DRIVING TO EUROPE THIS SUMMER?

Some of you may be taking off on holiday to Europe this summer and some of you may be driving. If that’s the case, a large number of you will end up taking the ferry to France before continuing on to your holiday destination. With that in mind, you should check out tips on overseas driving. Here’s a few tips on what you should take with you when driving in France and the rest of Europe.

You should carry the following documents:

Full, valid driving license (with paper counterpart)

Motor insurance certificate (take the original, not a copy, and make sure that your insurance coverage extends to driving in Europe too)

Your Passport

An International Driving Permit (if necessary)

Also, motorists in France are required by law to have the following items with them when driving:

• Warning triangle
• Reflective jackets (kept inside the car and not in the boot)
• Headlamp Adapters (UK vehicles are designed for driving on the left-hand side of the road. This means that when you use your vehicle in Europe where you drive on the right, you will dazzle oncoming drivers at night. Failure to adapt your headlamps could leave you open to be stopped by the police and possible prosecution. Also, not fitting Headlamp Adapters could invalidate your motor insurance. Find out more about the headlights here).
• GB sticker (UK registered vehicles displaying Euro-plates (circle of 12 stars above the national identifier on blue background) do not need a GB sticker)
• 2 disposable breathalysers
• Spare bulb kit
• Snow chains (for vehicles using snow-covered roads – see relevant road signs – this may not be applicable in the summer, depending on where you are going).

You can pick up most of these things pretty easily at your local Halfords, auto accessory shop or, even, on Amazon.

Finally, it’s a good idea to keep some spare change in Euros with you, as motorway tolls are common when driving in France and the rest of Europe.

I hope that you found these tips helpful.