Be very cautious when other people are not paying attention. If an emergency vehicle comes through with lights and sirens on, you should stop where you are and not try to pull over, this causes mass confusion and many people are impatient and will just try to go past you, not allowing you to resume driving. Always pay attention to the drivers around you, they may not be paying attention.

My Expedition is a very large vehicle which makes it hard to navigate in tight areas sometimes. Your best bet is to look for a smaller vehicle, and there are many used car dealers around Portland. The best way to go is to drive down the side roads, in the outskirts of town, and look for individuals selling their car themselves. More often than not these people are looking for the cash quick and there will be a lower price on the car, it may need a little work to make it road-ready but the savings of not having to purchase full coverage auto insurance makes a huge difference.

Portland, Maine is a small city compared to other cities around the country but it is larger than the small community in which I reside. It is not completely necessary to own your own vehicle as there are many grocery stores to choose from so you can walk or ride the bus. With so many individuals in such a small area you have a great opportunity to meet someone who could bring you anywhere you need to go. There are many people walking around, many who do not pay attention so it is crucial to be vigilant if you are driving. I remember panicking when I turned down a one-way street and could not go the direction I needed to. The best part about a city with so many people around is that there is usually always someone around. I became lost and did not have any GPS so I had to stop at a gas station and ask for directions. I still was lost after given directions, I ended up putting my head out the truck window asking somebody who was walking if they knew where the road was that I needed. I felt relieved to not be asking the same person for directions! It was very difficult to navigate with so many vehicles around me and I wasn't quite sure where to go, I was in people's way and was honked at. All in all I managed just fine with the help of a few good citizens!

Congress Street. Congress Street is the one street that I know well in Portland, it is where a family member of mine used to reside. It is currently the only street I know how to reach without a GPS in Portland, as soon as I turn off it I may become lost, especially with so many vehicles around on the road and many people are usually in a rush, if you are not in the right lane you may have to sit and wait a while because other drivers will not willingly let you lane hop. I love the thrill of being around so many other people but it is sometimes very stressful.

I would tell out of state drivers to be respectful and not be aggressive drivers. That may work where they came from but it's not going to do anything for you but get locals angry with you.

You need good gas mileage! You will drive a lot. You will also need a good car that won't break down because places in Maine close early. You don't want to have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere late at night. I would recommend going with a local dealer who's from Maine, let them get to know you and give you the best deal possible. Fair warning, you should watch out in case they try to charge you more for being from "away."

It's hard to choose one, but I guess to first time I visited Maine and drove the coastal road. I had never seen the ocean and was from a city that didn't pride itself on preserving nature at all, so it was a big shock to see Maine and how (comparatively) wild it was. I drove from Boston to Bar Harbor along the coastal roads, and when I got to York I stopped at the beach and thought it was the most beautiful place I'd ever been. I've never been a big fan of driving because of how confusing and overwhelming it can be on the highway, but it's different in Maine. There's still plenty of traffic near tourist areas but the roads are easy to manage and there's a lot of nice scenery.

Coastal road (US 1 and US 3). I think it's beautiful. You can't always see the water but when you can't, there are beautiful trees to look at. It looks very natural and preserved, and very peaceful. When you can see the water and coastline it's amazing. After I visited for a week I knew that I had to live there.