Can I drive in the U.S. with a military driver's license?

Can someone with a US drivers license drive in England?

• I'm 18. I've had a license since age 16. I'm moving to England in a couple of years to be with my fiancé but we want to go ahead and start to plan some things. Will I be ...show more

• Answer:

  Assuming you have a full US licence, you can drive on that for a year (and that allows tourists to hire cars), but after that you will need a UK licence. You get no special privileges on that, and will have to sit and pass the whole test. The test is in two parts, theory and practical, and you must pass the theory before applying to sit the practical. I warn you, it's a stiff test, and most people fail the practical first time, so consider taking lessons as soon as you arrive and have settled in. OK, you can drive, so you aren't starting right from square one, but nothing compares with having lessons with an approved British instructor to teach you the right habits. The tiniest little mistake gets you failed so it's worth it. Bear in mind also that we drive on the left with the driver sitting on the right so that will be something to get used to. Is your car manual (stick shift) or automatic? Pass the British test in a manual and you will be licensed to drive any car, but pass in an automatic and you can only drive automatics. I understand that manual transmission cars are far less common in the US and there's a good reason for that - the price of petrol (gas) in the UK is very high compared with what you're used to, and if you can drive a manual well, it will save a bit on fuel costs. The car itself will be cheaper, too, and so will be the insurance - younger drivers always get charged the most for car insurance because they have the most accidents. It just takes practice and by now I can coordinate left hand and left foot to change gear while still keeping an eye on the road, steering and holding a conversation. Actually, I've never driven an automatic and if I did, I'd feel a bit odd that my left foot has nothing to do! I learned with BSM (British School of Motoring) and they certainly aren't the cheapest but they are GOOD. The instructor will take you out in their small car and it is guaranteed to be one with a horrible crunchy gearbox (they currently use Vauxhall Corsas, and I learned in the late lamented Mini Metro 30 years ago). There is method in the madness... if you can drive well and make smooth gear changes in one of those, any other car will be easy, or as we say, a piece of cake.