Driving on the right

[Sallyf]

Great - many thanks for the helpful reassurance. I have driven on the 'wrong' side in a RHD before, but just wondered if there were any features of the Cali that needed to be taken into account, such as driving position, etc. I agree with the comments about European driving too - I've driven in Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France and Italy and none of those countries come close to rivalling England for bad, aggressive driving (except possibly Paris). We're planning to drive to the Peloponnese via a ferry from Venice to Patras, so hopefully not too much driving.

 

[Sallyf]

We have been on that ferry and it was such fun. Do they still do a whole deck of caravans and camper vans where you all party and sleep in your vans? We got talking to a German couple on board and ended up buying their van from them!

 

[stephen watson]

Like others I've found it's possible to make a mistake and drive on the wrong side abroad. Equally dangerous, in my opinion, is your first day back in the UK. You relax, everything back to normal, and suddenly you catch yoursekf about to make a manouvere as if you were back in France.

 

[Kalimera]

Request registration plates with uk info, carry hi viz jacket and triangle, apply for a crit air sticker if driving in France, buy a toll transponder (E.g. Bip & Go), measure your hieght if carrying surfboards, note this on a sticker on sunshade/dash. Use Google maps via the VW App (if you have a good mobile roaming deal). Enjoy!

 

[stephen watson]

Please could you explain the advantage of using google maps via a VW app, rather than directly?

 

[Nich]

Now I've just come back from the UK and the problem must be visa versa. If your new Cali has the new LED lights, they will compensate automatically and so will TomTom ( if you remember to download your maps before leaving). Just make sure that you always have the kerf or ditch on your side of the road. We drove 2500 miles in the Uk and no problems.
Maybe next time I will put a DK sticker on so all you nice english people can see that I come from Denmark.
Have lovely trip......we did

 

[Dill Tart]

The 'danger' area is when you turn right or left out of a junction, all too natural to go to the wrong side of the road.

Very good point, I have done this, luckily no one else on the road but a slip in concentration, could have been a disaster!

 

[RichardH]

Very good point, I have done this, luckily no one else on the road but a slip in concentration, could have been a disaster!

Me too, but in the U.K. some time after we arrived home. It rarely seems to be a problem overseas but it helps to agree in advance with your partner that you won’t take offence if they remind you which side to drive on. No extra equipment necessary, but it’s convenient to have an observer in the passenger seat to tell the driver when it’s clear to overtake. A passenger also makes paying at motorway toll stations much easier! Take extra care of your blind spot, especially on roundabouts, and don’t cut the corner unless you’re sure it’s clear. French motorways usually a delight, but try to avoid “black weekends” including unexpected public holidays such as the recent Ascension Day, when traffic can be almost at a standstill for more than an hour at bottlenecks such as Valance.

 

[Jubilado Tim]

There is one very important difference driving in Greece and that is the law on roundabouts - in Greece traffic joining the roundabout has priority!! The opposite to the UK, so if you are already on the roundabout you must stop or give way to traffic coming on. Crazy but its true.
We spent a month driving on the Pelopponese (hire car not Cali) and you will find it stunning and the locals so friendly. Get right down to the Mani where the 'fingers' are at the bottom.

 

[Karlos]

Hello - we are currently waiting for our Cali Beach to be built, and already planning our first overseas trip to mainland Greece. I was wondering if there are any useful tips or especially kit (mirrors, etc.) which help when driving a RHD vehicle on the continent. Many thanks.

Nervous passenger for overtaking larger vehicles on single carriageways, you soon dive back in when they scream

 

[PhilR]

As someone else said, a passenger for toll booths is preferable! I had to keep getting out and walking round to the machine on a trip on my own once. Tags would be the other option.
And as others have said, driving in France/Germany/Switzerland etc is very pleasurable. Parking (to protect your vehicle - I’m fussy where I park as hate getting dents/scratches) is not quite so easy though!
I love driving but I’ll still try and get the ferry from Hull to avoid driving down to Folkestone/Dover as that is by far the worst bit.

 

[RichardH]

As someone else said, a passenger for toll booths is preferable! I had to keep getting out and walking round to the machine on a trip on my own once. Tags would be the other option.
And as others have said, driving in France/Germany/Switzerland etc is very pleasurable. Parking (to protect your vehicle - I’m fussy where I park as hate getting dents/scratches) is not quite so easy though!
I love driving but I’ll still try and get the ferry from Hull to avoid driving down to Folkestone/Dover as that is by far the worst bit.

When driving alone in France I found it possible to shuffle across to the passenger seat to pay the toll, then quickly shuffle back. There’s probably a sensor that prevents the barrier lowering again before you have driven through, but the uncertainty adds a certain frisson. One improvement, at least in France, Italy and Croatia, is that contactless payment now seems to work flawlessly (at least on Resolut and Starling). Queues at the tolls pass through more quickly than before.