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Advices for Car Trips through Great Britain

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50. Despite the fact that the presence the emergency stop sign is not mandatory, it is still recommended to keep it in a car when planning to make a long trip. It should be noted that putting a warning triangle on a highway is prohibited.
51. In the UK, there is no ban on the use of winter tires, but due to mild climatic conditions their use is not appropriate. Cars with winter tires have no special speed limits.
52. Radar detectors are not prohibited to use. Drivers are notified about the presence of radars on roads by special road signs, so the use of additional equipment to detect them is pointless.
53. According to a survey, British drivers believe that M6 is the worst highway. It connects Rugby and Carlisle and is the oldest highway in the country. The capacity of the route is approximately 70,000 vehicles per day. However, the actual load on the road is almost two times more.
54. The A30 highway is considered the most “unsuccessful” road in summer. It connects two popular resort towns - Devon and Cornwall. In summer the entire 457 km long highway is one big traffic jam.
55. Traffic is often very slow on the M1 highway that connects London and Leeds. Traffic jams can appear at any time of year on this road, the length of which is 322 kilometers.
56. The snowfall in winter is the real “national disaster” for the British. The reason for this is the fact that snow covers road markings, and it is almost impossible to drive without them. To the pleasure of local motorists, it snows very rarely in the UK.

Renting a Car in Great Britain - Recommendations

If you need a car with an automatic transmission, it is recommended to book it in advance. Cars with automatic transmissions are often sparse in Great Britain, so the rental confirmation may take a longer period.

When selecting a specific model for traveling throughout Great Britain, we recommend to take into consideration some practical apects. If you are going to drive mostly in the cities, then a car of a small size is preferable, while for long distance trips (and trips in the mountains) we recommend to choose a larger and more powerful car.

Prior your car retrun, please clean the salon from a garbage, and do not forget to take away all your belongings from the passenger compartment.

At the car return time, please ask the officer to make a visual inspection of the vehicle for defects and to sign the acceptance report. Keep the invoice and the acceptance report for next few months.

For a car rental options in Great Britain, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual offers in the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
57. It is simply useless to search for parking in the center of the city as there will be simply no free parking there. As a rule, there are always both paid and free parking lots near the center. Note that is it prohibited to leave a car for more than two hours on a free parking lot.
58. The road A537 is the real leader in terms of the number of road accidents. This road connects Buxton and Macclesfield. The road is distinguished by numerous steep turns. Moreover, there is a constantly blowing strong wind there. Also, such roads as A5012, A621, A625, A54, A581, A5004, A675, A61 and A285 are often noticed among the most dangerous roads of England.
59. Drivers will also need to pay in order to ride on some tunnels. The list of paid tunnels includes the tunnel under the Thames (Dartford, M25), the tunnel, which is built under the River Mersey (Liverpool) and the tunnel, which is located under the River Tyne (Newcastle). The cost of a ride in these tunnels varies from 1.20 to 1.50 pounds.
60. Drivers will need to pay for the right to cross the following bridges - Humber Bridge (A15), Tamar (A38), Cleddau (A477) Forth Bridge (A90) and Clifton. The tolls are different and usually range from 0.70 to 1.50 pounds.
61. Entering toll roads, bridges and tunnels is made through special payment points. When approaching such a point, drivers need to pay attention to the signs above each lane. Depending on the image on signs, the payment can be made by a credit card, in cash through a special machine, in cash through a cashier or by a special automated payment system.
62. Oxford is one of the most difficult cities for inexperienced drivers (after London, of course). Roads in this city are narrow and winding. There are often signs and traffic islands between lanes. These marks are also often a source of danger for inexperienced drivers who are not used to left-hand traffic.
63. When driving on urban roads, do not forget to pay a special attention to cyclists and large buses. Both of them tack artfully in the flow of vehicles, regardless of their “non-standard” size.
64. Foreign drivers are not recommended to hurry on local roads and worry that their excessive slowness will irritate drivers. If overcoming a narrow section of a road is hard at high speed, then simply slow down a bit, or move to the side of the road to give way to other cars.
65. Local residents threat their cars as luxury items despite the fact that there is a car in almost every family. Maintaining a car is very expensive in the UK. Besides this, driving a car can be very difficult in large cities because of traffic jams and lack of parking places. Therefore, local residents try to use public transport as much as possible.
66. In the UK, there are not many crossroads that are so familiar to foreign drivers. Circular motion is more usual in the country. Inexperienced drivers will have a hard time on such a crossing with left driving. It will be not easy to understand quickly what road to choose to leave the circle. In this case, navigator will be a useful gadget.
67. It is not so easy to see policemen in the streets of the country. As a rule, the implementation of traffic regulations is made automatically - with the help of cameras. Violators of this rule should expect a fine to be sent by mail. If certain types of fines are paid within next three weeks, the amount of the monetary penalty can be significantly reduced.
68. Just like in many countries, in the UK there is a system “penalty” points for drivers who do not follow traffic regulations. Drivers are charged a different amount of points for different violations. When the number of points reaches the critical level, this driver loses his driving license temporarily.
69. Foreigners, who plan to travel in the countryside for the first time, are recommended to specify the location of gas stations in advance. If petrol stations are not rare close to settlements, in the countryside there are many deserted roads with no petrol stations.
70. Drivers, who prefer motorcycles, are not allowed to drive on local roads without a helmet. They also must wear special clothes with fluorescent strips.
71. The best way to travel in the UK is in a compact car, which is distinguished by low fuel consumption. Smaller cars are easier to navigate on narrow roads, and you will be able to save on fuel considerably, and fuel is not cheap in the UK.
72. Some of the most complex automobile interchanges in the world are located in London. Inexperienced drivers who are used to right driving are not recommended to drive in the streets of the capital on their first day in London.
73. The deserted coast of Northern Ireland is the location of a rather unusual road, which is called by locals “Giant’s Causeway”. The road is paved with large hexagonal plates, and there are large 6 meter tall basalt columns along the way. This road is a local landmark, and so there are certainly many interesting legends connected with it.
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