Last-minute prep: a 15-minute warm-up before you fly
A general familiarisation guide · Last updated 27 June 2026
Ideally you'd prepare over a couple of weeks. Realistically, sometimes you're at the gate and the rental is booked for the moment you land. Even then, a focused quarter of an hour is far better than nothing — it pulls the switch to the front of your mind so it isn't a surprise when you're behind the wheel, jet-lagged, in a car park you've never seen.
Minutes 1–3: name the switch
Get specific about what's changing. Which side will you drive on? Which side of the car will you sit on? Which hand reaches for the gear selector? Saying it plainly — even silently — moves it from vague worry to a concrete picture your brain can rehearse.
Minutes 4–7: rehearse the scan
The first-look reflex is the one most worth priming. Close your eyes and walk through pulling out of a junction: which way does the nearest oncoming traffic come from now? Picture deliberately checking both ways before committing. Repeat it a few times until the new direction feels less foreign.
Minutes 8–11: walk through a turn and a roundabout
Visualise making a turn and settling onto the correct side as you straighten up — the moment drivers most often drift. Then picture a roundabout circulating in the opposite direction to the one you know, and see yourself entering and leaving it calmly. You're not memorising rules; you're making the shape familiar.
Minutes 12–15: plan a gentle start
Decide, now, that your first drive will be the easy version: unhurried, ideally in daylight, on simpler roads. Plan to sit in the car for a minute before setting off to find the controls, and if you have a travelling companion, agree they'll give you a calm "your side" prompt after turns. Lowering the difficulty of the first leg is the single kindest thing you can do for freshly-primed reflexes.
One last thing
A warm-up primes you; it doesn't replace attention. Expect the first drive to take real concentration, keep your checks slow and deliberate, and give yourself permission to go gently while the new habits find their feet.
This is general familiarisation guidance, not driving instruction or a substitute for the official rules of your destination. Always check local guidance and drive within your ability.
Frequently asked questions
Can you prepare to drive on the other side at the last minute?
Ideally you'd prepare over a couple of weeks, but even a focused 15 minutes beats nothing. It pulls the switch to the front of your mind so it isn't a surprise when you're jet-lagged in an unfamiliar car park.
What should you do to warm up before driving abroad?
Name exactly what's changing — which side you'll drive on, which side of the car you'll sit on, which hand works the gears — then mentally rehearse your first-look scan and a turn onto the correct side. Finish by planning an easy, unhurried first drive.
How do you prime your first-look reflex?
Close your eyes and walk through pulling out of a junction, picturing which way the nearest oncoming traffic comes from now and deliberately checking both ways. Repeating it a few times makes the new direction feel less foreign.
Does a warm-up replace concentration on your first drive?
No — a warm-up primes you, but the first drive still takes real attention. Keep your checks slow and deliberate and give yourself permission to go gently while the new habits find their feet.