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Gary H 1978 911 SC
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Fort Worth Texas
Posts: 1,306
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Driving in Ireland
This is our second of seven weeks in Europe and driving on the wrong side of the road from Belfast to Dublin had some challenges. Our car was a Peugeot 508 with a two liter turbo 6 speed manual. It drove better than our tdi VW jetta and got over 58 mpg and on one highway trip we got 68 mpg. The countryside was some of the best I have ever seen. Went to see the Guinness Brewery and the Old Bushmill Distillery. We are in London and head to Paris by train to pick up another 508 tomorrow . Thank god for gps.
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10-15-2012, 01:46 PM
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UnRegistered User
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No kidding on the gps!
We spent 3 weeks in England and had the big Peugeot wagon with the turbo diesel. Did decent mileage on the trip. Good to drive and pretty quick when the turbo spooled up. Driving the car to drop at the rental agency in London was one of those stressful events that a guy doesn't want to repeat every day.... Saw more of England in three weeks than most English people see. Sounds like you are having a blast.
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Bill K. "I started out with nothin and I still got most of it left...." 83 911 SC Guards Red (now gone) And I sold a bunch of parts I hadn't installed yet. |
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10-15-2012, 03:33 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Marietta GA
Posts: 2,560
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I had a blast driving in Ireland. Dublin was difficult because they aren't big on street signs but I didn't have too many issues anywhere else.
I got a manual 1-series and it was a great car. I even got to cut it loose on a beach near the Ring of Kerry.  BMW 120i by willtel, on Flickr  Irish Road\Stream by willtel, on Flickr |
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10-15-2012, 04:21 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,673
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Quote:
There ARE street signs everywhere... they are on the sides of the buildings up at the second floor or roof level. Not on poles on the corners, but they are there. Good because I didn't have gps, just a lapful of maps. |
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10-15-2012, 08:46 PM
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Registered
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lake Cle Elum - Eastern WA.
Posts: 8,417
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Thanks for your insight.....The 1st time I drove on the left side of the road was also in a Peugeot Turbo Diesel back in 2002 - in the UK.....Was a great car, I filled the tank at 850 miles (Not k's) and the computer indicated 75 miles left.....
I just spent 4 days with a POS Rental car on the left side of the road in Fiji.....Now in Australia for a month, but will be on a motorcycle......It's a great driving experience......
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Bob S. 73.5 911T 1969 911T Coo' pay (one owner) 1960 Mercedes 190SL 1962 XKE Roadster (sold) - 13 motorcycles |
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10-16-2012, 02:46 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MD
Posts: 5,733
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I had a great time driving a Nissan we dont see a few years ago. Not a perfect car, but big enough, fun to drive and at the time way ahead in the ergo department.
The first few traffic circles were nerve racking, especially when their was no one in front to follow. It tool me a while to figure out the wrong side of the road thing. |
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10-16-2012, 04:11 AM
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My friends call me, Top
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I can certainly appreciate what you are going through ! My son and I went to Scotland in September. It was my first experience driving on the right side. I got quite the education since I picked up the car in Edinburgh. It seems they lais all the streets out in the most haphazard manner they possibly could. Then driving up to Speyside and farther north to Tain & Wick I got used to the impossibly narrow roads. I did get rather good at it by the time we left.
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Matt '87 924S |
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10-16-2012, 04:27 AM
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non-whiner
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Slightly right of center
Posts: 5,235
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I moved to London in 2004 for three years. The company gave me a 40 foot shipping container and said I could put anything I wanted in it, so I sacrificed the wife's dinning room set and parked my 1970 Mustang convertible in there first! Who'ld have thought it would be a huge car on the tiny streets of London and very stressful to drive. I sold it to a guy in London for £25,000! That was about $50,000 in 2004! I worked for Guinness and spent many months at St. James Gate over the years and worked on the acquisition when we bought Bushmills. Beautiful country, but tough traffic. Thanks for sharing!
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10-16-2012, 04:35 AM
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 8,509
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My first LH drive was from Heathrow to East London (Bermondsey) on a rainy night in February. No GPS then and I got royally lost.
I learned. In the years I was there I'd take the A to Zed on the weekends I wasn't going home and try and learn the "knowledge" for myself. |
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10-16-2012, 07:45 AM
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Kantry Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: N.S. Can
Posts: 6,798
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Quote:
My wife and I were in Scotland around the same time (our 5th trip to the UK) and also did the drive north from Inverness. Didn't you just love the switchback at Berrydale? At least that was two lane.  Sounds like everyone goes through the same trials: 1 Learn to shift with the left hand 2 Get used to round a bouts. (If you're not sure, go 'round again!) 3 Get used to the street signs 4 Get used to the lay-byes. 5 Stay on your own effing side of the road! Best Les
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Best Les My train of thought has been replaced by a bumper car. |
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10-16-2012, 07:59 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,673
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6. And..... look RIGHT when you come out of a side street. Not left, RIGHT!
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10-16-2012, 11:33 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: AZ
Posts: 8,414
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Will be there next week. Grabbed an Audi A6 from Avis as the deal was just too good to pass up with our biz discount (under $600 US for 2 weeks). If anyone wants to grab a pint, let me know!
Side question: Anyone up on who's got the best deal on mobile sim cards/plans these days there, Orange? Vodofone? |
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10-17-2012, 12:27 PM
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1983 Porsche SC
Rudolf
Blue Max
Pearl
