British Car Hire and Driving for Visitors

For residents of 66% of the world, a driving holiday in the United Kingdom is a completely different experience. The UK is the 7th largest country (in terms of population) which drives on the left hand side of the road, which can cause some confusion for holiday makers from one of the 166 countries that uses the right-hand side.

When planning a trip to the UK, decide what type of holiday you want to go for. Because the UK is a relatively small country in terms of land-mass, a driving holiday is a good way to explore all it has to offer.

Most of the well-known car hire firms such as Budget, Avis and Hertz have offices in the UK, meaning you can book the car of your choice in your home country and pick it up when you arrive at your destination. OF course, if you have internet access you can do a search on a British comparison site for a smaller, independent firm which may get you a cheaper deal.

If you plan on doing a lot of driving in the UK, it's best to go for a smaller vehicle. Car rental can work out expensive on a long trip as the UK's fuel costs are quite high. Fortunately, British cars tends to be quite good on fuel consumption, especially if you choose a diesel engine or a petrol car smaller than a 1.6 litre engine.

The car hire firm will need to see evidence of a full drivers license, and your insurance. Spend some time sitting in the car to familiarise yourself with the controls, and get used to feeling like the driver instead of the passenger if you generally drive on the other side!

Once you've left the rental yard, remember to observe the local speed limits. The standard speed limit for roads in a residential area is 30mph (nearly 49kph). Speed restrictions are very strict in the UK, and speed cameras are numerous.

Be careful if you need to park, and watch out for traffic wardens. A double yellow line at the side of the road means no parking at any time, and a single yellow line means there are times of the day in which you are allowed to park there. There will always be road signs stating these times, so look out for them.

Because British road rules may differ greatly from your own, it's always wise to do some research on the internet to find these out. Penalties in the UK for driving misdemeanours can be harsh and a night in a jail cell could really put a dampener on your holiday, even if the weather doesn't!