[Symbiote]

> the likely placenames you'd see

In the UK, you can use the "primary destinations"[1], which are the significant places given on the green signs. The purpose is to know (for sure!) that you can follow "Manchester" north from London until you see e.g. "Bolton".

They were highlighted somehow in road atlases. I started driving in London and after GPS, so I don't have experience actually using the system.

> Now picture driving in a foreign country.

This is a reason behind the E-road network [2], at least for long journeys across countries, but naturally Britain doesn't bother with it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_primary_destinations_o...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_E-road_network