Driving abroad

Planning is everything. Every hour spent at home researching, compiling information and printing off notes relevant to the countries and regions through which you are planning to drive will help ensure your trip passes without trouble.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides excellent, up-to-the-minute, country by country advice about travelling in Europe.

The following information gives you an indication of the sorts of things you will need to be aware of:

Road signs are not the same from one country to another, and local police are unlikely to be impressed by your attempt to mitigate driving into the middle of their town’s fiesta with the claim that you did not understand the ‘no cars’ sign.

The ‘Moto Europa’ website, run by a car rental company and aimed primarily at American visitors, provides an excellent overview of European road signage that you may wish to print off and take with you.

For each country or specific region through which you will drive, research and print off contact details of:

• The British consul
• Regional Police
• Local main dealership for your vehicle
• Local franchised service garage for your vehicle if you are in rural area

If you have included Foreign travel in Your Cover, you should add our European Breakdown assistance line +44 208 603 9659 to this list.

Don’t leave it until the morning you set off for the ferry or Eurostar terminal to think about your car. Check it over, or have it checked over by a garage, a week or so in advance, so that you can have necessary work completed in time.

Tyres: If you are setting off for Europe in the hope of enjoying long, hot days, remember that heat causes the air in your tyres to expand, and imperfections in tyre walls come under increased pressure. If your tyres are underinflated, the rubber will experience increased friction on a scalding hot road surface, and tyres are likely to blow out. Check your tyres carefully, and replace any which are imperfect. Ensure all tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for your holiday driving, i.e. to allow for a car loaded with passengers in the back and a boot filed with luggage, or for towing of a caravan.

Cooling system: Check the level in your coolant bottle before you go away, and again throughout your trip. Top it up with water as necessary, but be suspicious that there may be a problem if the level requires topping regularly. Check the hose coming from the coolant bottle for dampness, white staining, splits or loose fitting. Have your garage replace anything you find defective.

Check the condition of your fan belt and cooling fan. Check the belt visually if you are able while the engine is switched off. You can then check the fan by bringing the engine up to running temperature, and letting it idle for a few minutes. If the fan does not cut in within 5 minutes or so, you should ask your garage to check it.

Windows: Check that all your windows, and your sunroof or retractable hood if you have them, open and close properly. Being able to lower the windows as you cruise along the autoroute is one of the joys of driving in Europe.

Windscreen washers: Regularly check the level of your windscreen washer fluid and make sure it is topped up at all times.  If you do find you need to top it up, you should avoid using washing up liquid as this will leave a film on your windscreen.  Instead, buy windscreen washer fluid from a garage, the agent in it should keep it from freezing during the winter months and by mixing it with water, you can make it last longer. When checking your windscreen washer fluid, you should also check the condition of your wiper blades. You can do this by carefully lifting the windscreen wiper away from the car so it doesn’t spring back in to the windscreen. Examine the condition of the rubber blades and check for any damage or brittle bits, if you notice any damage, replace them immediately.

Air vents: Check that all of your air vents, and the hoses and intakes that feed them, are clear and working properly. Make sure that you have the vents controls set to ‘open’, set the temperature control to ‘cool’, then run the fan on each of it settings and make sure that cool air runs freely from all vents with a force appropriate to each setting. If it does not, ask your garage to clean out and refurbish the system, which frequently becomes obstructed with leaves.

Air conditioning: If you are heading south for the French Rivierra, Spain, Italy or other hot countries, air conditioning is an almost essential part of a comfortable driving experience.If you have this in your car, have it checked by your garage or by an auto-air conditioning specialist, and have it recharged and any faults rectified.

Headlights: Adjust your headlamp alignment. You are legally required not to 'cause dazzle to oncoming drivers' while driving in Europe. Because of the difference between our right-hand drive, and Europe’s left-hand position, this means that if you are going to be driving for more than a day or two, it’s wise to adjust the angle of your headlight beams. Your owner’s handbook will explain how to do this, but you may prefer to have your garage do it for you. As an alternative, use self adhesive headlight converters available from motor spares shops. Don’t forget to revert them to their UK alignment when you return home.

Light bulbs: Check that all your car’s lights are working before you set off and make sure you carry spares in case any fail whilst you are away.  In some countries, the law states that you should carry spares with you.

Many European countries, most extensively France, have toll road systems. These are often on motorway links into and out of large cities.

Toll roads work in a number of ways. Some have toll stations giving access to a section of road. Others have an entry and exit station. You obtain a ticket on entry, hand this to a cashier on exit, and are charged for the distance you have travelled. Virtually all toll booths now accept credit cards, enabling you to pay with cash, credit card or using pre-purchased tokens or tickets. Keeping a good stock of Euros and smaller coins in your car is never a mistake.

Whether you are encountering driving on the right (as opposed to the left as we do in the UK) for the first time, or are a seasoned veteran, the change from the familiarity of left hand driving should not be underestimated.

A high proportion of accidents occur within a few miles of ferry ports, as drivers momentarily follow instinct and forget themselves.

When you drive a UK car in Europe, you are steering from the position occupied by the passenger in most other cars. This means you can’t reliably see who’s behind you using your wing mirror, and so makes overtaking both nerveracking and dangerous.

If you have a passenger whose judgement can be counted on, sit them in your front passenger seat to watch the wing mirror and confirm when it’s safe to pull out. If you don’t have a suitable passenger, and the vehicle in front of you is of car size, as opposed to long lorry size, edge out carefully and take a look. If you have clear road ahead, and full visibility, pull out and go. If you do not, or you are behind a long vehicle, be patient. It’s better to wait a few minutes than to pull out and cause an accident.

Roundabouts cause great concern, but the best idea is simply to follow the flow. It’s hard to go the wrong way on a busy roundabout. Roads joining them are usually angled so that you would have to try particularly hard to go the wrong way. Just follow the road, and other traffic if there is any, and drive confidently but with care.

When you join a main road from a junction, simply watch the traffic flow in front of you, and follow what other vehicles are doing. If there are no other vehicles, think about the road layout, look carefully twice in both directions, then proceed.

A high proportion of accidents occur when drivers are rejoining traffic after filling up, or making use of roadside parking spaces. Remember that before you pull out, you must look left (not right as at home) to see traffic coming on your side of the road.