Rick Steves Recommends This 'Smart Move' On Every Trip To England, Except In Cities

If you're visiting England for the first time, you're probably going to London straight away. It's a vibrant city, full of incredible history, culture, shopping, and nightlife. However, there is so much more to this country, from historic cities like York and Bath to the southern Jurassic Coast where you can do some hunting for fossils. If you do plan on exploring outside of the major cities, travel pro Rick Steves has some advice on a "smart move" you can make. On his website, he shares that while public transportation is great in England, you may want to rent a car to explore. He says, "While Great Britain's trains go to most places of tourist interest — and just about everything's reachable by bus ... the bucolic landscape you'll see here is most easily experienced by car." 

The gorgeous fields trimmed with hedges, exploring Hadrian's Wall and beyond in the north, a trip to see the wild beauty of Wales — it's all worth the price of a rental car. Having a vehicle gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and carry as much luggage as you need to. You can find the best European rental car company by comparing rates on planning apps like Kayak or Expedia, and off you go. However, it's worth dropping that car off before you arrive in a major city. Steves explains that London in particular has a congestion charge that can be expensive if you're driving in the center of the city. Once you get there, public transportation like buses or the London Underground will be easier than navigating busy city streets with a car.

If you do choose to rent a car, Rick Steves recommends bringing a GPS phone mount for your rental so you have reliable directions. One thing you have to remember, however, is that you're going to be driving on the left side of the road, with the driver sitting on the right side of the car. It can take some getting used to, and it's certainly easier to practice on a country road rather than in a crowded city. It's worth ensuring you'll be driving an automatic, because the stick shift on a manual car may add to your confusion. That said, Steves has a great trick for tourists giving driving on the left a shot for the first time. You can go into a gas station or auto shop and get a sign with a green "P" on it. That signals that you're a new driver (the "P" stands for probationary license). Like American cars with a "student driver" sticker, it alerts people that you may not know exactly what you're doing, granting you a bit of leeway.

Another thing you may not be used to is the British roundabout, which is a circular part of a road that has several exits. If you find one, traffic from the right has the right of way (barring signs to the contrary), and if you miss your exit, just circle again. You may also find that some street signs use different symbols than you're used to, so a quick check online of common signage before your trip can help you feel more confident on the road.