Starting Driving

I went and bought an 11 year old Renault this weekend for me and the missus to get around in and I have started getting oriented to driving here. I find being in the other seat is harder to get accustomed to than being on the other side of the street. I have been having fun driving around though...

Haha!  I know what you mean.  Every now and again I think to myself, "You're farther over to the left than you think you are."

Good luck!

After 2 weeks of driving here, I have to grudgingly admit that I feel like a 15 year old who has never been behind the wheel before...

was it easy for you to get insurance on your new car?

Yes. I didn't claim any no claim bonus so it was quite dear for me and my DF, but after going to a broker I still ended up going through Axa on the internet because it turned out to be the cheapest...still £1000 for the year for both of us

ooh it's exciting, isn't it?  I've recently started driving lessons here, and I'm really enjoying it.  I get all nervous before each lesson, but every time it's just fine.  I've only stalled once (touch wood) and that was just a stupid error on my part.  I've been in the UK for several years now, so I'm used to the wrong side of the road thing.  I love using the instructor's car, too; our car is our car from Germany, so the driver side is the same as in the US.  It's difficult on UK roads (or at least, not as easy as being on the right).

I am not looking forward to sitting a driving exam, though.  15 years after I passed my original US one! 

I can't even imagine how driving a left hand drive car on these roads would be like LOL. I am not used to driving a manual transmission but wisdom being that I needed to over here, I bought a manual car, so I have been getting used to shifting as well as everything else from the lane markings to the signage to the normal speed limits to roundabouts being totally different...on top of my beautiful DF whenever she's in the car doing her duty and telling me I'm going too fast, following too closely, too far over in my lane, etc :-)

Hi Magikrat,

I'm one of those that can jump between right and left hand drive cars, US and UK driving, manual or automatic in either the US or UK!

I've just returned from 2 weeks in the USA - fighting jetlag right now, and I was in Las Vegas again, also LA and then in NYC and I found the roads around NYC, mainly Manhattan area more confusing and 'quicker' - as in to get exits and be in the right lane etc etc - it didn't help my GPS was a bit slow in response times either!

I also have a 2003 F150 truck here as well, some streets are too small to drive down, but it's not really an issue to have a left hand drive vehicle here

Now to confuse you in your quest at manual gearboxes, I could just give you a car with a dogleg gearbox....   

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!