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TRAVEL TIPS
Tales of Driving on the ‘Wrong’ Side of the Road
Transitioning to the right versus the left-hand side
Whoever had the smart idea to have part of the world drive on the right-hand side of the road and the other on the left?
I learned to drive when I was 15 and spent the next 14 years behind the wheel — on the left-hand side of the road. Although I knew from watching television and movies that Europeans and North Americans drove on the opposite side, I never thought the day would come when I’d have to be the driver and rewire my brain.
In fact, after moving to Montréal from New Zealand (NZ) where we abide by the English rules, it took me a year to get behind the wheel, mainly because of my first experience as a front seat passenger driving on the right-hand side of the road — or the wrong side as far as I was concerned.
The event
My fiancé and I were on a month-long road trip around southern France. We had just picked up our Renault Clio from Eurodrive, a rental system where you drive a brand new car for an extended time at reasonable rates. It was our first means of transportation for our 3-month European adventure and a great way to avoid the usual tourist spots. It still exists, surprisingly, and is well worth checking out!
