Driving trips in the U.K. may not be on the same scale as in the U.S. – the 900-mile trip from Land`s End to John O`Groats can, theoretically, be completed in a single day – but there are, nevertheless, many interesting routes and destinations to choose from.
Foreign drivers wishing to rent a car in the U.K. should bear in mind that rental companies typically require a full, valid driving licence from the country of origin, a valid passport and a credit card in the name of the driver. For driving licences in languages other than English, an International Driver`s Permit is also required. Drivers accustomed to driving on the opposite side of the road – that is, on the right – from that in Britain should also take particular care when turning right, because failure to keep to the correct side of the road means driving towards oncoming traffic.
Of course, you need not drive the length of mainland Britain, but the route from St. Ives to Land`s End, along the B3306 and the A30 on the north Cornish coast, is widely recognised as one of the classic driving trips in the country. Cornwall`s agricultural and industrial heritage is much in evidence, with medieval farmsteads and tin mines dotted along the route, but, as is often the case in Cornwall, it is the beautiful scenery – coastal and inland – that is the main attraction.
A little further north, the so-called “Atlantic Highway”, which runs from Bridgwater in the Somerset Levels along the A39 to Bude, the first seaside town in Cornwall and Padstock and Newquay beyond, is another popular driving route. Again, the route skirts the sea, offering marvellous views of some of the best coastline in Britain, but on the other side the Quantock and Brendon Hills are equally captivating.
Moving east, along the M5, M4 and M25 (London Orbital Motorway), London, the capital city of the U.K., is undoubtedly a main attraction for foreign visitors. Everything quintessentially British, from Buckingham Palace to red double-decker buses, can be found in London.
Beyond the capital, the so-called “Garden of England” stretches eastward all the way to the White Cliffs of Dover. Fast road links from London allow visitors to take advantage of cheap car hire at Heathrow airport and Kent is the perfect location for a short break. Circular driving tours are signposted throughout the county – for example, from Waterbury on the A26, through West Malling on the A228 and on towards Royal Tunbridge Wells – through historic towns and villages, orchards, hop fields, etc.