Every time I rent a car in Europe, I reserve a stick, but the sales person at the check-in desk always tries to “upgrade” me to an auto because Americans “don’t know how to drive a stick.” I learned to drive on a Chevy Nova four speed on the column (3 forward and reverse) and a McCormick tractor, and followed that with a stick Jeep (several), Datsun 240Z, and VW Quantum, among others. Unfortunately, very few luxury models in the USA come in a stick these days. But nothing beats a stick when driving in the Scottish Highlands, Western Ireland, or the hills in Southern Italy.
I rented a car in Grand Cayman that had a stick. Didn’t think it would be a problem as I had driven a million miles with manuals. However with left hand drive, I had to shift with my left hand, all the time paying that extra bit of attention to driving on the left. It was a tiring business. Glad that Island isn’t very big.