Driving abroad

[shaunr68]

As others have said it's easy, you get used to it in no time and it is harder to adjust (or rather, easier to be complacent and make a mistake) when returning to Blighty.

The two things I have difficulty with on the continent, when travelling without a human co-driver and in a RHD vehicle, are visibility looking left at junctions and looking past the vehicle in front in order to overtake, which is of course rare!

 

[delicagirl]

As others have said it's easy, you get used to it in no time and it is harder to adjust (or rather, easier to be complacent and make a mistake) when returning to Blighty.

The two things I have difficulty with on the continent, when travelling without a human co-driver and in a RHD vehicle, are visibility looking left at junctions and looking past the vehicle in front in order to overtake, which is of course rare!

when i asked Andyjanet for tips about this he just smiled and said "It unlikely you will overtake anyone in your old van Collette"

half way down a volcanic mountain in eastern france i texted him "Have just been overtaken by a cyclist ......" - i was driving in first gear down
a stonkingly steep hairpin road !!!

 

[barge1914]

As others have said it’s fairly quick and easy to get used to but don’t panic if you go wrong, check mirrors and correct when save.

It’s a while since I have been now but on bikes, sidecar outfits and cars I only seemed to sometimes get confused coming out of car parks but not often. It may well have been because I was a bit a speed freak so probably racing something out the car park. Drive normally and it will soon be fun.

Beware of BIZ signs if wanting to get somewhere promptly, when I first saw one I thought it was a short cut and was a bit put out when al OST two hours later I arrived a few miles from where I started from lol. Think they mean scenic route so good to take if meandering but not if you are against the clock

Bis = Bison Fute...a network of minor alternative roads for getting to destinations avoiding the more commonly used main roads and major towns along them, intended to avoid the congestion in holiday periods.

 

[n brown]

just like when you're driving here , what other drivers do give you loads of clues !
it's only when you're doing something and the roads are a bit empty that you need to stop and think a bit harder

 

[silverweed]

I have to say that before my first driving venture in France I was VERY nervous. This was about eight years ago, I bought a sat nav ( not mobile app) which proved to be a huge help as I did not have to worry or concentrate on working out which junctions to take (there can be lots of junctions). To start with I drove slowly which meant I usually had some one in front of me and I copied them at town junctions. Remember that there can be some slightly complicated junctions which would not normally be a problem but you have to take a moment to work out where you need to be and where your are going. I spend any time in a queue watching what others are doing so I have sorted it by the time it’s my turn but remember if your not sure then wait a moment and think it through. Don’t feel intimidated by others to move immediately. I was VERY nervous but in less than half an hour I wondered what the problem had been

 

[REC]

Personally, I found it easy to drive on right initially as was very aware. As said before, you concentrate more. But....try and do something to remind yourself every day ( arrow on dashboard, watch on other wrist) , I found I was more likely to make a mistake after a week or so when I was more confident. Usually it was coming out of a junction onto an empty road where there are no visual clues to remind you. Didn't actually do it but it was close a couple of times.
Had to really concentrate initially in UK on return!

 

[n brown]

in Portugal i had a merc 308 rhd and a nissan bnger lhd, never gave driving either a thought. but when i drove my daughter's lhd merc 308 i got a bit confused ! a perefect mirror image of my van's cab - i'd find myself flailing around looking for gearsticks and handbrakes- very odd