Planning a Europe highway journey? Questioning what you want to have the ability to drive in Europe? What equipment to hold and paperwork to take? Right here’s all the things you might want to find out about driving in Europe, whether or not you’re travelling by automobile, motorhome, campervan, caravan, bike or anything!
Don’t overlook to seize your FREE Driving in Europe guidelines to assist hold you organised.
*We work onerous to make this the very best motorhome journey weblog and highway journey web site potential, filled with useful content material for you. The web site is supported by our readers, so in the event you purchase by means of hyperlinks on this web site we could earn a commission- at no additional value to you. All opinions stay our personal.
If you happen to discover this publish helpful, you possibly can additionally deal with us to a espresso – we promise to get pleasure from it whereas creating extra helpful content material like this- we would even take pleasure in a biscuit (or two!)
What do you might want to drive in Europe?
While you’re planning a European highway journey, it may well all really feel a bit overwhelming. There are questions over what paperwork you might want to take, do you want a inexperienced card, what gear do you want in your automobile and are breathalysers STILL a factor?
NOTE: This publish is up to date and takes into consideration all adjustments for driving in Europe after BREXIT and new French legal guidelines. There have been some adjustments to each gear you might want to carry in your automobile, and to paperwork you might want to carry. Particulars on each are under and all checklists have been up to date to conform.
Driving in Europe Guidelines
Once I deliberate my first driving vacation to Europe, there wasn’t a straightforward useful resource or guidelines for a automobile, motorhome or campervan *cough, , just like the one you will get under* and all of it felt a bit overwhelming.
So, to make your life simpler, here’s a checklist of what you might want to drive in Europe. Truly, there are some belongings you NEED to take with you (legally) and there are some you SHOULD take (as a result of they make life extra enjoyable!)
Wish to head to Europe along with your motorhome?
Seize your FREE (printable) guidelines and uncover 25 belongings you NEED to take with you while you journey in Europe. Make your life simpler right this moment.
Important Highway Journey Equipment for driving in Europe
I’m sorry to say that many of the equipment you NEED in your Europe journey equipment aren’t very attractive or enjoyable. However they’re geared toward rising your visibility and security and the police DO verify in the event that they cease you- and so they do fantastic in the event you aren’t carrying all the things you need to be.
Issues you might want to drive in Europe- security gear
Not like within the UK, there are some belongings you legally MUST carry in your automobile when driving in Europe. These are:
- Hello-vis reflective jackets – one per particular person (These MUST be accessible with out getting out of the vehicle- ie, don’t hold them within the storage until you possibly can attain them from inside!)
- Warning triangle
- Headlight beam convertors– have to be fitted earlier than you drive in Europe.
- UK automobile sticker connected to the again of automobile or reg plates.
- First support equipment – obligatory in lots of nations, together with France and Germany. Discover out what we stock in our European first support equipment right here
- For France – Angles Morts Stickers
TOP TIP: Purchase these necessities for driving in Europe prematurely. One of many most cost-effective locations is on Amazon. If you happen to use someplace like Halfords or wait till you’re on the ferry, you might spend two and even THREE instances as a lot!
Do I would like a breathalyser to drive in France or Europe?
Repeat after me- you do NOT want a breathalyser to drive in Europe.
It was a legislation France handed just a few years in the past… after which quietly eliminated for no matter motive. Many posts rating extremely in Google nonetheless checklist a breathalyser of their important Europe driving equipment checklist, however I promise you, you don’t want one.
(Wish to see what driving guidelines ARE obligatory in France? Examine them out HERE)
Different really useful Europe driving equipment to hold for security
- Spare bulbs for all lights within the automobile
- Torch
- Fireplace extinguisher – I take advantage of the Fireplace Security Stick
- Blanket- helpful in case your passengers get chilly! (Do you know you should buy a 12v heated blanket? It’s superb!)
- Water and snacks- simply in case you run into site visitors or breakdown someplace distant.
Highway journey equipment you MIGHT want when driving in Europe
The next equipment are belongings you would possibly want to hold in your automobile, motorhome, caravan or campervan, relying on when and the place you might be planning your highway journey in Europe.
- Snow chains/ winter tyres– verify the foundations on the nation you might be visiting and pay shut consideration to the DATES when the snow chain/ snow tyres guidelines come into pressure. If you happen to’re unsure, learn THIS. France handed a legislation in November 2021 about winter tyres and snow chains- learn it in full right here.
- Clear Air tax in some French cities, known as Crit’Air. Right here’s what you want to find out about these.
- Blind Spot Stickers. In case your motorhome is over 3.5 tonnes and also you’re planning to go to constructed up areas in France, you’ll must match these Blind spot warning stickers.
- Motorway tax/ Vignette. These are enforced in a number of nations throughout Europe, together with Switzerland and Austria. You need to have them fitted in your automobile earlier than/ as you cross the border. You should buy them in garages very simply. Keep in mind, in case you are motorhoming in Switzerland in a automobile over 3.5t, you would possibly want greater than a traditional vignette.
- Watch out for Portugal, the place you might want to carry a brief toll system with the intention to use a number of the motorways- learn our information to motorhoming in Portugal
- Pink/ white warning board signal – for bike racks or something overhanging the tip of the motorhome or campervan. These should not at present obligatory in France, however they ARE obligatory if motorhoming in Italy or Spain. Get the costlier aluminium one – the cheaper variations should not authorized in Italy.
What paperwork do you might want to drive in Europe?
If you happen to’re driving in Europe, you might want to carry the next paperwork:
- Passport (or id card)
- Driving licence (verify it’s in date!)
- Car Insurance coverage documents- verify you might be lined for driving in Europe
- Breakdown cowl
- Car V5 logbook (which should present your appropriate tackle)
- Car have to be legally taxed and MOT’d
- Trailer certification (if required)
- Inexperienced card (if required- normally just for trailers. Examine & get out of your automobile insurer)
- Worldwide Driving Allow if required
- Private journey insurance coverage
Do I would like a world driving allow to drive in Europe?
Most UK residents don’t want an IDP to drive within the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein in case you have a card driving licence issued within the UK.
You would possibly want one in case you have:
- a paper driving licence solely
- a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
(If you happen to do want an IDP, right here’s an in-depth information on how one can get an Worldwide Driving Allow and which one(s) you want from a UK publish workplace.
Planning to take your motorhome to Europe?
Driving in Europe- Different helpful belongings you would possibly want
We’ve been touring Europe in our motorhome for a number of years. We’ve tried all kinds of kit- some helpful, some not a lot.
Here’s a checklist of issues we extremely suggest when driving in Europe, however that are NOT important:
RELATED: Planning a winter motorhome journey? Learn this to see different gear you would possibly want
Motorhome/ Camper journey equipment for Europe
If you happen to’re travelling Europe in a motorhome or camper, listed below are some additional belongings you would possibly discover useful:
Tolls in Europe
Most nations in Europe which don’t have vignettes have tolls. Usually, the tolls are automated and take card funds, however in the event you can carry change you’ll discover the queues for these lanes are usually shorter.
We LOVE our automated toll go (It was once known as Sanef, however now it’s Emovis which permits us to breeze by means of the tolls when touring in France, Spain & Portugal.)
It’s a little bit field which sticks to the windscreen and every time we undergo a toll it provides itself to our invoice, which is emailed to us on the finish of the month. Cost is taken routinely if that’s what you favor. They’ve comparable methods for Scandanavia as well- we used BroBizz after we had been over 3.5 tonnes on our motorhome vacation to Norway
It’s not an important motorhome accent, and you’ll fortunately tour Europe with out it, nevertheless it actually does assist.
Driving in Europe- issues to do earlier than you allow
Don’t overlook to do these important automobile checks earlier than you allow with the intention to ensure you don’t have any disagreeable surprises in your journey!
Fundamental automobile upkeep:
- Examine tyre stress
- If the automobile hasn’t been began for some time, begin the engine and provides it a run, simply to make certain!
- BRAKES. Examine your brakes and brake fluid. Please. Halfords do a free brake verify and after our horrible expertise of driving down a mountain in Switzerland with none brakes, we verify ours recurrently!
- Tyre tread. In case your tread may be very low and also you’re about to set off driving round Europe, contemplate doing the identical. If you happen to’re going for a few weeks and your tread is okay, you need to be fantastic till you get again. If you happen to’re unsure, ask your native storage.
- Windscreen. Examine for chips, cracks or different imperfections. It’s possible you’ll be lined by insurance coverage in Europe, but when it cracks utterly, it’s going to eat into your vacation time. Higher to get it sorted now and never have to fret about it.
- Lights. Be certain all of your lights, indicators and so forth are working. It’s scary what number of motorhomes and caravans we’ve seen with indicators or brake lights which aren’t working accurately. Don’t give the European police a straightforward motive to fantastic you. (And people fines are on the spot!)
- Washer fluid
- Oil
- Water ranges in radiator in case you have an older motorhome/ campervan.
- Adblue
- Battery- in case you are in any doubt concerning the starter battery or motorhome home battery (or every other battery you might have), get it checked and change if needed
- Examine fluid in washer fluid reservoir
- Examine windscreen wipers
- Examine something mounted to the skin of the motorhome is safe
- Examine door locks- a lot simpler to get it mounted now than later! We fitted an extra motorhome door lock for safety.
- Examine to make sure bolts haven’t labored unfastened on bike rack
- Examine towbar and all electrics
- Examine straps for fraying
- Examine tread on trailer tyres
- Examine brakes if it’s a braked trailer
- Examine fixings on roof packing containers/ exterior baggage carriers to make sure they’re nonetheless correctly fitted.
- If you happen to’re planning a motorhome, campervan, RV or caravan journey, verify as many automobile methods as possible- heating, air conditioning, fridge, photo voltaic panel, water, rest room, batteries… in the event you discover an issue now you continue to have time to repair it earlier than you journey if you might want to.
What to do in case you are renting a automobile on your European highway journey?
In case you are hiring a motorhome or camper in Europe, it’s YOUR accountability to verify the automobile has the required security tools. The on-the-spot fines apply to you as the motive force, not the corporate. Examine prematurely with the corporate what equipment they’ll present with the automobile and what you will want to carry.
Take a listing of what’s legally required with you and verify it off one after the other as you might be given the handover. Don’t drive till you might be completely happy you adjust to the native legal guidelines.
Be sure to have proof you can take the automobile throughout a border into one other nation if that’s what you’re planning on doing.
I hope you now really feel higher ready for driving in Europe.
Different Europe Journey ideas you would possibly discover useful:
For extra data, go to our Europe journey part for recommendation, vacation spot concepts and extra.
Final replace on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API
