Embrace left-side driving

I would like to address those who avoid renting cars in countries where driving is on the left-hand side of the road. I feel it is not necessary to miss out on the pleasures of independent travel in these places.

My wife, Nancy, and I have rented cars in numerous countries where they drive on the left, and we consider the extra stress to be minimal. In many instances, it is easier to drive in those countries than in some others because signage is usually in English and the roads often are well marked.

Being from a rural area, I am used to manual transmissions, so we always rent a car with a stick shift. These cars are cheaper and more plentiful.

Yes, with the steering wheel on the right, the stick shift is on the left. I am right-handed, but I have just not had much difficulty with the switch, largely because with the steering wheel on the right, you immediately know you have to do things differently.

Navigating in unfamiliar large cities is a more serious problem, but that is true whether driving is on the left or the right. (My wife has never driven in a foreign country, but she is a good navigator.)

I should point out that we usually avoid these driving trips when it is high season in the country being visited. That way, there is less traffic, and lodging choices are plentiful. Except for the large cities, we seldom make lodging reservations; we can then look for the quaint, fun places to stay.

Our first left-hand-side driving experience was in the UK in 1967, followed by other such experiences in Australia and New Zealand plus the UK several more times.

Our last left-hand-side driving trip was in South Africa in February ’07; we drove in Cape Town and along the Garden Route. Among the trip’s highlights were the independent lodgings and the stops we could make on our own.

The countries in which we’ve driven most recently, albeit on the right-hand side of the road, were Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia in November ’07, Costa Rica in March ’09 and Portugal in November-December ’09.

I am 68 years old, and I hope we can do two or three more such trips. Independent driving brings enjoyment, and we encourage others to proceed full steam ahead, even in left-hand-side driving countries.

FRED KERR

Pratt, KS