1. First and probably the most important. Drive on the right. Almost everyone else drives on the other side of the road, and if you neglect to notice then your journey is probably going to be very short, probably not really lasting much longer than the gates of the ferryport. don't rely on signs to help you remember, they are there, but they usually start at least a few minutes driving time away from your point of entry, and if you make it that far then the sign isn't really needed. Always remember right turns are easy and left turns are hard, and don't forget to follow the arrows on roundabouts, although from personal experience there is nothing like the look of terror on a Frenchmans face when you go head to head at a roundabout in Calais. Sorry France but it still brings a smile to my face.

2. Another important fact to remember if you are travelling any great distance is that in most roadside services aren't free. Costs vary between 30cents and 50cents in the eurozone so make sure you have some cents if you want to spend a penny. But the upside of this is that you usually get a nice clean place to go, well stocked with loo paper and soap. Also remember the continentals aren't as uptight as us, so gents while you are in there don't be surprised to look over your shoulder and see a little old lady cleaning, or even a lady stepping out of the cubicle behind you. If you plan on letting some noisy wind fly free it might be best to remember ladies might be listening.

3. Cyclists, the silent and deadly but very environmentally friendly menace. You will find many more people on two wheels, and unlike here in the uk people on bikes sometimes actually have their own roads to drive on. This might be a plan to allow cyclists to live to old age. If you forget about them it doesn't matter if you are on foot or behind the wheel you are going to crash, especially when you turn or cross the road. Always bear in mind in lots of europe a trafic light inviting you to turn usually means that you have to wait for pedestrians or cyclists to cross the road first. Keep your eyes open or your first trip through into the city will be like a videogame with a high bodycount.

4. Trams, not silent like a cyclist but if you come in contact with one its gonna hurt you much more than the tram driver. In cities these often share the same streets as the rest of the traffic, and you can often find yourself driving down a side street being followed by one of these metal monsters. But look on the bright side if you follow tip one completely at least it won't be driving towards you. These aren't as bad as they seem, as in lots of places it can make much more sense to park outside the city center and actually catch one of these to where you want to go.

5. Navigation. Get a satnav that covers europe. It is much easier, but if you do have to go old school then the european motorway network isn't bad. Most big roads have 2 numbers, the local number like a22 and then the european number like e7 which stays the same from country to country regardless of how the local number changes, so its easy to go from one country to another. One thing to remember is that most major cities have a ring, a continental version of the M25, and if you don't plan your route carefully you can easily find yourself going in and out of more rings than a boxer, and if you are unlucky you will find yourself in queue after queue of traffic.