I can't drive on the continent :( - tips appreciated

R

RubyBlueZ4MC

Veteran
 West London
So I tried to lose my driving in Continental Europe virginity this weekend when I went to visit the bf in Germany. So I got into his left hand drive manual BMW 320d Touring with him and drove to the shops. It went badly. I kept veering to the right and then nearly drove into a wall turning right...followed by standard type of argument in such circumstances.
I'm quite disappointed as I had visions of driving my Zed down to him sometime. To be fair his car is massive (sensors front and back though).
Any tips on how to improve?
 
Think it's just practice Ruby. I used to fly out and hire cars and I had to drive around Paris which was a baptism of fire.
It's probably easier driving the zed, although then you have the challenge of overtaking, and toll booths :)
 
Never driven in the continent, but driven in Florida plenty.

Always amazes me how people (me the 1st time I did it) go from a life of driving on the left and then pick up the keys to a hire car and are expected to make the change to driving on the right.

We all do it, but it is quite dangerous. At least in Florida its auto's, so just start and stop pedals to worry about.

Would probably be easier for you in your own car, as then something would be familiar, but it is just practice...and then concentration.
 
Driving on the continent in your own car is way easier than suddenly driving on the wrong side in a strange car with all the cars controls on the wrong side :wink:
Have a drive over in your own vehicle & within 30 mins you should feel at home :)

Ps / is there no guys nearer home ? :oops:
 
Agree with the above, it will be easier in your own car. I had my first left hand drive car on right hand of the road experience last August and the thing I found hardest was special awareness of the left hand drive car rather than road dynamics on the wrong side of the road.

It sounds similar to your experience, so take the zed, you know the dimensions and size of it so you'll be fine. Visibility may be different but should t be a problem
 
It definitely will be easier in your own car. We go to Germany at least twice a year and drive there. It's a breeze, although husband prefers me to drive. I hate driving my dad's car though ( left hand drive ).
 
I find it easier driving a left hand drive in europe because you are sitting the other side so it's easy to remember.On the motorbike though could be a different story.
 
I don't really trust myself on driving down there alone in my Zed. And it would be nice to sometimes drive his car..like if he wants to drink on a night out. I like to be helpful.
And in answer to your question Mr Wilks...seriously no.
 
First time I drove a left hand drive car in Italy I went to pull up at traffic lights next to a guy in a wee transit van and crashed gently into his rear quarter. Literally 5 mins after I got in the car. He was ok with it (my girlfriend managed pigeon-Italian and sweet-talked him), but it was the spacial awareness thing that caught me out. I was also terrified of turning left - we managed to get all the way in to the central train station in Rome to drop the hire car off pretty much turning only right. Took a looooong time :D

I am ok with it now, but as others have said it just takes practice. I prefer driving left hand drive in places that drive on the right. I have lived in Kent for 12 years and never taken a car over the channel as it terrifies me - being on the right side of the car on the wrong side of the road, I just think I am bound to end up driving the wrong way :oops:

Should probably just MTFU of course...
 
For me. The key is to drive a car made for the area you are driving. All you have to remember is that when you drive. You will be sat in the center of the road. That's how I thought about it. My first right hand drive experience was in 17 million strong Tokyo Japan. And that was in the pre-GPS days. So one had to navigate via maps. The only time I messed up was when I returned to the states and thought that I wouldn't have to think about driving.

Yet my friend in Harrogate prefers to drive his US spec car. He says that the Brits tend to stay very far from the curb and thus take to much room from the middle. With his US spec car. He can stay very close to the curb (as he is sat next to it) and give himself more room.
 
Bing said:
I have lived in Kent for 12 years and never taken a car over the channel as it terrifies me - being on the right side of the car on the wrong side of the road, I just think I am bound to end up driving the wrong way :oops:

Should probably just MTFU of course...
Click to expand...

NOOOOOOOOOOO........... are you blonde ? I love driving onto ferries - I just hate trusting the parking guys who's waving and instructions you have to follow !
 
I haven't been blonde since I was about 8... And I am now pretty much bald :P
 
As others have said, you get used to it with practice. I learnt to drive in Germany, then UK so have the benefit of experiencing both at the start. Have driven all over now - some countries I won't drive at all (India was an experience in both Mumbai and Hyderabad, so now get a driver whenever I'm there :) ). Turning left/right is the biggest problem, but just think it through and you'll be OK. Driving a RHD in Europe is easy, just remember you keep your bum in the gutter :D
 
TRY THS TIP.. it does work.

Cut out an arrow on yellow card & place it on the dash pointing right when on the continent. The reflection is caught on the glass & it's a permanent reminder which side to drive on.

Am equally happy driving either side, though easy to momentarily forget on roads with no markings first thing in the morning.

Try it just once... u will b very surprised
 
I find it much easier driving a LHD car on the continent than a RHD for the reasons mentioned above - the whole driving experience is just a mirror image. The only difficulty is judging how far away are the kerbs - as RHD car drivers we are programmed to feel that the bulk of the car is to the left of the driving position and that to the right of the driver's seat is only a few centimetres of door and mirror. From experience, it's better to over-compensate than underestimate the size of the car (I parked a Laguna in a ditch in France when I was in my early 20s, fortunately only scratching a wheel trim :oops: ).

Driving a RHD car on the continent without a passenger is a pain when it comes to toll booths / car parks and also overtaking. The best technique in the Zed with toll booths is to get out and walk around to the ticket machine as the car is so low. This usually annoys Johnny Foreigner next in the queue, but he is readily appeased by a blip of the throttle and the gentle scent of tyre smoke as you burst out of the traps :D
 
I've driven through various European countries and usually in my UK car. I take 5 or 10 careful minutes to settle into being on the wrong side and initially make a point to rember the kerb is on my right. Have to say when I've driven a left hander, I usually find this isn't a problem.
What is a pain in the bum are toll boothes but then my missus who absolutely refuses to drive on the wrong side gets relegated to chief toll troll but boy you should see her stress levels rise as we approach the barrier! As was said earlier, practice and preferably in a safe area will make it second nature pretty quickly. Pop down to an empty car park and drive round it the wrong way and perhaps this might give you a feel for it.
 
The hardest thing for me when driving in Hungary for 3 weeks in a manual trans rental car was that every now and again i would try and change gears with the drivers internal door handle.

Bloody frustrating,

It does come naturally, but watch for junctions and roundabouts. Keep telling yourself which side of the road you are going to turn on too.

One of the hardest things is coming back to the UK.
 
Just a matter of practice. I've never driven a right hand drive on the right, I don't think I would be all that happy as the natural place for the driver seems to me to be next to the centre of the road, and obviously much safer for overtaking.

It is a little weird at first but you soon get used to it.
 
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