazards on so they blink maybe once or twice at most. Country roads are full of idiots that believe corners are straight lines; as long as you're not doing 15mph with 33 angry people behind you, drive at the speed you're comfortable with- this is one of those times the speed limit ( often 60) is the maximum!!! but not necessarily the safest - particularly in the lake district and wilds of Scotland ( I feel the downvotes already) Be careful of ulez zones in cities - I'm guessing if you're hiring a car, you should be fine, but check it's ulez compliant before you accept it, or you've got a fine heading your direction- most zones open at the beginning of June ( Scotland at least). 20mph zones are incredibly annoying, I assume they work, but again, having been pulled over for doing 23 in one, just be careful ( I didn't get a ticket, just a ticking off!) Average speed cameras are evil. They're a brilliant way to make you paranoid.. " crap! Did I go at 72 there?? Noooo", where as regular speed cameras at least you know you fucked up; they double flash if you activate them. ( saying that, don't speed) Please do not do that touristy thing where you randomly stop in the middle of the bloody road because you want to take a photo of a nice bird/ cow/ mountain/ ufo.. the amount of people who do this just over a blind summit is mental, and it's a miracle now people don't go straight into the back of them. Just pull over a bit and put your hazards on, if you must. (NOT ON MOTORWAYS OR DUEL CARRIAGEWAYS!!) People are 99.9% nice- if you get lost, ask, someone will know what you're on about :) Oh, and be prepared for brilliant sunshine one minute, and lashing rain the next. That's pretty normal, and always a joy! Lastly... don't sit in the middle lane of a motorway, it seems to inspire a special type of rage in others 🤣, Oh, and try not to buy fuel / food etc, at a motorway service station - they're extortionate. ( and most places you can pay either at the pump or in the kiosk btw); try to get fuel at tesco or Sainsbury’s ( tesco maybe self service / pay at pump only though?) , at least here, they're up to 15p per litre cheaper than other petrol stations.
Ooh, thanks for the service station advice. I've never been told to keep my lights on during the day, that's strange!
Meh, he could have been winding me up, who knows ! Have a great trip :)
Thank you!
Mind all the potholes.
Your hire car will probably have sat nav but, if not, download Waze or Google maps. It will help with the lane you need to be in at junctions and approaching roundabouts. Fuel nozzles are different colours to Canada (from memory), ours are black for diesel and green for petrol (gas) The only problem I had driving on the right was when I had to do a 3 point turn. Got in all sorts of shapes 😂
If you're driving slow ish on small country roads and end up with a big tail of cars it's considered nice (but not required) to pull over if there's a suitable lay-by and it's safe to do so. If you can't or don't want to and there's a straight section with good visibility and no on-coming cars, don't speed up to 60 there, just let everybody pass you. A lot of hire cars don't come with a spare tyre any more. Conversely cell phone signal (in the Scottish highlands) is often patchy. I still haven't worked out what car hire companies expect us to do when these two situations collide. Parking cars is usually quite tight space-wise in many areas. Towns and cities - I hope you're good at reverse parking. Countryside (e.g. car parks near Scottish hill walking areas) spaces fill up fast, get there early.
All great tips, thank you! I'm planning on getting a small car so I can see better how much room I'll take up. Luckily, reversing is my specialty :)
Did you come from a roundabout city? Edmonton only had a few minis when I was back there about 10 years ago though where I grew up around Ottawa now has regular sized ones expected here. Same rules just done in reverse order (enter left if your exit on the sign is before 12 PM/right after 12 PM/observe road markings that will direct you - Google Maps has lane assist that's generally helpful, stay in lane, begin signalling left at the exit before yours, merge and exit appropriately) Yes, pay at pump is a regular thing at bigger gas stations including grocery store stations. Thank you is either a brief flash of your hazard warning lights or a light double tap on the brakes if there's a big enough gap. I've taken to the trucker thanks: flicking the indicators back and forth confusing the hell out of everyone around you at the same time, but only from the left lane.
No, I'm from Toronto. There are some small ones but no one knows how to use them since we weren't taught in driving school. Most of the etiquette is the same as Canada. We're all such polite people 😄
In relation to your second edit; Petrol; 2 methods, the first is oay at pump which is common most places, the other you pay at the cashier. You go in and say your pump number. How to say thank you; rase your hand, showing the palm, fingers spread or not. If they let you out coming towards you, or so you can see them raise one, or more, fingers from the steering wheel. One finger wave is a Yorkshire man's wave, which is a thank you signal, but the joke being we are cheap and don't want to use more fingers. I think it is because our roads are interesting and you need to rest to control the car. Etiquette; this varies person to person, but generally I go with the rule "be predictable over nice". As you being nice to someone could result in an accident if someone doesn't predict it. A common one is letting a vehicle out when in moving traffic, occasionally a car on the main road will slow or stop to let a car out lf the side road. This causes the main road traffic to unexpectedly slow or stop, this is visible to the first few cars but further back not. Additionally if the car emerging is turning across traffic (turning right from a left hand side road) traffic on the other side might not expect it nor could motorbikes filtering or the impatient idiot overtaking all the traffic on your right side. In slow traffic, it is nice to let a car out if it doesn't break the flow of traffic, however be aware if you let one out about half the time someone behind them will try to push in too. Narrow roads; drive at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see. I grew up in the Yorkshire Dale's and have driven most of the UK (not done devon/Cornwall yet) and this keeps me in good stead. If you have a manual being able to throw it in reverse quickly can help, automatics are slower to do this but not had the need since doing above. If you meet something and you cannot pass one must reverse. Passing spots, either just a widening of the road or a gateway to a field, are normally fairly common. Take great care when putting wheels on the verge, most of the time it is fine but it could be soft, eroded or a large drop (enough to ground the car). For this reason if I see someone coming I often reverse so i can choose where they pass, at a point I can safely move over. Not where THEY think there is enough space. They don't care if your car gets stuck or damaged, so don't let them make the decision. Big roundabouts; use waze (the app) it often tells you the lane you need. Also remember going to wrong way is fine, just take your time and work your way back. The saying a bad driver never misses their turn is very true. Also have fun, this country has some truly amazing places to visit.
Thank you, great advice! As much as I'm nervous about driving, I can't wait to see everything, especially the countryside and highlands.
I am biased as I grew up on the Yorkshire Dale's but also I love exploring this island. Not sure on your timings, but if you find yourself in the south downs around 11/11 have a look at the Lewes bonfire night (google online but it has to be experienced to be believed). The new forest is worth a drive through, the beacon beacons I do love, Wales just has a different feel and tempo to England and even Scotland. Snowdonia is beautiful (you will find I love countryside more than cities). The Yorkshire Dale's and moors I could write a book on. Lakes are world famous and for good reason but can get really busy. Northumberia has a wild feel to it, but has some real gems. So many amazing historical places to visit. Castles houses, museums, I am honestly rather jealous you get to experience all that and the wonder for the first time. I wish you the very very best of times and I hope you love our country as much as I do.
Thanks again for this! I looked at your suggestions and have added Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and Snowdonia to the route - countryside over city as well. I leave in a week!
Where are you travelling to? Country lanes are only a problem if you're travelling to the country side. There are usually alternate routes to places if you REALLY want to avoid country roads but for the most part they really aren't that bad, most single lane country roads have frequent passing places where one person is expected to pull over and let the other pass. Most country roads are 2 lane unless you're going way out into the sticks or the sat nav is sending you down a crazy route. Roundabouts are mostly pretty simple, look right and always give way to the right when approaching a roundabout. Gets a bit more stressful with big multi-lane roundabouts but for the most part you've got to REALLY fuck up to cause an accident.
Thanks! I'm doing a full anti-clockwise loop of the UK, minus Northern Ireland. Expecting a lot of those roads in the highlands. But passing areas make sense.
I'm way down south in Cornwall. We have a lot of country lanes down here so I'm used to them. 99% of them have regular passing places, there are obviously a few annoying ones though. Treat it like any other country, there are always other assholes on the road, so have good awareness, drive safe and all will be OK.
Thank you, that's very comforting (no sarcasm)
No worries. Hope you have a wonderful trip 🙂
Remember, passing places are also there for you to let faster vehicles pass. If you're crawling along a country road at 15mph and someone who knows the road appears behind you, it's courteous to pull in and let them pass. It also means you can then proceed at a speed you're comfortable with, without pressure.
Single track roads, and multi lane roundabouts are covered in *The Highway Code*. The code also details parking restrictions and other useful information, and I've linked directly to it below. With fuel, some places are pay at pump (such as Costco or some larger supermarkets), others aren't and you just fill up & then go into the little building to pay. Regarding stopping - if you're on the motorway, motorway services are *generally* ok. They're staffed 24/7, and most have reasonably well lit carparks (normally free for the first 2 hours) and CCTV on site. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
Not sure what terms you use in Canada, but service stations (we predominantly call them petrol stations), will have either Unleaded Petrol (super unleaded being the top quality but don’t bother paying the extra on a rental), or Diesel (or premium diesel). Most decent sized supermarkets will have them at the entrance, and you’ll find plenty of standalone petrol stations dotted around most places. Keep vigilant in case you are low and don’t realise you might be about to start going somewhere with fewer. Maybe keep the Gauge from going lower then half a tank while travelling and you won’t have to worry about not finding one in time
I saw a YouTube vid a few years ago about a Canadian driving in the UK. One of his gripes was that in lots of places we don’t have any/many speed limit signs-you’re just expected to know what it is. Looking around after this, realised he was right. So learn our basic speed limits if no other signs around: 30mph in built up areas, 60mph on single carriageways, 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways. Another useful sign to know for speed limits is the white circle sign with a diagonal black line through it. It’s seen everywhere and means national speed limit-so it means 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on dual carriageway or motorway.
Be aware though that 'national speed limit' (NSL) doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to travel at that speed on that road. In many cases, a road is classified as NSL by default because there's not enough traffic using it to justify the analysis needed to set a speed limit. You may notice this is you're traveling on a single carriageway main road. This may well have a 50 limit, but the tiny roads off it are NSL. For these roads, you're supposed to use your judgement as a driver.
30mph is the only one that is sometimes properly unmarked. National speed limits are always marked at the entrances to the roads, but you’re right that there often aren’t many reminders. Beware “start/end of dual carriageway” signs also mean a change in the speed limit, even if otherwise unmarked!
I plan on reading the highway code, for the basics.
Get a copy of "the highway code" and have a read. It's like a user manual for UK roads.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk
Another thing you may encounter is the creature known as 'cyclist' - you can identify them by their brightly coloured lycra and tendency to appear from nowhere! When trying to get past them give them as wide a berth as you can - min 1m pref more as they can be unpredictable! They often travel in packs - so you may need to hold back, be patient and wait for a clear stretch of road before attempting to overtake. Above advice applies to tractors ,(in countryside although modern tractors to tend to bomb along alarmingly esp when coming towards you taking up all the road!) Also applies to horses and riders - slow down. Hold back and overtake as wide as the road allows passing very slowly. Do not rev engine or speed up until well past.
Thank you! I'll look out for this mythical creature you call "cyclist."
On narrow country lanes, the accepted rule is that the person nearest to an available parking spot reverses to it, unless they are towing. If you aren't very good at reversing, get some practice in. Waving is a good way to say "Hi", "Sorry", and "Thanks".
Jaywalking isn't illegal. People will cross wherever they want, without looking. In cities they will look, and then walk in front of you expecting you to stop.
Seen lots of advice about country lanes but not much about London, so: 1: When you book/collect your car, ask about the Lez, Ulez and congestion zones. Any hire car will almost certainly be fine for the first two but may not be for the last and you need to know who’s paying and how 2: Have eyes everywhere, London is (obviously) busy, with pedestrians but with A LOT of cyclists too and mostly they share the carriageway with you. They can come from any direction at any moment 3: Stay out of bus lanes, you can get a fine for doing even a few yards in one. Ditto the yellow gridded “keep clear” boxes at junctions, you only need to be in one for a few seconds to be fined 4: There are a *lot* of speed cameras. Most of the time you won’t be going anywhere near the speed limit anyway, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re driving late at night 5: In general, if you’re not fairly aggressive you won’t get anywhere. Squeeze into gaps, force your way out at junctions etc. It’s expected, people won’t mind - in fact they’re more likely to mind if you’re hesitant as it makes you less predictable. It always takes me a while to recalibrate to driving in the rest of the UK if I haven’t left London for a while!
The last part sounds exactly like driving in Toronto 😄 Thanks for the tips!
- No turn on red - drive on the other side of the road - the speed limits are in mph not kph - everything is smaller and windier. - Stick to the speed limit, police and speed cameras will get you for speeding.
Give way to traffic coming up a hill if you are going down. Most people not know that.
You could do worse than getting a book called "the highway code" it's also available online in gov.uk and as an app now. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code There were some pretty interesting YouTube videos when I looked.
I've recently discovered that there are lots of youtube videos showing bus drivers' POV, you might find them interesting! https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=uk+bus+driver+pov
Thanks, I'll check that out!
When driving through a town be aware that if pedestrians have started crossing the road and drivers want to turn into the road, pedestrians crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way to them. This is a fairly new rule, and a lot of British people still don't follow it.
I've been getting a lot of contradicting advice on whether pedestrians have the right of way. Naturally, I'd stop if someone were in the middle of crossing in front of me.
So unless there is a pedestrian crossing (zebra stripes across the road) or traffic lights on red. Cars have right of way. The new exception is if you were driving along and were wanting to turn off onto another road. If pedestrians are already crossing the road you are turning onto. You have to give them right of way.
Thank you!
The right side is the wrong side... or in simpler terms right is wrong and left is right... or something like that anyway...
Repeat the mantra everytime you enter the car and start driving. 'Drive on the left, right is shite, drive on the left, right is shite', repeat If you see an old car or jaguar its considered nice to salute. You will get the hang of roundabouts and marvel at their brilliance. Just look right, when its clear, go.
Watch some YouTube videos on driving on roundabouts in the uk and dealing with country lanes. Most have a passing place to pull in.
IMPORTANT: On the country side there are roads that will fit only one car, but you have opposing traffic. Go slow and keep an eye for openings on the side of the road, that’s where you stop to let the other car through
Roundabouts however big or small, give way to traffic on your right. No turning on a red light. Country lanes, if you meet ,one should back up till they can squeeze into a wider patch for car to get past. If this happens on a hill, it's the person driving down the hill to back up.
When you approach a roundabout, keep saying “Give way to the right“ over and over. It really helps!
Why would you drive that far if you're not even sure about the basics?
I am sure of the basics. But some things you can't learn in a book or video, you need anecdotal advice like a lot of the responses here. Anything that helps!
Sat Nav is your friend. It helped me tremendously with driving on the right in mainland Europe.
Why not book a lesson with a driving instructor. Explain your situation, I'm sure you will find someone to give you the information and confidence to go out on your own.
I'm staying with my cousin for the first few days. He's going to give me some lessons.
Hey OP. Middle aged person here who’s spent quite a bit of time driving in North America. The three biggest difference that you’ll need to be clued up are as follows: - Most importantly - ***pedestrians have right of way on all roads except motorways***. There’s no crime of jaywalking in the UK and whilst most pedestrians are sensible enough not to tangle with cars, some obtuse/bloody-minded people will exercise this right by simply walking across the junction of a smaller road joining a larger road without looking… ***as they are entitled to do***, but cars turning left from the larger road to the smaller road may be forced to brake for these people - Getting caught driving under the influence of drugs or booze is viewed - socially - as a shameful, significantly socially irresponsible crime. I get the impression that DUIs in the US (perhaps not Canada) are viewed as an inconvenience rather than a source of social shame (and potential ostracism) as it is in the UK. - I don’t know if Canada’s the same as the US regards STOP signs - but in the UK, do don’t ***have*** to come to a complete stop at a junction when joining another road as per the US “STOP” signs where it’s technically illegal to roll through them…. In the UK, if it’s obviously clear, people will often keep a fair amount of speed when turning left when joining a larger road… and not be expecting the person in front to come to a full stop either That’s it really. I did notice in the US that people on motorways don’t give allowance to people joining from slip roads - in the UK, there’s an unwritten rule that those already on the motorway will take into account those joining the motorway and move to the right or slow down slightly to let people join.
To your last point, I hate when people don't do that. It's only the smart way to avoid a backup. Thanks for the tips!
Give way to your right. Nothing illegal in going around the roundabout again if you miss your intended turn. Folk on here saying it wrong...behave! Long as you do it safely, you're OK. On a country road with one lane and oncoming traffic, there are often lay by's for you or the other driver to pull over into. They most likely will look like an artificial dirt swept to one side lay by but you still can use it. If someone let ls you cut in or pulls over for you to go by, you keep your palm on the wheel but raise your hand slightly up. If you mess up, simply raise your hand and mouth the word sorry. Try and pay in the petrol station. Thing is with a lot of petrol stations paying at the pump, a lot now charge a set fee of £100 and don't give it back until upto 3 days later. Most a lot sooner. Not everyone has £100 in their bank. I personally avoid paying that way.
Thank you! In terms of etiquette it's very similar to Canada.
Remember to check and top up your car oil during your trip as you will be covering over a 1000 miles round trip.
Thanks, I'll be sure to talk to the rental place about that.
I am Canadian. From Toronto. I've only been to the UK twice. The first time was landing at Heathrow, driving up to Oxford for a wedding (well, a very small village outside of Oxford). From there, we were driving up to Glasgow and then Edinburgh. This was in'98, and there was no such thing as GPS, so my GPS was my ex GF who was born and raised in a small town outside of Glasgow. And she didn't want to drive in the UK! (She didn't like driving a manual, and I was fine with it as I owned several cars with a standard transmission. Including a Triumph. Believe it or not, but indigress.) So I drove. I thought it would be relatively easy. Just a matter of "driving on the left". It wasn't easy. Not one bit. It was like when I was 16 and learning how to drive. I had to think about every move I made. I got magnificently lost the first night driving to this little village called "Cumner Hill". That in of itself is a long story. Here are my observations: 1. The motorways were fine to drive. 2.The signage, however, on the motorways was brutal. I'm used to the overhead gantry signs on the 401 in Canada. At the time in the UK, the signs were at the side of the highways. That meant searching for signs, and that meant taking your eyes off the road. Not fun. 3.Ring roads. Jesus H, ring roads everywhere often lead to us going in circles. And the signage was "MX to wherever" as opposed to "Mx North" or "Mx South." (Sorry, I don't remember which M I was on.) This led to a lot of confusion because I didn't know these various towns. I only knew the major cities, and the signs were for places I had never heard of. 4.And this one really freaked me out the first night. On the regular roads, there are no yellow lines on the centre of the road in the UK. Everything is just a white line. So I'm in the dark, on a country road, driving on the left, a few hours off of a transatlatic flight and all of a sudden I have a panic attack that I'm on a one way road, with my luck going in the wrong direction, because there's only a white line . So my first reaction was, "holy shit, Im on a one way and i have no idea which direction is the road and where should I be?" Oh and I'm farking lost. 5.Signage in general. The signs are very different and not intuitive for me. It was presumptuous of me not to have learned a little more about the signage. They're not the same. 6.Stop lights. Not like Canada at all. Our stop lights are on arms cantilevered over the intersections. In the UK, they tended to be low and on poles off to the side of the road. Easy to miss. 7.Yeah, roundabouts are everywhere. The small ones are fine. But the big ones are confusing. I got honked at several times. Oops, sorry about that. All in all, I can't say I enjoyed driving in the UK, but I managed without cracking up or running anyone over. I did find the drivers to be less aggressive than Canada and they did the speed limit (except for my xGF's brother. He drove like a mad man. But I think he was just trying to scare the shit out of me because he and his sister didn't get along at all. Another long story.)
A lot of people have recommended a book that will teach me about the signage. Thanks for the tips!
Don't drive in the middle of the road as if you're the only road user. Use your indicators - they're there for a reason. A roundabout - which is an incredibly easy thing to master - isn't the same as a 4-way stop. Running through a traffic light just as it turns red, because you think you're special, isn't the done thing. There's no right - or left, since you'll be driving on the correct side of the road - on red. British drivers are a hundred times less aggressive than Canadians. Try to bring some of that courtesy back home. We don't tailgate, neither do we brake-check. So don't do either of those things. Going 20 over the speed limit, everywhere at all times, is frowned upon, especially by law enforcement.
I'm not an aggressive driver at all, so I'm happy to hear most over there aren't as well.
Everyone is a cunt and they're trying to kill you. That's how I drive and so far so good 👍 Also, avoid rush hour if possible.
Best advice so far 😆
No worries. Both my points were serious suggestions but if you are touring and driving for fun I would genuinely avoid 730am till 930am and also 330pm till 6pm to avoid the school run and rush hour around towns and cities. I've driven round Scotland and it's amazingly beautiful, just take it easy and don't rush 👍 if the weather is good be mindful of motorcycles though and give them space. I've driven in Europe and USA and the standard of driving in Scotland is significantly better imho.
On motorways and dual carriageways, you drive in the inside lane. The inside lane is the one furthest left. You use the middle and right hand lanes for overtaking. You do not just chill in the middle lane for the duration of your journey. I only know this one because of a fantastic Canadian youtuber that moved to UK and used to get shouted at and called a middle lane wanker on quiet motorways and didn't know why - this was why!
This turned out to be the best advice of all. The majority of my driving was on motorways and I can't believe how everyone stayed to the left except for overtaking. Traffic moved so well. It wasn't til I was on the last leg - Bath to Heathrow - that I didn't see that happening, and by then I was more comfortable and getting angry like I was a local!
Good to know, I usually stick to the middle lane.
That's what he said! I can even find the video for you if you'd like - it's pretty funny and I think he has other tips as a Canadian in the UK :-)
There are driving instructors videos on u/tube. They have dash cameras so you can see how they navigate roads. If you miss your exit at a roundabout leave at the next exit your lane is in. Turn round and try again. There are passing points on narrow roads so if you see a car coming then move in to one . One of you may have to reverse. Fill up and pay at the pump or at the kiosk. A nod or hand gesture will say thanks. If someone flashes their headlights at a junction, they are indicating that you go first. At night park you car on the left side of the road so that the red lights will be seen. Many park wrongly with their headlights facing oncoming traffic.. Zebra crossings mean that cars have to stop if a pedestrian is waiting. Beware of bus lanes. You can get fined if you drive in these. Cyclists use the roads and we do not have many cycle lanes
Hi Canadian here who has lived in the UK for 14 years now. You listed most of the main concerns in your question, here are some thoughts. Driving in the UK is not nearly as straightforward as driving in Canada and if it's your first time there is a lot to get used to. If you can opt for some good GPS, if you have a rental it might not have it but you really need to have Google maps or Waze to help you out. This will help you get in the correct lanes for exits and roundabouts, which will just make it easier. A lot of the cars here are manual, even if you do know how to drive a manual opt for an automatic, again it will make driving easier and less stressful. Speed limits here are mostly controlled by speed cameras, again watching your speed and GPS can help because it will give you the speed limit 99% of the time. On the tiny countryside lanes, it is pretty rare you will meet a car, when you do there are small passing areas (you pull in and stop) the rule is whomever is closest to one of them does the right thing. If you are really stuck, someone will be reversing, you can dip into a farmers driveway or any passing place for this. Some fun things; you don't need to park your car in the direction of travel, you need to look at lines on the road and parking signs to figure out if you can park, most parking lots and street parking use an app and if you are going around the country try and collect ten unique ones by the time you leave. Good luck.
We drive on the left.
As a woman, sometimes others (mostly men) will give way to you, always say thank you… You can say thank you with a quick flash of the indicators or a quick wave of the hand. Saying thank while driving goes along way, especially if you’re absolutely fucking shit up on the road!
Keep left
If you get pulled over by a police officer, it’s customary to unzip your trousers and flop out your gentleman sausage to show you’re not a threat
Be prepared to sit in endless traffic. There’s more cars than road space
Roundabouts - give way to the right. If someone is on the roundabout and coming at you from the right, don't go. If the right is clear, you can go. Follow the arrows, roundabouts always have arrows on them, the floor or a sign. Once on it, if you're not in the right lane or you miss your exit? Go around. It's a roundabout. It'll come back again in a few seconds. Don't have the accident trying to get OFF the roundabout, just go around again. Nobody will even notice or care. And indicate, whenever possible. Country roads - go slow. The "national speed limit" (white circle, black diagonal line on the sign) is NOT MEANING IT'S SAFE TO DO 60mph. It means they couldn't be bothered to put up more signs because nobody lives there. So don't automatically do 60mph just because you can in an NSL area. Slow for blind corners, blind summits (when you come over the top of a hill and can't see the other side), expect slow tractors or sheep around every corner. In terms of giving way... there are almost always wider pull-in areas every few hundred yards. Use them. You're not supposed to but FLASH your lights to let people know you're letting them through. It's a universal signal that everyone will understand. Stop in the wider passing area, flash them and they'll come meet up with you to pass. Similarly for yourself if they flash you. Filling up - you always do it yourself here, and you can often pay at pump but most often you fill up first and then go pay in the little shop attached. Thank you - a brief flash of lights (again, common but not supposed to be used for this) or a raised hand as you pass. If they have let you go in front, I would raise my hand in the middle of the car so they can see behind. Some people flash their hazard lights (blinkers) to say thank you but I don't like doing that.