Help with driving
Jul 6th 2011, 8:02 am
#1
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Help with driving
Hi all, I live in England, but eager to drive abroad...does anyone know of an English speaking driving school anywhere in Europe, preferably near an airport or ferry that would be prepared to drive with me until I am safe? I would love to pop anywhere over a weekend, solely to drive. I'm single female, late 50's and have driven for 20 yrs in England and I am preparing for an adventurous retirement . Many thanks
Jul 6th 2011, 11:22 am
#2
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Re: Help with driving
Hi all, I live in England, but eager to drive abroad...does anyone know of an English speaking driving school anywhere in Europe, preferably near an airport or ferry that would be prepared to drive with me until I am safe? I would love to pop anywhere over a weekend, solely to drive. I'm single female, late 50's and have driven for 20 yrs in England and I am preparing for an adventurous retirement . Many thanks
I have moved your thread over to our General Europe forum...I think you will get a much better response to your question in this forum. Good luck.
Jul 6th 2011, 12:34 pm
#3
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Location: Brussels
Posts: 887
Re: Help with driving
JayP ,
if you have driven cars in England , as you say , then you are probably more courteous and more cautious on the roads , than the drivers in many other a country ; you probably don't drive drunk , nor overtake over pedestrian crossings and around public transport and over solid white lines , your car is probably MOT'd annually and in decent nick .
Why would you want a driving instructor's help ?
The basic rules of the road are much less strictly applied in many an EU country ( except Germany and Austria , IMHO ) , so really we're just talking about breaking the speed limits , driving under the influence , not observing the priority on the right , parking illegally...
In any case , many a driving school in Bruxelles , and in Flanders , will have an English-speaking instructor , I witness this frequently ( as so many foreigners and their children are here now ) - if you think that you really must have one .
Can't recommend any names as I've had no personal exposure to any ; yet I hold an U.K licence and have driven over a hundred thousand miles around Europe , Belgium , France , Spain , Italy , Switzerland , Austria , Czech Rep. , Slovenia , Croatia etc with hardly any hassles ; if anything , my 2 EUrocents of thought would be rather about the linguistics ( some countries only ) , then about driving ; the traffic signs are pretty much the same everywhere nowadays and the EU is trying to harmonise the usual rules , as much as possible .
if you have driven cars in England , as you say , then you are probably more courteous and more cautious on the roads , than the drivers in many other a country ; you probably don't drive drunk , nor overtake over pedestrian crossings and around public transport and over solid white lines , your car is probably MOT'd annually and in decent nick .
Why would you want a driving instructor's help ?
The basic rules of the road are much less strictly applied in many an EU country ( except Germany and Austria , IMHO ) , so really we're just talking about breaking the speed limits , driving under the influence , not observing the priority on the right , parking illegally...
In any case , many a driving school in Bruxelles , and in Flanders , will have an English-speaking instructor , I witness this frequently ( as so many foreigners and their children are here now ) - if you think that you really must have one .
Can't recommend any names as I've had no personal exposure to any ; yet I hold an U.K licence and have driven over a hundred thousand miles around Europe , Belgium , France , Spain , Italy , Switzerland , Austria , Czech Rep. , Slovenia , Croatia etc with hardly any hassles ; if anything , my 2 EUrocents of thought would be rather about the linguistics ( some countries only ) , then about driving ; the traffic signs are pretty much the same everywhere nowadays and the EU is trying to harmonise the usual rules , as much as possible .
Jul 9th 2011, 4:44 am
#4
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Re: Help with driving
Driving on the right, is a lot easier with a LHD car. You soon get used to it, if you are in traffic it is easier getting used to the big bit, being on the other side. Than on the open road. One problem you will find is that when changing gear, or using the handbrake you will be banging your left arm into the door. This lasts for the first day only. If possible try a couple of hill starts on a quiet road.
The above relates getting used to the car only obviously. You still need to learn the "rules" and real rules as well.
Don't worry it is nowhere near as daunting as it seems, I promise. Even at junctions, traffic lights etc.
All Napoleon's fault, if only he and his coachman, had not been left-handed, all countries would have continued driving on the left, as they always had done.
Good Luck!
The above relates getting used to the car only obviously. You still need to learn the "rules" and real rules as well.
Don't worry it is nowhere near as daunting as it seems, I promise. Even at junctions, traffic lights etc.
All Napoleon's fault, if only he and his coachman, had not been left-handed, all countries would have continued driving on the left, as they always had done.
Good Luck!
Jul 9th 2011, 11:05 am
#5
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Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Brussels
Posts: 887
Re: Help with driving
Another suggestion : get a car with an automatic gearbox !
Those are very reliable nowadays and not really less economical than the manuals ;
then you can think about other things than changing gears , while driving .
Good Luck !
Those are very reliable nowadays and not really less economical than the manuals ;
then you can think about other things than changing gears , while driving .
Good Luck !
Jul 10th 2011, 1:24 pm
#6
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2
Re: Help with driving
Hi All, thank you for your input...I think I'm going to hop on the Euro Star and visit Brussels to hire a car for the day...I'll take my satnav to use so I don't get lost or drive around in circles. I was wondering if Sweden might be better....I know this might all seem a bit unnessesary, but I know of someone who was involved in a bad accident only 5 miles outside the ferry docks.Thanks again.
Jul 11th 2011, 11:00 am
#7
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Re: Help with driving
True, automatic cars are much relaxing, but i have much more fun on manual. :>
Jul 11th 2011, 1:50 pm
#8
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,590
Re: Help with driving
Not sure what country you would like to drive in but most have much quieter roads than in the UK and you will find it's dead easy and you will not be under the same pressure to make decisions
Jul 15th 2011, 10:19 am
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 64
Re: Help with driving
Hi All, thank you for your input...I think I'm going to hop on the Euro Star and visit Brussels to hire a car for the day...I'll take my satnav to use so I don't get lost or drive around in circles. I was wondering if Sweden might be better....I know this might all seem a bit unnessesary, but I know of someone who was involved in a bad accident only 5 miles outside the ferry docks.Thanks again.
I am not surprised about the accident near the docks as the first 10 mins of foreign travel is in my opinion the most dangerous, still on auto pilot from own side of road.
I live in the Austrian Alps and if you are ever in the area and want someone to drive with, give me a shout.
regards
John
Jul 17th 2011, 7:38 pm
#10
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Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Brussels
Posts: 887
Re: Help with driving
In Austria , as lovely and pictoresque as it really is :
you have the compulsory , enforced vignettes , then you pay ( a lot ! ) extra for the tunnels again and again , who can understand this ? in the end ( besides a decent bite by the Autobahn ) sometimes you can't wait to get outta there .
It's a great pity , but a fact !
you have the compulsory , enforced vignettes , then you pay ( a lot ! ) extra for the tunnels again and again , who can understand this ? in the end ( besides a decent bite by the Autobahn ) sometimes you can't wait to get outta there .
It's a great pity , but a fact !
Jul 18th 2011, 2:47 pm
#11
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Help with driving
Driving on the right, is a lot easier with a LHD car. You soon get used to it, if you are in traffic it is easier getting used to the big bit, being on the other side. Than on the open road. One problem you will find is that when changing gear, or using the handbrake you will be banging your left arm into the door. This lasts for the first day only. If possible try a couple of hill starts on a quiet road.
The above relates getting used to the car only obviously. You still need to learn the "rules" and real rules as well.
Don't worry it is nowhere near as daunting as it seems, I promise. Even at junctions, traffic lights etc.
All Napoleon's fault, if only he and his coachman, had not been left-handed, all countries would have continued driving on the left, as they always had done.
Good Luck!
The above relates getting used to the car only obviously. You still need to learn the "rules" and real rules as well.
Don't worry it is nowhere near as daunting as it seems, I promise. Even at junctions, traffic lights etc.
All Napoleon's fault, if only he and his coachman, had not been left-handed, all countries would have continued driving on the left, as they always had done.
Good Luck!
