We spend a ton of time driving – Canadians love their cars – and may of us rent a car when we are away. So what problems might you face?

First problem – what car? Well the Ford Focus is well known and by European standards is quite big. The VW Golf is a great car – it has even taken me and 3 others in reasonable comfort. The trick is – find a car that is not too big, that is economic on fuel.

Automatic v standard shift. If you are comfortable with standard then take it – in Europe at least. In the UK it is a tad more complicated – after all they are on the wrong side of the road (and you should be too). Manual shift can be a concern in Britain.

Take a diesel-powered vehicle if possible, it's more economic, easily available and the car's performance is great.

Be cautious about insurance – the coverage offered by your credit card is fine in Canada and maybe the States. But in many European countries if you do not have local insurance you're required to wait for the court hearing if you are involved in a serious accident, however innocent you may be.

And a word of caution: When returning the vehicle get a written receipt, showing time and date returned as well as the mileage driven and amount of fuel in the car. And, if you have caused even minor scratches to the vehicle (some of those English lanes are very narrow), take pictures so you have a record.

Finally – make sure you know the road sign system – it's no good wondering what that sign means as you pass it at 80 kph.

Enjoy the drive!