RH drive (ie UK) vehicle, driving in France/Belgium/Netherlands. Any tips?

[miljee]

I recall once when driving a LH drive car in the USA ie an American car, someone said 'Always keep the centre line closest to you' which sounds so simplistic and dumb but it really helped, esp when turning into roads at junctions etc.

We're venturing into Europe twice later this year and I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice about how to handle driving on the wrong side of the road?

Thanks

We have just spent two years in Germany, driving right hand drive cars and making frequent trips back to UK. Sticking a post it note with 'drive on the right' or drive on the left' on the dashboard isn't as silly as it sounds!

Also, watch out for roundabouts - they feel very strange on the other side of the road! Luckily, there aren't so many of them as here.

My mantra is "Drive in the gutter". Adjust your mirrors. Prime your front saet passenger to help with visibility.

Agree with "drive in the gutter"

Thanks!

(And don't freak out when you see apparently driverless lorries coming round the roundabout at you )

If possible get behind other cars and follow them round roundabouts and over junctions. Junctions are the most confusing as it's easy to drive up the wrong way, while roundabout entry and exit roads tend to bend you into the right direction before you get there... That said, I did once see someone driving round a massive roundabout on the M5 the wrong way round

Oh and another thing. Definitely in the Netherlands but quite possibly in Belgium and France too there's the "give way to the right" rule. (Obviously doesn't apply on roundabouts though it did when they first built roundabouts here in NL - chaos within minutes!) What it means is that at junctions where there's no obvious "main" road prepare to have people coming out from the right at you and expect you to give way. They have priority!

And when turning right in Holland and Belgium ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS look over your shoulder to check you're not driving over a cyclist. They have priority if they're going straight ahead (crazy, don't get me started on this even if I do cycle myself) and WILL keep going!!!

Mainland europe = always give way to the right