markaspden

Hi i am glad for everyones help on this site i have finally booked my trip home first time in 10 years.
I need some more help, i am thinking about renting a car but scared about driving since i have not driven in england since 2000 anyone had this problem. Also what kind of rental insurance is it best to get as they always try and screw me. Also can i use my american drivers license since my british one has expired.
Also any advice on lugage as i want to bring some food back like pot noodles, brown sauce can i bring these items back or do i need to check them.
Thank you everyone in advanced for your help

tonrob

Firstly can't help you with the driving bit.

Every time I go back I take a soft holdall packed flat in my suitcase so I have extra capacity on the return. Fragile food then goes into my hard-shell suitcase and displaced luggage (clothes etc.) go into the holdall for the return trip along with any more robust foodstuffs. I check both of these for my return journey.

Take sellotape so you can tape your Pot Noodles together lid-to-lid. The foil lid is the weakest part and you don't want those buggers to puncture en-route. Have you tried Bombay Bad Boy flavour? They may have introduced them after you left but they are seriously hot is you like spicy stuff.

On the noodle front I also love Super Noodles. I have a shoebox that I found fits about 10 packets so I can get them home in my case without getting mashed to bits.

HP sauce - I don't use much so I often just grab a few dozen sachets if I'm in Wetherspoons having a nice cheap-but-filling breakfast (which I usually do at least once on each trip).

Other stuff I load up on is Bird's Custard, Sticky Toffee puddings, Marigold vegetable stock, Twiglets (for Mrs tonrob), Resolve (favourite hangover cure), Cadburys choccy, Branston Pickle (small chunk version) amongst other bits and bobs.

Happy hunting!

Jerseygirl

I had a UK break for roughly 7 years...when I went back it never entered my head that driving would be a problem. I just got in the car and drove out of the airport car park as if I'd never been away. I think the more you think about it the more of a problem it's going to be.

Yes you can and should use your US driver's licence. Check with your credit card company to see if they cover your car rental insurance...mine does.

It doesn't matter whether you pack the goods in your checked luggage or not. Be sure to list them on the customs form...if they are not allowed they will be confiscated.

lisa67

check out this link for foods you can and cannot bring back in

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing/restricted/

Jerseygirl

I had fun with security at Manchester Airport about a year ago when I had about 12 packets of Cheshire cheese in my hand luggage.

US customs weren't concerned about the cheese...but for some reason when I say I'm bringing in tea they send me for further screening.

cluedweasel

I went back after 6 years and got back into the swing of driving pretty quickly. We had to pick the car up in Shepherds Bush (long story) so I got dumped straight into London traffic. Where I live, you very rarely see cars parked in the street, so having cars parked on both sides made things very narrow.
We got an automatic as my wife doesn't drive manual transmission cars. To be honest, it made things a lot easier for me.
I used my Oregon license for the rental and no one batted an eyelid despite my very un-Oregon accent.
I usually check with AAA to see if our insurance will cover the rental. If so, I decline everything.

meauxna

This answers most of your driving questions
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=651252

lisa67

Tea? Really? wow...never had a problem with tea. Infact we've never been questioned further about what we're bringing back..touch wood!
My parents were asked, when they came over last time if they were bringing any toys in for their grandchildren....not sure where they were going with that one..batteries? lead paint?

tonrob

I get a great reaction when I land in Boston and tell them I've brought baked beans...!

BritishGuy36

Pot noodles...dear me...doesn't your gut go through enough with all the fatty food over here?

As for brown sauce...make sure to get the squeezable kind, so that when the airport staff smash your luggage around it's got a better chance.

Mummy in the foothills

Tea? I just got funny looks when I said, tea and chocolate, they said really? Thats all? I said but it's a lot of tea, they laughed and let me through.
I forgot I had HP sauce and salad cream.

penguinsix

Only problem I had was with credit card at rental place as they put £1000 hold on account and US bank was surprised to see large overseas transaction with no warning of international travel.

DeanUK2US

This thread is driving me mad!

Dan725

Pretty much how it is with me. Here and there I will have the odd slip up....for instance, trying to get in the passenger side to drive - but once on the roads, its not a problem....actually its quite refreshing driving in the UK after the bad mannered road hell one encounters in Florida!

sambapink

I found I had to concentrate much more on my driving during my recent trip home. For the most part it was ok, except coming out of car parks or my brothers little cul de sac where I was completely on the wrong side of the road trying to turn right Getting used to the little narrow streets was harder too.

I packed the food I was returning with in all the cases, checked and hand luggage. When asked I just said I had chocolate and biscuits. Forgot to mention the tea, crisps, sausage cassorole mix , pork scratchings etc etc