Driving on the Left in a Rental Car: Our Tips

With a rental car, you have complete freedom to discover the most beautiful spots in other countries. But what if they drive on the left in the country you’d like to visit? Some people simply decide not to go in that case. And that’s a shame. Because, although it naturally takes some getting used to, driving on the left isn’t difficult at all. And with our tips, you’ll be well prepared to get behind the wheel of your rental car with the steering wheel on the “wrong” side!

Pedals

Whether a car has the steering wheel on the left or the right, the pedals are in the same place. So, the clutch is on the left, the gas pedal on the right, and the brake in the middle. You can’t really get that wrong. However, when shifting into a different gear—especially at first—you’ll often miss the gearshift, because it’s in a different spot: on the left instead of the right. That’s why our first tip is:

Rent an automatic

It’s admittedly a bit more expensive than a manual rental car, but save yourself the stress and go for the automatic transmission. All you have to do is set the gear selector to “D” (“Drive”), and then you can drive off relaxed with both hands on the wheel. You can focus 100% on the traffic around you, which is especially nice in an environment where things work a little differently than at home.

If you’re a die-hard fan of manual shifting and wouldn’t dream of renting an automatic, we recommend practicing a few laps in a parking lot.

Give yourself time to get used to it

This applies to both automatic and manual rental cars: don’t head straight into heavy traffic, but give yourself time to adjust to the different situation. Find quiet streets and drive a few laps there until you no longer feel the urge to drift toward the right side of the road or look for traffic signs on that side. This way, you’ll not only get used to driving on the left, but you’ll also get to know the rental car better.

Traffic Rules

Familiarize yourself with the country’s traffic rules. This actually applies no matter where you’re going, whether it’s a country with left- or right-hand traffic. Because traffic in Great Britain drives on the left, many people assume that the right-of-way rules will also be reversed. That’s not the case. In the UK, too, traffic from the right has the right of way at an equal intersection. But to make things more complicated: this doesn’t apply in every country where they drive on the left. In short: know the traffic rules.

Roundabouts

Navigating a roundabout in a country with left-hand traffic often goes against our instincts. While the traffic rule is the same (traffic on the roundabout has the right of way), you have to remind yourself that you’re going counterclockwise around the roundabout, so the traffic with the right of way is coming from the right. A GPS system can be helpful here, as the voice guidance always tells you how to navigate the roundabout.

Helpful Tips

Whereas you’d normally get annoyed quickly if fellow travelers interfere with your driving style, this can actually be welcome in a country with left-hand traffic. That passenger can correct you if you drift a bit too far to the right, calm you down, and give you directions.
No passenger? Then the virtual version can help: the aforementioned navigation system. In a country that drives on the “wrong” side of the road, it’s very helpful to have a voice tell you exactly how to drive.

Popular vacation destinations where they drive on the left

Not only in England, but also in many other countries, people drive on the left. Below are a few popular vacation destinations where they drive on the left.

• Australia

• The Bahamas

• Cyprus

• Ireland

• India

• Indonesia

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Kenya

• Malaysia

• Malta

• Mauritius

• Mozambique

• Namibia

• New Zealand

• Solomon Islands

• Samoa

• Sri Lanka

• Suriname

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• United Kingdom

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

• South Africa