Now that the summer is here, if you’re lucky enough to be heading off on your holidays any time soon, there’s a good chance that you’ll be doing some driving abroad. Whether it’s mainland Europe or somewhere further afield, the prospect of driving on foreign roads can be as exciting as it is daunting.
If you love driving, you’ll love it even more if you cross the Channel and explore mainland Europe. Just crossing that stretch of water somehow gives you a buzz; it instantly turns any drive into more of an adventure.

But many people are put off crossing into Europe, frightened that they won’t be able to speak the language or they’ll fall foul of the traffic laws. It doesn’t help that most of Europe drives on the opposite side of the road from us, but it’s something you soon get used to. It also helps that outside the cities, many of Europe’s roads are far less congested than ours.
However, the rules and regulations vary from one country to another and it’s easy to get things wrong. If you’re in a car on UK plates it’ll be obvious you’re not a local, and as a result you’ll hopefully be cut some slack. It helps that in many European countries, drivers have a more laid-back attitude.
As usual, a bit of preparation will make all the difference. Just hop on a ferry and hope for the best, and the chances are the trip will be a disaster. Instead, put a few hours into planning your journey so you make the most of it, and it’s far more likely to be the trip of a lifetime. For all the right reasons.
The basics

• Take a basic emergency kit which includes a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and some spare bulbs along with a warning triangle. In some countries you must also carry a fluorescent jacket for each person in the car. These must be in the cabin, not in the boot, so they’re readily accessible; the same goes for the fire extinguisher. Don’t forget to fit some headlamp deflectors to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, and you must also carry a personal breathalyser in France. A cheap disposable one is fine.

• Carry identification. Even though the counterpart driving licence is now redundant in the UK, it’s still worth taking it along with your photocard licence. Just make sure you don’t leave any of your documents in the car though; keep them with you at all times. If you’re hiring a car rather than taking your own, remember to get a code from the DVLA (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hiring-a-vehicle ).
• Treat your car to either a full service or at least some basic maintenance before you set off. Make sure your oil and water are up to the mark and that there are no leaks, that your tyres have enough tread, and also ensure they’re at the correct pressures.

• If you’re taking a sat-nav, make sure that its maps are up to date. It’s worth taking a recent large-scale atlas as well, so you can see the bigger picture wherever you’re travelling.
• Don’t take a speed camera detector with you, as they’re banned in many European countries. If you get caught with one, even if you’re not necessarily using it, the detector will be confiscated, and you’ll also be fined heavily.

• Most European countries have stricter drink driving laws than the UK. While we have a limit of 0.8mg/ml, the threshold in most European countries is just 0.5mg/ml. That’s why you’re better off avoiding alcohol altogether if you’re driving.

Getting there
There are loads of places you can sail from and to; from the UK there are ports along the south coast and up the east coast, and don’t forget you can also cross to Ireland from Wales. You can grab a ferry to Holland, Spain, Belgium or France; for a list of all available routes just check out Direct Ferries (http://www.directferries.co.uk/routes.htm) or aferry.co.uk (http://www.aferry.co.uk/ferry-routes.htm)
Breakdown cover
If you break down in Europe, the cost of getting your car back to the UK could be more than it’s worth – especially if you’re in Southern or Eastern Europe. That’s why you shouldn’t even think about driving on the continent without breakdown cover.
All of the major breakdown organisations offer European cover on a daily, weekly or annual basis. Many classic car insurance policies feature European breakdown cover as standard, but if you’ve got an old car that isn’t on a classic car policy, finding cover can be difficult.
Insurance
If you’re tempted to take your car to Europe, don’t assume that just because you have fully comprehensive cover in the UK, you’ll have the same level of protection on the continent. In most cases, as soon as you cross the Channel, your insurance drops to only the minimum level of cover required by EU law, which is third party.
As a result, if you’re involved in a prang – whether it’s your fault or not – you could be left high and dry. That’s why you need to tell your insurer that you’re going to cross over to mainland Europe, and to pay an extra premium to increase your level of cover to fully comprehensive. Only then will you know that if the worst should happen, you’ll be covered.
Outside the EU
Because mainland Europe is so accessible, we Brits tend to go there the most. We either take our own cars there or we hire them, but what if you’re driving further afield? If you’re off to the US, Asia or Africa this summer, you might need to invest in an international driving permit, but other than that, much of the above is applicable. Because the rules and regulations vary from one country to another, we can only summarise things here. For a bigger picture check out the .gov web page on driving abroad (https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad)
 
Richard Dredge
July 2015