Depending on where you are travelling to there are various things you need to do to ensure your car, or motor vehicle is road legal and ready for what could be a long journey.
The first thing to mention is that as of July 2008 every car travelling in Europe should carry a warning triangle by law. This is very important if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of a breakdown (for which you will need European breakdown cover – so don’t forget!). Make sure you buy these before you get on the ferry too, otherwise you could be paying as much as five times more for a triangle and remember that Spanish law requires you to carry TWO and a reflective vest, which is advisable for all European breakdowns.

As most of us are aware you must also look into fitting headlight adaptors to convert your headlights to driving on the other side of the road. This is to stop you dazzling other drivers and failure to fit them could result in a hefty fine as the authorities are pretty hot on spotting UK cars and stopping them for this.

The same is true of a GB sticker. You must have one of these attached to your car or risk another pricey meeting with the polizia!

The only other things to think about are to ensure all your tyres are within the legal tread limit and are well pumped up, and that all fluids – oil, water and fuel – are topped up.

It can also be worth carrying a spare set of headlight bulbs as these should be replaced as soon as they blow and if you see somebody else on the side of the road as a result of a European breakdown then you should stop to help. This is actually stated in law, although not all European residents abide by it.

>> To read Part One of our European Motoring Advice Guide follow this link
>> To check you have European Breakdown Cover click here or call the
RescueMyCar.com team on 0800 783 6026.