While renting a car for your trip to the UK can be a very rewarding experience and one that will undoubtedly allow  you to see corners seen by few non natives, there are certain things to consider.

Driving in the UK can be a hair raising experience.  Besides driving on the left side of the road, fog, ice, rain and other hazards can contribute to the challenge of driving in the UK.  Having said this, the luxury of being able to enjoy the countryside at your own pace is hard to beat.  If however, your journey to the UK does not include excursions to the countryside and you are staying in a city such as London, perhaps you should reconsider renting a car and should rely on other transportation – of which there is plenty in the major towns and cities.  Conversely, parking is sparse. 

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f you will need to rent a car for the UK, here are a couple of things that you should remember. First, make sure that your rental vehicle is equipped with automatic transmission.  This will give you one less thing to have to think about.  Seat belts need to be worn by all passengers, including those in the back seats.

Any road with regular street lighting has a default speed limit of 30 mph unless signs indicate otherwise. Where there is no street lighting, the default limit is 60 mph for single-lane and 70 mph for two lane roads.   Don’t drink and drive.  The UK has a strict blood/alcohol limit of 0.05%.  There are many roundabouts in the larger cities. Drivers entering a roundabout must give way to traffic coming from the right. Before entering one, always make sure the road ahead of you is clear and that there is enough leeway to merge with flowing traffic.

Be sure to book your rental vehicle before your departure as it is less expensive and you will be assured of availability.