I’ll second this. Never seen them any different on a standard UK car.
I’d like to add re: walking that in London at least it’s often wise to actually look both ways before crossing as the adage goes, since not only is the driving direction reversed, but there are lots of one way streets as well as median islands where you can cross halfway and then wait for another light to finish your crossing, which at that point essentially becomes trying to cross a one-way street.
Also, the cars at least in the London tourist area seem to stop more often for people to cross crosswalks than in America. In my limited visits, I do not trust that enough yet to walk in front of a moving car, but if I were approaching a crosswalk in a car, I would look out for cars in front of me suddenly stopping 
If you want a video, here is one of part of the route you would use from Heathrow into London
Don’t make the bonehead mistake I did the first time I drove in England. I had it all figured out on the flight over-- Since they’re metric (right???), I’ll drive about 100 and that should put me at ~65 mph. I get on the A1, and I’m flying past everyone wondering why they’re all driving so slowly. Oh, the speedometer is not metric!!
You’ll hear tales of horror and woe but, take it from one who has driven manual and auto on many different configurations in many countries of the world, the UK roads, for all they can be fast, narrow and crowded, are very, very safe.
The standard of driving and vehicle maintenance is very high and the road safety figures are about the best in the world. Signposting is clear and numerous and coupled with a decent phone app you’ll not be getting lost on the open roads.
I second the ideas of getting a small car. If you aren’t confident with a manual then pay the extra for an auto. Roundabouts are a doddle and will be second-nature after a few goes and you will become a fan.
Parking is pretty much always something that needs paying for so keep lots of change for that.
And yes, driving in a hire car out of London is probably not a great idea but it is simple enough to get a tube or overground to the outskirts and get a hire car there.
Once on the motorways and A-roads everything is easy and if you get the chance I recommend the M6 stretch up to Gretna and the borders, that is rather lovely. As is the A66 trans-pennine road.
Are you looking for some proper hill-walking, or more gentle stuff? I don’t mind the crowds so much once you’re up walking on the hills, they thin out, - it’s the Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere axis down at ground level that can feel like a bit of a zoo.
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England so would see some serious crowds in the summer [Wasdale head mountain rescue one of the busiest teams in the UK for this reason, you should see the state of some folk attempting it] So maybe avoid that if you want a bit more space - it’s a beautiful mountain, though (IMHO). You would get 1000s of folk summiting it per day, whereas the neighbouring peak Sca fell would probably see 100 if that.
The Old man of Coniston is another tourist trap, but again is a great mountain. Often with these popular Lakes peaks there’s a tourist route up but it’s easy to find a quieter alternative, then you’re just dealing with a bit of a crowded trig point at the top.
I also agree that you shouldnt pick up a car at the airport. The drive out of the airport is slightly crazy. I cant tell you how many times we’ve done it and it’s still stressful. I don’t mind the winding roads, and the narrow streets, but I will not drive in London. Roundabouts still stress me out.
As for manual, you’ll pick it up in a snap. Took me one trip around a parking lot to get used to the stick.
The one thing I rememeber from when we first moved here 4 yrs ago(my husband does most of the driving) North American drivers tend to hug the curb. As a passenger it is downright frightening to feel like you’re going to hit every car parked on the side of the road. I don’t know why that is, but just be aware of it. If your partner freaks out, cut them some slack.
Oh yeah, we have a slightly different definition of mountain in England than the rest of the world, they’re more like really big hills.
Shifting gears with the other hand isn’t hard to get used to, I’ve driven rentals in Europe and bunch of times, first 10 minutes require thinking but then it clicks.
Most people will drive at or above the speed limit on motorways but they have started building “smart” motorways which pretty much consist of speed cameras every 100 meters or so.
In the tourist areas, pop into a post office and they’ll normally have a rack of free leaflets with attractions & walking routes.
I’d also get the reduced excess from the rental place. I normally don’t but one drive in the peaks, around hard knot pass it think, the car in front kicked up some rocks and dented the crap out of the front of my rental.
I moved out some time ago, but what sort of walking do you prefer? Fairly flat? Hilly? Wooded? How long? Circular with a pub in the middle (my favourite)? Which bit of the park? (yeah, I know it’s not that big, but it will take you longer than you probably expect to get around by road) I can ask Mum for some suggestions if I can’t think of any.
The short list Busy Scissors mentioned were what I was mostly thinking for places to avoid; Scafell Pike and Coniston Old Man are both lovely… in the off season. If it’s August and you’re relying on the map you picked up at the Tourist Information Centre, they’re not. I used to do stuff like get up at 5am to be out on the hills before the tourists were out of bed.
Hardknott pass is in the Lakes - EW linking Eskdale with Langdale. Steepest road in England, many the tourist’s rued the day they tried driving over it, can be quite stressful in a car.
On a bicycle, though, it’s magnificent. Although stressful in a different way!
Ok, your posts have me looking at changing our car arrangements. I don’t know how far we can train north from London, in order to pick up a car. I don’t want to go too far in the train, and miss the more pleasant driving areas. I’d like to get a car just far enough out to be free of the worst traffic, but I don’t know where that is.
Some of you asked about our hiking preferences. Any difficulty level not involving a harness and ropes is fine. We prefer to cover 8-12 miles most days, then have an easier 5-7 mile day, then back to longer ones. We wake up early, 4am. If we get to the more popular trails by 5am, will we beat the crowds?
Very much so, yes. Sunrise at the end of August at that latitude is roughly 6am, but there’ll be plenty light before that if it’s not overcast.
The drive from London to the peaks isn’t special. Train to Manchester will take about 2 hours vs driving about 5.
There’s a couple of car rental places just by Manchester piccadilly train station so I’d recommend using them
As I said in an earlier post, catch a train from Euston to Birmingham International and pick up your hire car there. It has easy access to a motorway heading North and then you can take several different routes to the Peak District.
The train network in the UK is vastly better than the US. You can take an express train to Stockport and then a local train to Buxton. The whole trip takes less than 3 hours. You could take a taxi from there to your hotel in the Peak District.
Go to this site to check the possibility of train journeys.
Do you really need a car? It seems to me that the car will not be used very much and you might find a combination of trains and taxis considerably cheaper.
As someone who survived driving on vacation in both England and Scotland, I can say that the worst part of the experience was not driving in big cities (i.e. London and Edinburgh) or on major highways, but instead involved narrow roads out in the countryside (I still occasionally dream about the time I took a wrong turn trying to reach a botanical garden and wound up on a cliffside track that began petering out, leading to the fear that I wouldn’t be able to turn around and retrace the route).
My travels (concluded without accident or violations, it really wasn’t a major hassle*) were in pre-GPS days. If I tried it again now I’d definitely want a GPS assist and to plan my routes carefully in advance.
*even counting the time I had to change a flat in Scotland and was in awe of the giant black earthworms encountered on the roadside).
I think as others have said, the drive up from London to the Peak District or beyond isn’t particularly scenic and you really won’t be missing much. In fact, you may well get a better feel for the countryside from the seat of the train. if you book well ahead and get an off-peak ticket you can get up to Manchester or Derby for £25-£30 a head. A quick taxi from the station to whatever car hire firm you choose will be fairly cheap and then driving out of either is less frantic than in London.
It isn’t that London is a living hell for drivers. It is perfectly fine for any halfway competent person and easy enough to plan your route but it can take a long time and it is very stop-start and boring.
One other option which may be worth considering is to take the train to York. (cheap train is £40-ish) It is a beautiful city with lots to see and if you pick up your car there you have immediate access to the North Yorkshire moors and can drive across the A66 (which is a very nice drive) and through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and on to the Lake District.
Being there by 8am would beat the crowds, forget 5am.
Having done both versions a few times, I can confirm that the view from the train is better than that from the motorway. The M6 through the Lakes is pretty once you get up there, but that’s about it. For large stretches of the motorway, your view will be pretty much this. Raised embankments either side. Can’t see anything.
I would say a car would be very useful in the parks if you’re comfortable driving on very narrow roads; public transport isn’t a whole lot of use up there, especially off the beaten track and I would not like to be dependent on taxis for trekking. Phone reception isn’t always amazing up in the hills, and the nearest taxi company might be some distance away.
Seconding what other people have said - train travel between cities/towns is pretty good in the UK (but do book in advance - prices go way up if you just turn up on the day), and it’s probably less stressful than trying to get through urban traffic in an unfamiliar car.
I would advise getting a car if you want to go to the Peak District or the Lakes - you can rely on rural buses never to go where you want or when you want and to take forever getting there, and taxis are liable to be more expensive and stressful than driving, if you can get them at all.
GPS is a very good idea, as is reviewing the route in advance - since all English minor roads have nominal 60mph speed limits and minimal traffic, some GPS systems love taking you on shortcuts down very minor roads.
That said, it isn’t Greece or India - roads are generally well-maintained and well-signposted, driving standards are pretty good and you shouldn’t have any problems if you just take it easy.
Have a great trip!
Keep the car. Even though the trains go everywhere, the pricing is arbitrary and inflexible. Any change in plans will cost an arm and a leg. Toss in the cost of taxis and you won’t be saving any money with two or more travellers. If you want to enjoy the countryside, get a map and stay off the motorways. Sure, you’ll spend more on petrol, but you’re on vacation.
It couldn’t hurt to take a look at the UK Traffic Signs. Most will be self-explanatory or familiar, but there are some differences. You’ll see this sign often, both on motorways and coming out of villages and towns in rural driving. It means that the national speed limit applies: 70 MPH for dual carriageways and motorways and 60 MPH for single carriageways. Also, most of my driving has been in Yorkshire so I don’t know if it’s universal, but all the speed signs are in MPH. I expected KPH like most of Europe.
Have a fun and safe trip!
One other thought: be very wary when parking. There are all sorts of schemes to ticket and tow, often by private entities which are basically extortion rackets. Read all the signs carefully. Also, don’t leave valuables in your car. Property crime is just as bad or even worse than in the U.S…