Are you planning a trip to Grenada where they drive on the wrong side of the road?

Sorry, I mean left side of the road. If you’re a little freaked out about doing this (like I was), rest assured that it can be done safely with mostly minimal stress. Yes, that’s right, I did not say stress free. I have to be honest — I’m not certain that’s possible.

Choose an automatic transmission when you reserve your rental car.

Now is not the time to learn how to drive a stick (if you don’t know already). If you do know how to drive a manual transmission, remember that you will have to change gears with your left hand, because the steering wheel is reversed.

When driving on the highway, the passing lane is the right lane, not the left.

Slower traffic keeps left, and you want to stay in the left lane unless you are passing. This was pretty easy to get used to doing.

Be prepared for roundabouts.

You may not encounter them where you are going, but we ran into them frequently in Ireland. Thankfully, we were used to driving in them because our hometown has quite a few. During our trip to Ireland, we ran into some Americans who had never seen a roundabout, and they were rather perplexed by them. Go through them slowly and remember, they flow to the left, not the right when you’re driving on the left side of the road.

Be extra alert all the time.

This one really goes without saying but especially rings true when driving through a city or town. Also, intersections can throw you off. To help with this, I think it’s better if you have a passenger who is also paying attention. It’s the one time when it’s helpful to have a back seat driver (don’t tell my husband I said that).That may not be possible if you are traveling alone so you’ll have to find other ways to keep yourself wide awake and focused on your driving.

Above all, have fun while you’re traveling. With a little planning ahead, you can master driving on the left side of the road!