Newly qualified driver in US

[jessiac]

I am a learner driver in the UK, and I expect to pass my test in around three weeks. I would like to visit the USA in around June next year, and because of all the horror stories surrounding public transport I would like to rent a car. So I have three questions

Comments

[tenebrosity]

1) i don't know
2) it depends on where you are going in the US. most places outside of large cities like nyc and san francisco don't have a system in place to get everywhere you need to be.
3)i don't know about how hard, but yes they are in the same position, just on the other side of the driver.
always remember that whatever country you are driving in, the passenger side should be between you and the side of the road. hence, in the US you are driving on the right and in the UK you are driving on the left.
sometimes when i would have to switch back and forth i would get a little confusedin the moment, yeah.

[jessiac]

Cool, thanks. I would like to visit outside the main built up areas..I have already been to New York and San Francisco and it would be nice to go off the beaten track, as it were. I was kind of hoping that the gears would all be completely reversed so the movement would be the same. Oh well, I suppose you'd get used to it! Is it hard to change with the right hand?

[jessiac]

eep! I'll take your word for it. I suppose it would just be better to go with automatic if that's what's available.

[jessiac]

That's reassuring, thanks :-). I suppose that driving an automatic would probably be the safer bet - I would want to have to be worrying about changing gears in the different direction from what I am used to as well as trying to focus on driving on the right and looking the right way all the time. In fact, considering I mix up my right and my left at the best of times perhaps it would just be better if I took the bus!

[khyri]

Very few US car rental companies will have manuals unless you're renting a truck. They prefer to have automatics in their fleet as many people will only drive those, and it's embarassing if someone comes in to rent a car and then they can't drive the one car you have available.

[tenebrosity]

i was in the US first so right hand was easier. then again, i was on an automatic most of the time, and reverted to finding an automatic in the UK after a while, so i am probably not the best person to ask ;)

[jessiac]

Considering I am right handed it should be easier. But after being used to left hand shifting it's hard to change!