I've lived in the UK since 2011. I've lived in cities (Bristol, outskirts of London), the suburbs, and now in a more rural location (small town on the edge of the countryside, about 8 miles from Bristol). One of the great things about the UK is that we have lovely countryside that, for the most part, is not too far from small villages or towns for re-fuelling, accommodation, etc (this isn't true for every where, but for a good chunk of the UK it is). Riding along the country lanes for the most part is wonderful and there is very little traffic. But it is important to note, that the speed limit on a lot of this narrow, singletrack road is the National Speed Limit (60 mph). So you do need to have your wits about you. Most people who drive on country lanes, so do carefully, and drive at speeds much more suited to the road because you may come across another car (and it's not wide enough to pass each other, someone always needs to reverse to the closest passing place), a farmer on his tractor, a lorry, cyclists, horse riders, and sometimes a herd of cows being moved to a different field. But there is the occasional knobhead, usually a local lad, tearing it around the lanes. |So while traffic count is low, you still do need to have your wits about you. But most people are courteous.
I much prefer off-road these days. We have a lovely network of bridleways, by ways, forest tracks, single/double track linked up by country lanes here in the south west.