10 tips for driving in Orlando.
In my most recent trip to Orlando it was my first ever time driving there and in fact driving in the US. I won't lie, it was quite a daunting prospect of driving in a different country on the other side of the road but as soon as I got out of Orlando international airport I felt at ease and I actually enjoyed the experience. For any Brits out there who drive, I am happy to say it is far more enjoyable driving there than it is in Britain. So here are my top 10 tips if you're feeling a little anxious about it.
This was me after my first drive from the airport to the villa, I was so chuffed that I had made it!
1. Booking a car hire is farely simple, just make sure you have insurance cover included and also make sure you're not swayed into renting a car that is far too big for you. Me and my partner went recently and went for an economy car which they threaten will not fit two suitcases in -it will, you just need to put one on the back seat. It was a Nissan Versa which is a fairly decent size car and the perfect size for just the two of us. They'll try and convince you that you'll need a bigger car but for 2 people it's the perfect size.
2. Dont fall into the trap of adding extras when you get to the car hire counter at the airport. They will try and upsell you on everything- the size of the car, upgrading your insurance,buying a full tank of fuel in advance and also adding extras like satnavs. Unless you particularly need any of this ( you more than likely won't ) just tell them you'll take what your ordered because they will ask and try and convince you. As long as you already have some insurance cover included in the hire you shouldn't need to upgrade it.
3. If you're not used to an automatic car , research how to drive them or practise in someone's automatic car in an empty car park as I think most cars there will be automatic.
Driving in manual and automatic aren't worlds apart in fact automatic is far similar and smooth. But things like having your foot on the break so you can put the car into drive are key. You'll find yourself trying to find the gear stick at times, it just takes getting used to but in my opinion, automatic is far easier than manual.
4. A simple but vital one. Drive on the correct side of the road, again this is a daunting prospect, going completely against your instinct. A little trick my dad taught me was to always keep your passenger in the gutter, if your passenger isn't nearest the gutter you know you need to panic. You'll get used to this pretty soon as well, just don't let your mind wander into autopilot.
5. Have some dollars ready for the tolls, if you're driving from orlando airport to the general Disney area you'll pass 3 tolls totalling I think about $4 to$5 dollars . They can provide change at them but you can prepare by having a few $1 bills ready.
6. You can filter on right turns. Yes you can turn right at a red light as long as there isn't a sign to say otherwise and it's clear to go. Obviously you can turn on the green light but it's also allowed to check both ways and turn on red just be wary on the fast roads.
7. 4 way junctions. In some locations you have a 4 way junction which is essentially traffic coming from 4 different directions with no traffic lights. In the uk you'd probably see a roundabout ( there are virtually no roundabouts in Orlando !) . At these what you are meant to do is each junction takes it in turns to go , so you wait till your turn and then take the direction you want from your junction. It sounds complicated and sometimes its tricky to figure out whose go it is but just ease out with caution.
8. Before you leave the car hire centre, make sure you find out where everything is in the car such as lights, wind screen wipers, air con (a Florida necessity ) and also the controls for the window. Also make note of any scratches or dents that are on your chosen car make sure you report to someone as you leave the centre so you are not blamed for the them when you return the car.
9. At Disney make note of the area and number of the car parking space. All parks have their own sections of the car parks which are named by characters and have a corresponding number for the lane such as mickey 17 . Make a note of this or take a picture as trust me, the car parks are massive and not a place you want to wander around for long. Even if you forget this , I can suggest pressing the lock/unlock ,bottom on your keys, the cars in America will beep when you press these buttons so worst case scenario just listen for the beep and follow the sound.
10. Take your time and relax. Remember you're on holiday and driving shouldn't be stressful, essentially it doesn't matter if you are late for the park or breakfast just take your time and remain calm. It really is so much more enjoyable to drive in the Orlando, the roads are wider and in a better condition, automatic cars are a dream to drive and parking spaces are massive. Enjoy it and relax, it'll be fine !
Please let me know if you have any other Questions and I'll try my best to help!
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