Driving in France - Lesson 1

Checklist of things to steer clear of for the first two hours after picking up a rental car in France:

• big city at night - check
• rain - check
• rush-hour traffic - check
• narrow streets - check
• unfamiliar left-hand drive car with gear stick on right of driver, indicator control on left, wiper control on right - check
• invisible steet signs when you need them - check
• orange flashing traffic lights that mean take a deep breath, plant foot on accelerator, and play dodgems with the rest of the traffic zipping across the intersection - check
• stupid GPS that takes you to the street you ask for but not the one you want - check
• one-way streets that are unforgiving of any missed turn - check
• park brake that plays hide-and-seek - check
• maniacal requests to unfortunate navigator for help - check

I speak from experience...