Summer holidays are coming up, and many of us will be taking our cars across the channel (or even the ocean) to continental Europe for some long-haul driving. Obviously, we are all aware that the mainlanders drive on the right side of the road - but is there anything else we ought to keep in mind? Is there ever.
What to bring
Before you set off, make sure to have your car serviced properly, and check everything carefully. Check your tyres - including your spare tyre - and make sure that you have all the tools to change a wheel with you.
It is very important to bring the essentials with you. Always carry a minimum of 1 litre of motor oil with you, and keep checking your oil at regular intervals. Bring a full set of fuses. Bring a fire extinguisher, spare bulbs and a warning triangle with you, too: In many European countries, one, two or all three are required by law. Even if the country you are traveling to doesn't have it as a requirement, it is better to have one if you need it.
If you are driving an UK, right-hand-drive vehicle, you will also need headlamp beam reflectors: Your headlights will be configured to light up the left side of the road in particular - if that is where other motorists are, you may be blinding them. At best, that is annoying, at worst, it is illegal and may cause accidents. For some modern headlights such as HID or Xenon lights, it is impossible to mask off the lights. Take your vehicle to the dealership or an authorised garage to find out how they can be adjusted to be road-legal in Europe.
Make sure you bring your insurance information and "green card" (international proof of motor insurance) with you. In addition, your travel insurance documents, vehicle documents (V5 document) and your drivers' licence - including the paper counterpart - are essential.
In many countries, it is mandatory to have a GB sticker on the back of your vehicle, if you do not have one of the new number-plates that have GB and the EU circle of stars on the left side.
Driving on the wrong side of the road
Driving on the right hand side of the road is immediately what scares most drivers who are used to driving in the UK, for a variety of different reasons. Obviously, it means that you have to remember keeping the car on the right hand side of the road, but there are other quirks that are worth keeping in mind as well.
If you are driving a rental car, you will probably find that changing gears will be far more difficult to get used to than which side of the road you drive on: You wouldn't be the first driver to be digging around in your driver side door looking for your gear lever, which may add to the overall stress of driving in unusual circumstances. If this worries you, it is worth hiring a car with an automatic transmission: It takes out a lot of the hassle.
If you decide to take your own car across the channel, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you driving from the "wrong side" of the road. Because of this, you will have a lot less overview when overtaking (you are on the right side of the car, but have to overtake on the left side). The top tip, then, is just to take it easier: Don't overtake unless you have to, and consider asking your passengers - who may have better overview - to stay on the look-out.
Driving on motorways
In much of Europe, the left lanes are strictly for overtaking. This is particularly true for the Autobahn and the Autostrade. Stick to the right-most lane for regular driving, and move to the left only to overtake. Even then, make sure to check your mirrors carefully - drivers are liable to come from behind at very high speeds indeed.
The legend is true: some sections of the german Autobahn are indeed without speed limits. For the speed freaks among us, this sounds like heaven, but it also requires a special set of driving skills. Driving sensibly and according to traffic is key: If the roads are dry and traffic is light, you could in theory take your car to its maximum, but if it has never been taken to its limits, chances of engine failure or other problems are increased, and you may end up stranded on the side of the road.
If you do decide to have a go at driving fast, keep an eye on your rear-view mirror, however: Even if you are driving 160 mph, there will be faster cars on the road, and they may be coming up from behind very fast. Oh, and make sure that you keep an eye on your petrol gauge: On the Autobahn, it is illegal to run out of fuel.
Remember, also, that speeds in mainland Europe will be marked with kilometres per hour (km/h or kph) instead of miles per hour (mph). Most UK cars will have markings for both km/h and mph, just make sure you are looking at the right dial! Also, if your car only has mph, it is worth writing down a conversion table with intervals for every 10 km/h, so you can refer to it when driving.
Driving in inner cities
No matter how much time you may have spent on the road in London, driving in some of the European cities - such as Paris and Rome - can be a nerve-wrecking experience indeed. Especially the French have no qualms with using their horns liberally at tourists, and driving extremely close to your vehicle. Also, there is a good reason for why you will find a lot of slightly dented cars in France and Italy - just be careful.
The top tip, then, is not to drive in the most manic cities - if you can, leave your car at your hotel, and rather take advantage of the well-developed public transportation systems, or walk where you can. It may seem like more hassle, but the threat of imminent death does take a lot of the enjoyment out of a holiday.
You could also consider leaving the car behind altogether: Use the train for longer-distance inter-city trips, and use the local transport options for inner-city travel. Just don't fall for the temptation to take a hotel outside the city you are visiting and commute in for day-trips: You do lose a lot of the flavour of visiting a city if you don't stay there at night.
When in Rome...
It is important that you stick to the laws of the country you are in, even if nobody around you seems to do so: All passengers must wear their seatbelts at all times, stick to the speed limits, and never drink any alcohol before you step behind the wheel.
The British habit of flashing your light to let people into traffic is a bad idea - in much of mainland europe, flashing your lights means "watch out, here I come": in other words, exactly the opposite of what you have grown to expect at home.
Driving in hills
If you are driving in countries that have a very hilly / mountainous landscape, you may find that you do a lot of braking. In time, this can cause your brakes to overheat, which may lead to a complete loss of braking power. If you are driving a manual-transmission vehicle, the rule of the thumb is to drive downhill in the same gear that you would drive uphill: Gearing down to 2nd gear when going downhill, and leaving the clutch engaged saves you a lot of braking.
When driving up- and down-hill in mountainous landscape, you will often find hairpin bends. These are roads that criss-cross up and down mountainsides. The first few times this can be an unsettling situation, especially if cars are coming in the opposite direction and if the road is icy. Just remember to take it slow, and that the car coming up-hill will have the right of way in most cases.
Country-specific rules
Most countries have a few rules that may be slightly different from what you are used to. The following is a summary of the most important ones, but it is worth researching the country you are going to in any case, as laws are constantly being adjusted. A country's embassy will be a good source for information.
In Austria, the motorway speed limit is 130 km/h, the limit for open roads is 100 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children shorter than 150cm in height cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are extremely severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad. Seatbelts are mandatory, and visibility vests (reflective / neon vests) are compulsory if you need to move out of your vehicle on the motorway. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In Belgium, the motorway speed limit is 120 km/h, the limit for open roads is 90 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 3 years cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In Denmark, the motorway speed limit is 130 km/h, the limit for open roads is 80 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 3 years cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used at all times. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In France, the motorway speed limit is 130 km/h, the limit for open roads is 90 km/h (110 for dual carriageways). Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 3 years cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used in low visibility. Seatbelts are mandatory, and visibility vests (reflective / neon vests) are compulsory if you need to move out of your vehicle on the motorway.
In Germany, there is no motorway speed limit unless one is marked. The limit for open roads is 100 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children shorter than 150cm in height or younger than 12 cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle and a first-aid kit in the vehicle at all times.
In Luxembourg, the motorway speed limit is 120 km/h, the limit for open roads is 90 km/h. Town speed limit is 60 km/h. If you have had a drivers' licence for shorter than 2 years, you may not drive faster than 75 km/h Children shorter than 150cm in height or younger than 12 cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad, and it is adviced to flash your head-lights when overtaking at night. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In the Netherlands, the motorway speed limit is 120 km/h, the limit for open roads is 80 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children shorter than 150cm in height or younger than 12 years cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad. Seatbelts are mandatory, and visibility vests (reflective / neon vests) are compulsory if you need to move out of your vehicle on the motorway. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In Norway, the motorway speed limit is 90 km/h (100 km/h on some stretches), the limit for open roads is 80 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 4 years cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are extremely severe. Dipped headlights must be used at all times. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
In Spain, the motorway speed limit is 120 km/h, the limit for open roads is 100 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 12 cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is bad. Seatbelts are mandatory, and visibility vests (reflective / neon vests) are compulsory if you need to move out of your vehicle on the motorway. It is mandatory to have two warning triangles in the vehicle at all times.
In Switzerland, the motorway speed limit is 120 km/h, the limit for open roads is 80 km/h. Town speed limit is 50 km/h. Children younger than 7 cannot sit in the front seat. Drink driving penalties are severe. Dipped headlights are adviced at all times, but not mandatory. Seatbelts are mandatory. It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times.
originally written for askaprice.com