don't worry about driving on wrong side of road - many locals don't ! If you intend to spend time in Museum then staying in Douglas is most convenient - if you want to see the Island then to be honest a self drive car will give you maximum convenience as tho public transport is generally much better than US levels it is still slow and doesn't reach all the farms etc that lie off the main road (tho walking is great on Island - unlike the USA it is not an arrestable offence!) - most roads are fairly quiet - just avoid TT and MGP periods and you'll be fine - remember that the evenings are light until 9.30pm or later in summer but don't expect hot days - but if you come end of year etc then expect wet and windy weather - staying self catering farm cottage or similar would give you a much better view of the Island. Just remember manx miles are like dog years 7x longer then elsewhere and it takes much more time than you expect to see things + people