Right hand drive in Europe (1 Viewer)

[Slickquiver]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a right hand drive Hymer 522 and I am wondering if anyone has any experience of driving a right hand motor home in Europe, or if I should just keep looking till I find a left hand drive one.

Thanks

 

[chrisboyo]

We have been abroad many times with a right hand drive, no problems
Just ask your passenger to let you know when it,s clear at roundabouts

Having said that, if your main area of use is abroad, then go for a lefty
They do tend to go a bit less pricey over here

Happy Daze
Chrisboyo

 

[haganap]

Seriously nothing to it. It takes a little getting used to at first, but after that no worries. I have been driving abroad for 20+ years, I love it, makes you think about your driving a little more

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[ninjayorkies]

4 months touring in Europe and didn't find any problems with driving a right hander at all and I'm a complete novice at this

 

[callumwa]

t's like anything, after a while you will get used to it. Just go very very easy, take your time and make good use of your mirrors. Take particular care on roundabouts and at junctions especially when pulling out and turning left across oncoming traffic. If you have someone in the passenger seat they can help you, otherwise pull up at a slight angle so that your visibility to the left is increased.

I lived in France for 10 years and mainly drove my right hand drive UK vehicle there. When I regularly came back to over to the UK I would use my French plated left hand drive car. Mainly to avoid the increasing presence of speed cameras in the UK at that time.

You just get used to changing sides in the car and on the road. The main problem I found occurred late at nights, when you pulled out on a empty road. When there is traffic around you see straight away where to drive. But on an empty road it is easy to pull onto the wrong side of the carriageway.

I would have to think sometimes, where am I?, which side of the road should I be on, to ensure I drove on the correct side.

After a few days there I'm sure you will have no probs.........:thumb:

 

[Onderweg]

Hi Slickquiver,

We live in The Netherlands and we went to England in 2009 for the first time.
Driving at the "wrong" side of the road took me about 5 minutes to get aquainted to.
The only thing is that you have to stay focussed.

I found out there is something else which is far more dangerous: cross a street while walking !!!
You are used to be focussed while driving, but you (at least I) are not that much focussed while walking. Had luck though because my dog stopped while i wanted to cross looking in the wrong direction.

Made it a habit to stop about 1 meter from the curb, look around and than cross the street

Have a good time and enjoy it

Paul and Ineke

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[Chas17]

I lived in france for 10 years and kept my UK right hand drive car but bought a French left hand drive camper. It took a couple of days to get used to the camper but after that there were no problems changing from one to the other. Concentration is the thing, particularly when pulling on to the road from garages, carparks etc, when it is easy to make a mistake.

 

[pappajohn]

if its a right hand drive then a card on your steering wheel/dash board saying 'KEEP RIGHT'

its easy to forget when you first set off each day after an overnight stop !

 

[Diabalo]

It's like sex the more you do it the easier it gets

Have fun be alert and don't worry.

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[acting_strange]

It's like sex the more you do it the easier it gets

Have fun be alert and don't worry.

Oh bugger...that means at my age I had better stay in the Uk

 

[normanandsue]

Hi,
Agree with all that has been said, Sue and I have done it for years and Sue is as good or if I am honest better than me at driving on the wrong side of the road.
We developed a mantra when in doubt, "Steering wheel to the kerb"

When turning left remember to aim the sterring wheel to the kerb.

Hope this helps.

Norman

 

[bobandjanie]

Right hand drive ,here and there. Apart from it is easier as you tend to have a right hand drive car too at home (and away if you take one) so it is what you are used to, easier to adapt to the situation rather than change your tools. Plus,it impresses the Germans, some of whom are only put off coming here because of the driving on the 'wrong' side. Jane

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[barryd]

For a motorhome I actually think a right hand drive is better abroad. You often end up down narrow roads and because your driving side is on the curb, wall or hedge side it makes passing other vehicles coming the other way easier in tight spots as you can judge how close you are to the hedge / wall much easier. Motorways and A roads are a doddle as your high up so its easy to see to overtake.

 

[Landy lover]

Its one of those things that until you do it you worry about it and the more you worry about it the more of a problem it becomes - everyday there are dozens of ferries with hundreds of right hand drive vehicles going over the water and by the same token there are hundreds of left hand drive vehicles coming over here without problems. Why should it not be as easy for you.

To be honest the first time we went over to France we worried and I asked a few people and they all said why worry once you are there it all falls into place and its easy -- we have done many 10's of thousands of miles 'on the wrong side' and actually prefer it as most european drivers have better road manners than in the UK

 

[Wildman]

no problem just two tips.
1) a big sign with an arrow and the word KERB fixed on the dashboard, and remember to turn it when you come home so you don't drive on the right here.
2) A massive blind spot mirror, being ovetaken on the left can make you jump to say the least a really wide angle mirror will help.

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[mondo]

I think the AA does some little "cling" type stickers to place on the windscreen to remind you which side of the road to drive on and they are reversible for when you return from across the water...They are just a picture of a roundabout with a BIG direction arrow on it I think they are a couple of quid or so someone will no doubt put a pic of them up sometime!!

As for driving on 't'other side of the road it's nothing to worry too much about it will come naturally

 

[ninjayorkies]

I think the AA does some little "cling" type stickers to place on the windscreen to remind you which side of the road to drive on and they are reversible for when you return from across the water...They are just a picture of a roundabout with a BIG direction arrow on it I think they are a couple of quid or so someone will no doubt put a pic of them up sometime!!

As for driving on 't'other side of the road it's nothing to worry too much about it will come naturally

Or you could make your own