So if you’ve been reading my trip reports and think, hey, maybe I should go to the UK, then this post is for you.
A Pitch for Trains
Helpful tip for getting around in the UK? Take the train. Seriously.
The rail system in the UK is so much more extensive, and easier to use, than what we’ve got in the USA. You can buy a ticket to get almost anywhere. Case in point: I took the train from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport, rented a car and drove 2 hours in stupid Friday night traffic to get to my weekend spot in Morecambe. Too late I realized that I could have gotten off the train in Lancaster, taken another train to Morecambe, and walked 5 minutes to my hotel. Even on the smallest of roads on islands, you’ll see busses going by with route numbers. And you can get to most islands via ferries, either with or without cars involved.
All of it is kind of amazing considering the sad state of mass transit in my home country. As I told my nephew, I am so used to car culture that I didn’t really think of anything but renting a car. Next trip, though, will be more trains and less driving.
Still Want to Rent a Car?
OK, here are the three most important things you need to know:
#1. Realize that everything is opposite US standards. So the driver sits on the right side of the car, and drives on the left side of the road. A left turn, therefore, doesn’t cross traffic and is easy to do. A right turn involves crossing traffic, and remembering to turn into the far left lane, because the oncoming traffic is in that other lane.
#2. Most car rentals are still manual by default. So if you don’t want to figure out how to shift with your left hand, get an automatic. It’s just easier, trust me. More expensive but totally worth it.
#3. Two words: Apple CarPlay. Both cars I rented on my trip had the ability to connect my iPhone to their screen and system and use Google Maps (which I use all the time in the US). CarPlay meant I could see the directions on a big screen and hear the directions over the car’s sound system. So much easier than trying to look at my phone for directions via Google Maps, because I could never find a great place to set the phone where it wouldn’t slide off at the first turn or stop. And while I’m giving out kudos, Google Maps is pretty good at giving directions for roundabouts, which are ubiquitous in the UK. (What’s a roundabout? Read on…)
Roadway Numbering
I’ll preface the rest of this post by explaining that in the UK, there is a naming scheme for roads: M1, M2, etc. are motorways, equivalent to the US Interstate HIghway system. Roads with an A and some numbers are secondary roads, the smaller the number, the better the road, as far as I can tell. So A9 is pretty good, with two lanes on each side often enough that you can pass the slow lorries and caravans. But then you get a road like the one below, with serious traffic (it’s a high street, for my UK friends), and the busses and lorries seem like they barely fit. I never stopped wincing when I had to meet up with a big vehicle on a narrow road (and my nephew now knows I can swear and wince at the same time).
B roads, on the other hand, seem quite unpredictable to me. My current theory is that a B road will turn into a single-track road about four miles after I get onto it, and when I have about 60 more miles to go.
Single-Track Roads
What exactly does single-track mean? The road is wide enough for one car going one direction. Wait, you ask, what about if you meet another car going the other direction? Well, that’s what “passing places” are for, although the rules for that are about as clear to me as four-way stops are to an English driver in the US. I *think* that if the passing places are on your side, it’s on you to pull over or stop when you see opposing traffic coming. However, this theory gets blown by the occasional driver who keeps coming even when the passing places are on THEIR side.
Some drivers on single-track roads are good about flashing their lights as a signal that they are stopped and you can proceed towards them, and past them. I like these drivers a lot. The other nice thing is that when you pass each other, you give a little wave with your right hand, lifting your fingers off the wheel just enough to signal “we’re cool” to the other car. I felt like a local when I did the wave, honestly.
The really tricky thing about some single-track roads is that you can’t actually see that far ahead to know where the next passing place is and whose side it’s on. When this happens, you kind of meet the other person at the middle of the passing place, and give the wave as you carefully slide by each other.
Roundabouts
Roundabouts are sometimes called rotaries on the US. If you’ve ever been to Cape Cod, you’ve been through at least one, on the Cape side of the Bourne Bridge. I remembered how to go through them from my job here back in the early 2000s. I knew I’d gotten the hang of going through a roundabout when no one beeped at me for a whole day of driving.
I’m not going to give you a crash course in them, just trust that Google Maps will tell you second exit or fourth exit or whatever and follow those directions. Yes, you need to signal if you’re going to do anything other than straight on through. It’s a bit tricky signaling a right turn because you signal right to indicate to the other drivers that you’re not going straight through and then signal left just as you get to your exit. It sounds weird but it works and lets the other drivers know your intention, hopefully avoiding a beep of the horn from an irritated driver.
UK drivers with a learner’s permit have a big red L on their cars. When I got behind the wheel that first day, I kind of wanted a big red T on my car, to indicate I was a non-UK driver so people might cut me some slack. But generally, they did and after a few days, I got the hang of things, stayed on my side of the road, and slid through roundabouts with just a few hesitant moments.
Speed Cameras
I know about speed cameras. What I didn’t know was about “average speed cameras” that clock you continuously along a route (I’m looking at you, A9 from Perth to Inverness…). I don’t know if they actually ticket people for blowing the average speed or not, but judging by how fast some drivers were going, I would guess it’s not a likely prospect. Still, I kept my average under 70 mph, the predominant speed on that stretch of road.
Gassing Up
Gas is not cheap in the UK. Just don’t look at the receipt till you get home. Me, I used a credit card that instantly sends me a text that I spent $xx at wherever I just used the card, so I knew instantly how much money I’d just pumped into the tank. Ouch.
But the cars here do feel like they get better mileage, I swear. When I filled up the tank (ouch!) on the Vauxhall Astro (similar to a Ford Focus in the US), the display gave me a range of 530 miles. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that in a US car. Then again, most cars here feel smaller than in the US, and sighting a US-sized pickup truck is a relative rarity. I did see some Teslas on the motorway out of Manchester, but they look huge here compared to the rest of the cars around them.
Here are a few more useful observations about traveling in the UK.
Using Your Phone
I used Google Maps. A lot. Whether I was driving or just walking around the construction-cluttered streets of central Glasgow, Google Maps was essential for me. I checked with my US phone carrier (ATT) before I left and signed up for their International Day Plan (IDP). $12 a day for 10 days, and then the rest of the month is free, so, yeah $120/month. But it’s worth it to have my own phone number and have unlimited data, as the IDP lets you use all your standard phone/text/data allowances. It’s nice being able to text friends and family, send photos, and make calls without having to worry about cost or the hassle of getting an e-sim card with a UK number.
Pro tip: make sure you know your voicemail password before you leave because it’s impossible to get it once you’re out of the US. And you’ll need it to listen to voicemail, because you have to call a specific number and then press some keys, and then enter that password. Me, I didn’t do this so I had to email the place repairing my truck to let them know I couldn’t listen to any voicemails so only contact me via text or email. If anyone else was trying to get me via voicemail, I never got those messages, and I guess I’ll hear them when I get back to the USA.
Courtesy tip: Check your time zones! I’d wake up to photos or texts from friends and want to answer back. And then I’d realize it was 3AM or midnight where they were. 5 hours diff from EDT and 8 hours from PDT, so I waited till my afternoon to text back. Yes, I know some people turn off notifications at night, but some people don’t and I didn’t want anyone thinking “who’s the jerk texting me at 3AM?”
Plugs and Power
All my electronics are USB-C, so I bought a power plug off Amazon that plugs into UK outlets and has two USB-C plugs on the site. Pretty easy, and it worked well. The first car I rented also had USB-C outlets, which meant I could charge my phone while I was driving. The second rental car, though, only had the big USB outlets, but it did have a 12-v plug, so next time I’d tuck one of those in my luggage (I have several, since my trailer has 12v outlets, too).
And realize that every outlet has an on/off switch. So if the power isn’t working, look for the switch. Don’t ask me why this is so, it just is. And if your bathroom shower has an instant-on hot water tank in it, you’ll need to locate the red switch, usually outside the bathroom, and make sure that is on.
Hair dryers are standard in most hotel rooms, but do realize that there is no plug in the bathroom so you’ll be drying your hair by the desk or the bed. You might also be hunting for the hair dryer itself. While most hotels stow it in a dresser drawer, one hotel put it inside the room safe. Interesting choice of location and literally the last place I could have looked for it.
Door Locks
If the door won’t lock, and it has a big metal handle, pull it up to lock it (inside or outside). It’s obvious once you know that, but it’s counter-intuitive to a US person because, well, I’ve never seen one in the US. I’m sure our first house rental host was amused by our late evening phone call politely asking how to lock the front door. Silly Americans!
I’m sure I’ve missed a few useful tips, so if you’ve been to the UK (or you live there) and want to share some, please leave a comment. Help us all out as we travel the globe, or at least across the pond!
To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.
Aldous Huxley
Our worst driving mistakes in the UK usually came when there was no traffic. If you make a U-turn on an empty country road, it could be an approaching car that gives you the rude awakening that you’ve drifted back into driving the wrong side of the road. Also, nice drivers actually pull in their sideview mirrors to let you pass on narrow roads, or to avoid the hedge from snagging it off the car. Fun times!!
Wow, I never knew that rotaries and roundabouts were different! Learned something new today 🙂
The gas pumps now have E5 and E10, and each of my (two) rental cars had the acceptable gas numbers inside the fuel door, which was a great help. Also, the fuel doors are manual open, a rarity in the US, where you pop them from a latch inside the car. This co fused my 40-something nephew at the first petrol station. I had to get out and show him how it opened 🙂
Hi Annie, I’m an expat Scot now a Canadian. I’ve lived vicariously through your travels.
For those of us with Apple phones and Canadian non friendly plans I found the easiest was to get new SIM cards in the UK; for some reason I could use both numbers with fellow Apple users. EE over the last two years has provided the best deal.
I think whoever is nearest pulls into passing places from the teaching I grew up with no matter which side of the road you’re on. No it doesn’t matter which side of the road you’re facing when you park your car but do expect to be able to park on a postage stamp in these cities.
You’re right. Something happened to the traffic since I left 30 years ago. I would never drive into a city centre. Edinburgh? Only by train!!! People used to talk about the weather now I listen to conversations about how long it takes to get from A to B and which routes to take.
Coming from rustic British Columbia I’m impressed by way the Brits have their radio programming interrupted to alert to traffic snarls.
Roundabouts are wonderful but now I notice impossible traffic does defeat the ingenuity despite double roundabouts and traffic lights.
One thing I learned on my last trip to Scotland? Don’t wear cotton jeans whilst hiking! One slip in the mud and the already sodden material gratefully soaks up as much earth as possible.
Your photos were so beautiful Annie. I’m glad my home and native land was an inspiration to you as it is to me.
One tip that helped me before my driving adventures in Scotland was to watch UK driving instruction videos on YouTube.
Lots of tricks and tips and – most importantly for me, a visual-first learner – first-person narrated videos of people driving. I felt as though I was in the driver’s seat and was negotiating all the things that we take for granted: parallel parking, backing into a parking spot, changing lanes, getting in and out of a roundabout, etc.
I still had a bit of trouble getting my red rental Toyota (automatic) out of the parking lot at Paisley when I landed in Glasgow, but that first day driving to Dunblane was not too bad. The next day’s drive to Oban to sleep, then take the ferry to Barra was easier. But of the speeding lorries by Loch Lomond!! Once on the islands, the slower pace and emptier roads enabled me to gain enough confidence to play a bit of music while driving.
After three weeks of driving, and returning to Vancouver, I was a bit worried that I would forget how to drive properly in Canada. I was so confident on the road in Scotland, I was now worried about making the switch. But I had nothing to worry about, driving my little blue manual-transmission car was easy-peasy and comfortable.
Hi Annie, thanks again for letting us all share your adventures vicariously! I have a couple of add-on points:
An important distinction between a Roundabout and a Rotary : at a Rotary the rule is that vehicles inside and trying to enter take turns like a zipper. In a Roundabout the vehicle inside already always has the right of way. Here in N.S. we used to have rotaries, but now they are all roundabouts.
When using Google Maps away from home I found it very helpful to “save” the area needed when on wi-fi. That saves data use, battery drain and risk of problem where there is a poor cell signal.
Finally, and maybe this has changed, but some “petrol” pumps had the least expensive fuel as one with such a low octane that it was only good for farm equipment. I once made the mistake of filling the car with it and the car was barely drivable!
brings back memories from long ago – I rode a motor bike in England first in 1957, and then a motor scooter in 1960. The round about were always a problem when on a bike or scooter – no left side passenger seat as a reminder that of which side of the road was proper. Several times I waited until a car passed me to get it right! It was easier to remember when I had a rental car although my grade-school age sons laughed as I hit a curb. My husband who often worked in Japan and had a rental car there could be counted on the first morning back home to take a left from our driveway and start up the street on the left side of the road and slowly realize that he should be driving on the right side of the road.
I’ve done the left hand driving thing in the UK and in NZ. My main takeaway was that the habits you’ve built in the US are exactly wrong, they will immediately kill you. You will be looking away from on coming traffic, stepping or driving into the oncoming lane, or making some other fatal error of your own devising.
I carefully built a habit to look in the new correct direction, drive in the new correct lane, visualize the correct maneuver. I even started out by saying the new thing aloud, just to get the habit started, and then thought it to myself when I got aware enough of the moments I’d need to do this new thing so I’d do it right. It was better than dying of massive wounds in a country where your sane action is so incomprehensibly insane, a native wouldn’t even expect it and compensate.
While living in Lancaster, I had to put petrol in our Austin 1800, After filling up the auto, I got back in the car and reached up for the steering wheel. The station attendant laughed so hard that he fell off of his chair. I then got out of the auto and walked around to the side of the car where the steering wheel was! Sheesh!