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Driving in Great Britain – Recommendations, Tips and Tricks

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25. The central part of large cities during is always the location of large traffic jams in the daytime. Moreover, it will be really difficult to find a parking space in the center. Therefore, one should go to an important meeting beforehand, so that there will be enough time to stay in a traffic jam and then to find parking.
26. Tourists, who have no much experience of driving in left-hand traffic, are strongly recommended to install a navigator in the car. It can be very difficult to monitor the unusual traffic, search and follow the road signs at the same time.
27. Local roads are equipped with signs not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians, who may also consider left-hand traffic very unusual. The parts of roads with crossings for pedestrians usually have special signs, such as «Look right» and «Look left». These signs are for pedestrians.
28. Local drivers have rather a condescending approach to tourists. If there is a misunderstanding with one of citizens while driving, tourists should apologize politely and explain their foreign origin to the driver. Most likely, after an apology the driver calms down and wishes an inexperienced foreign driver to be careful in future.
29. A large part of highways and bridges in the UK are free. One of the few toll roads is located on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the Thames River, located in the east side of London.
30. Tourists, who plan to travel in the country, should be prepared to overcoming very difficult parts of the path. At the first glance, it may seem that country roads have only one lane. They are very narrow and have a formal dividing strip.
31. Local drivers can pass one another without any problems at a high speed on suburban roads. Inexperienced tourists are recommended to slow down in such situations, and drive as close to the pavement as possible.

Hints on Car Hire in Great Britain

When choosing a car for your Great Britain trip, don’t forget to check and compare the franchise amount (indicated in the rental conditions) for all cars considered in your selection. The franchise may vary from 200 to 2000 euro/dollars even for cars of the same class. A thorough comparison will allow you to choose the option with the lowest franchise.

During your booking, we will offer you to take a full coverage of the franchise ('No Risk' or 'No Excess' package). If you book a car without full coverage, it is recommended to take it at the pick-up time - this will substantially reduce your financial liability in Great Britain for the whole rental period.

During your car pick-up in Great Britain, do not forget to check what to do in breakdown-, accident- or theft-cases. Most of our offers include 'Breakdown Assistance' package. Besides this, every rental office would be happy to assist you with this package.

Prior to the car return, please check your voucher for the fuel conditions. If it is indicated that a driver shall return the car with a full tank, do not forget to refuel it on the way back, this will save you from additional charges at the rental office.

If you are looking for a car hire in Great Britain, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual rental offers. Just use the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
32. Here it should be mentioned that it is not always possible to drive close to the pavement. The reason for that are high stone walls that often surround houses and land of local people. The land in the UK is very valued and expensive, so there is a shortage of available land for the construction of high-grade roads.
33. Because of private land plots, there is a serious problem in the highlands. Many compare driving on local roads with a roller coaster - there are so many sharp turns, climbs and descents. It is simply impossible to find a single straight road in the piedmont region. All the roads here are very winding, and quite often one should make a big detour in order to reach the destination.
34. Local drivers are very attentive to speed limits. Foreign guests are also recommended to follow this behavior. There are many radar spots on roads, the presence of which is notified by special signs. Most radar works on the outgoing end.
35. Fans of travelling to the countryside, should remember that all land in the UK is in a private ownership. Because of this reason, it will be really hard to make a stop, get out of the car and slowly walk through the woods. Almost all the land outside towns is surrounded by fences.
36. The eastern part of the country has another danger for drivers - heavy rains. All local roads are located in lowlands, so right after rain they turn into fast-flowing rivers. An attempt to drive through a flooded road is always a risk, so, if possible, it is better to skip your plans or choose a different route to reach the desired place.
37. Green lawns in the countryside, which many drivers try to use to make a turn on narrow roads, are another source of danger. The maneuver looks safe only at first glance. Many lawns have dense and very slippery clay hidden under green grass. This is a real trap for inexperienced drivers.
38. In order to get to the center of London, you will need to pay approximately £10 – entering the central area of the capital is paid. Quite an important fact – a driver has the right to make an unlimited number of entries to the center during a day - the fee is charged only once. Entering the city during the period from 18:30 to 7:00 is free.
39. The entry to the central areas of London is fixed by cameras, so it is simply impossible to be left unnoticed. The abovementioned sum of money must be paid within a day. If the payment is not made, the violator will be issued a large fine.
40. In order to make a payment, you will need to make a call to a special number (you can specify the number in your hotel or travel agency), tell the number of the car, and a credit card number.
41. The driving style of local motorists can be described as calm. The main danger for foreign visitors is other tourists, who can make unexpected maneuvers because of the unusual traffic regulations.
42. Petrol is quite expensive in the UK. The cost of a standard liter of fuel is approximately 1.20 pounds. However, nice quality of main roads and the absence of long and exhausting traffic jams allow economizing fuel.
43. In contrast to local drivers, pedestrians are not distinguished by a careful attention to the traffic regulations. They may begin to cross a road long before a traffic light switches to green, so drivers should be particularly attentive near pedestrian crossings.
44. A part of the M6 highway, which is located to the north of Birmingham, is paid. In order to use the road during weekdays from 6:00 to 23:00, one must pay approximately 3 pounds. The cost of a ride in weekend is approximately 2.80 pounds. The toll is cheaper at night – approximately 1.80 pounds, regardless of the day of week. The rates are indicated for an ordinary car.
45. The payment for the use of a toll road can be made in cash or by a credit card. When paying in cash, it is worth considering that machines do not accept coins, the denomination of which is more than 2 pounds and less than 10 pence.
46. The permitted level of alcohol in blood is 0.8 ‰. If the police ask a driver to pass a breath test, in no case should he refuse as this will result in a severe punishment.
47. If the permitted level of alcohol in blood is exceeded, and the violation has occurred for the first time, the driver will be fined for the amount of £5000. In some cases an additional punishment in the form of a cancelling of the driving license for 12 months can be applied. In case of a severe violation the driver may be imprisoned for up to six months.
48. All cars must use lower beams after sunset and before dawn. The rule applies even to well-lit motorways and roads with a serious speed limit. Drivers of vehicles with left handed drive should seal the beams with tape, so that a bright light will not blind drivers moving in the opposite direction.
49. In the UK, drivers can buy only unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel. Drivers should also not forget that carrying fuel in cans is prohibited.
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