Look Right

We've been promised by Google street view that while in England we'll get to see "Look Right" painted on various crosswalks and intersections. As you may or may not know, the UK is a country of left side driving. Unlike the US and other right-laned lands, it is necessary to look right, left, and right again before crossing any street. We promise to let you know if it's as crazy, fun, or stressful as the Amazing Race implies.

Driving on the left side of the road has long been on Mark's bucket list and it's one of the first things we planned when setting out to flesh out the details of our upcoming trip. Despite the ridiculous cost of fuel and a rental car, our first weekend is going to involve a mini road trip from Bath to Cambridge, stopping through a few points along the way. 

In order to rent our car, we decided to check out our local friendly AAA office to see what kind of travel agent deals they could offer us. Not surprisingly, we were able to beat their prices on hotels and rail, but they were able to facilitate a decent deal on a car. More importantly, they were able to help us reserve a car with a trunk. Apparently in the UK trunks are not standard so negotiating for one was a bit tricky (and pricey).

In addition to the trickery of the foreign car rental culture, it was also recommended that we get international driving permits. Personally I don't see the need for a translation of a driver's license when we are going to an English speaking country, however Rick Steves recommends it and so does the US Embassy. I am not going to argue with Rick Steves, except maybe about carry on luggage. That's another story though. 

So Mark got his driving permit, we reserved our car, and we set our plan. After our weekend trip to Bath and Stonehenge, we plan to set out on a drive from Bath to Cambridge via Windsor and an over night stop in Cheshunt. Here's the route map. 

View Directions to Cambridge, United Kingdom in a larger map

Departure in 15 days!