We just returned from the most epic road trip! We spent the summer driving through Europe visiting a whooping 8 countries in the process. Now we are no strangers to road trips, we normally holiday in the UK and spend a lot of time in the car. But this road trip was something else. It required an incredible amount of planning, and to be honest, despite all our planning, we were still learning as we went. In this post, we will list all the essentials needed for driving in Europe.
Passport
This is fairly obvious, you’ll need your passport to get to Europe but you should keep this with you whilst you are driving. As Europe benefits from freedom of movement and the borders are often open with no checks, it is easy to forget that your passport should be within reach when you are driving.
Driving Documents
Whilst driving in Europe, there are some documents you’re going to need to keep with you in the car:
- Driving Licence
- Insurance Documents
- Logbook
These must be kept in the vehicle at all times in most European countries.
European Breakdown Cover
Before you travel to Europe, contact your breakdown cover provider and ask them to extend your cover to Europe (if it’s not already part of your policy). We are with the RAC and this was very quick and easy to do, it took all of 15 minutes on the phone.
Warning Triangle
This is needed in case of a breakdown in most European countries. It’s better to be well prepared and consider safety, especially if you’re going to drive through places such as The Swiss Alps with high altitudes and breakdowns are frequent.
Headlamp beam deflectors
These are used to stop your headlights from dazzling other drivers. Our car is new and so the headlights are adjusted automatically. Check with the manufacturer if your car adjusts the headlights automatically. If not, you will need to buy headlamp beam deflectors. They can be purchased on Amazon or at Halfords. For those who forgot, they even sold them on the ferry and in petrol stations and service stations throughout Europe too.
First Aid Kit
This was required in France, Germany and Austria. We picked up 2 first aid kits from Home Bargains. They were about £6 each. It’s actually a great idea to keep these in the car and we have continued this practice since we came home to the UK.
Reflective Jackets
One reflective jacket for the driver and each passenger must be kept in the cabin of the vehicle at all times in case of a breakdown.
UK Car Sticker
If you don’t have GB number plates, then you must display a UK car sticker on the outside of your vehicle. This is one of the most important essentials when driving through every country in Europe.
Low-emission zone stickers
Here are the rules regarding low-emission zones in the countries we travelled through most:
France: We purchased a Low emission zone sticker for France prior to our departure. It cost around £5 and arrived through the post within a week or so of ordering. These are used to identify the emissions on your vehicle and there are various categories of vehicles. Only certain categories of vehicles can enter particular zones.
Belgium: As in France, only low-emission cars are permitted to enter most cities in Belgium. If your vehicle does comply and you are going to enter a low-emission zone, you will need to register your vehicle online before you do so. It’s quick and free to do so. If you accidentally enter a low-emission zone, you can even register 5 days after entering the zone.
Germany: As with France, a sticker is required in Germany to drive into low-emission zones. The zones are marked with the sign ‘UMWELTZONE’. Fortunately, we did not pass through any of these zones. You will find them in the larger cities in Germany.
Italy: Only the Balzon-Bozen region required a low-emission zone sticker. This must be applied for in advance prior to your visit.
Tolls
I do wish someone had told us just how many toll booths we would drive through on our road trip through Europe. The toll roads are fantastic – the roads are smooth and there are ample services along the way. They also can cut a substantial amount of time off your journey, thus saving fuel and so are worth every cent. We just didn’t budget for them. The use of toll roads added perhaps £300 to our trip. We were also forced to pay an additional 80 euros because we came off at the wrong junction in Italy and the toll booth operative was extremely unhelpful.
Switzerland has a fantastic system which is much more cost-effective for drivers. You simply purchase a windscreen sticker from any petrol station, it costs around £35. The sticker then allows you to drive on any road in the country and is valid for 14 months.
Currency
Be sure to bring some cash with you in Euros. This is one of the most important essentials when driving through Europe. We encountered a toll booth which did not accept card payments as the machine was broken. Fortunately, on that occasion, the cost was only 3 euros and so we had some change in the car. Although most places do accept card payments, cash is still king in Europe!
