driving

[luvtinkerbell]

we ARE DRIVING FOR FIRST TIME IS IT EASY

 

[AndRu]

I take you mean in the USA?

If so, yes! Most of the roads are wider. The cars are bigger, most are automatics so they're slower. You don't get boy-racers at the lights trying to burn off - most vehicles move off at a sedate pace. The roads are clearly signed and if you make a mistake most of the big roads hae turning spaces so you can U-turn and head back.

Driving in Orlando is a lot more laid back and easy than driving around any city centre in the UK or Europe.

 

[ely3857]

I take you mean in the USA?

If so, yes! Most of the roads are wider. The cars are bigger, most are automatics so they're slower. You don't get boy-racers at the lights trying to burn off - most vehicles move off at a sedate pace. The roads are clearly signed and if you make a mistake most of the big roads hae turning spaces so you can U-turn and head back.

Driving in Orlando is a lot more laid back and easy than driving around any city centre in the UK or Europe.

What he said



Jodie

 

[Minniespal]

It is so easy ~ Automatic cars. Most of the people are tourists, so the driving is very laid back. No roundabouts to worry about. By the time you have driven to your accommodation from the airport, you have gotten used to it. Nice big parking spaces and plenty of them.

 

[wendy_uk]

OMG we went to Downtown Disney one night it was light when we arrived, but left in the dark and we ended up on the wrong side of the road, this was very frightening experience.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Most US roads are on the "grid system" - so don't worry if you miss your turn, just take the next one and work through the grid....

Also, unless there is a sign specifically saying otherwise, you can turn right on a red light (providing your "give way" to oncoming traffic, obviously...).

Wide roads, big parkings spaces....

The US is BUILT for cars - being able to drive over there gives you SO much more freedom...

Boo

 

[AndRu]

OMG we went to Downtown Disney one night it was light when we arrived, but left in the dark and we ended up on the wrong side of the road, this was very frightening experience.

This can happen to anyone ... you just have to take your time and go with the flow.

The US is BUILT for cars - being able to drive over there gives you SO much more freedom...

What she said!

 

[gilld]

The biggest problem is that although everywhere is pretty well signposted, there is little in the way of advance warning, so when you see the signpost, you have to turn off right then regardless of which lane you're in!

Also this bizzare system they have of being able to overtake on either side, which is very offputting.

DH does all the driving - I'd NEVER drive over there.

 

[alisonbestford]

The biggest problem is that although everywhere is pretty well signposted, there is little in the way of advance warning, so when you see the signpost, you have to turn off right then regardless of which lane you're in!

Driving in the US is so easy but this point that Gilld makes is my pet grouch

Now we're just about to leave for Italy so keep your fingers crossed for my driving over there..................

 

[koru]

You get used to drive on the "wrong" side of the road after 10 minutes or so. Another factor that makes it easy is that most cars have cruise control, so there's less manic overtaking on motorways. I have had people take 5 minutes to overtake me, as they literally inch past, going fractionally faster than me.

Couple of other things that caught me out on my first trip to the US:

Some motorway exits filter off from the "fast" lane, so watch which lane is being signed as the exit.

Learn the difference between the roadsigns for the different kinds of roads - interstate, state, local. They all just have numbers, so the only way to tell the difference is to know that they have different shapes and colours. I once spent an hour lost, because two roads close to each other had the same number, so I thought they were the same road.

 

[Soprano]

Its easy. Honestly. My wife was very nervous driving and we did take the wrong turn as soon as we left the airport, but it was easy to find our way back and start again.

People are very patient and relaxed over there, which is great for us Brits who are driving for the first time.

We used http://maps.google.com/ to plan trips in advance. We took print-outs of the routes we knew we were going to take with us. Very, very useful and easy to follow.

It took our 4th trip to go for a car, but there is no going back now.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Think the most important thing (even if you are about to miss your turning, whatever) is NOT to panic... as someone else said, "go with the flow"... There are plenty of opportunities to turn round (or follow back through the grid system) ahead, so just take it easy (don't be tempted to panic and try to cut across 3 lanes of traffic to make a tight turn).

Boo

 

[scojos]

most hire cars now come with sat nav as an option which makes life soooo much easier.
dh has just brought a tomtom and the orlando map boys and their toys
also try looking on googleearth that will help you get used to the area before you go, and there are a few websites which are ace try www.kissimmee-us192.com
some very useful driving guides on there

tracy

 

[PaulaSB12]

most hire cars now come with sat nav as an option which makes life soooo much easier.
dh has just brought a tomtom and the orlando map boys and their toys
also try looking on googleearth that will help you get used to the area before you go, and there are a few websites which are ace try www.kissimmee-us192.com
some very useful driving guides on there

tracy

BOYS TOYS? I have recently brought a tom tom and am intending to get a Florida map to use on my next holiday.

 

[alisonbestford]

Yep, my trusty TomTom is like an extension of myself
Just upgraded (after having the first one stolen) to one with US maps

 

[rpbert1]

Really enjoyed driving on our trip last year, just take it eay for the first few times