Hi!
Driving to Hamburg from Calais at the end of June, think I’ve got the obvious things like insurance and a euro driving kit (uk sticker, triangle and vests etc). What else haven’t I thought of?
Ta!
RM.
You used to need a fire extinguisher if driving in Belgium.
Toll tag good if you can, not sure if there is such a thing for B/NL/D
If you've got breakdown cover then have the number in your phone and a means of identifying your location. (Just lat and long off Google maps was fine for us). We've broken down twice in Germany - bizarrely always when passing near Bremen northbound!
You can use the motorway phones, but ADAC is getting you either way. If you use the breakdown cover number, it is already paid for and assistance wheels are in motion. If you use the mway phones, you often have to pay and claim back later.
And nothing is getting fixed or spares bought in Germany on a Sunday 🙂
Do you need an emissions sticker for where you are going in Hamburg?
They can be bought from any city eg
Online-application environmental zone sticker - Berlin.de https://share.google/093fVkHI4ASIO2k8H
Don't do the first hit on Google unless you want to pay 3x the price!
When you say 'Euro driving kit', does that include spare bulbs? I seem to recall those were a requirement last time I drove to Cham (might have changed since, it was some years ago)
Thanks all!!
Google maps reckons no green stickers needed if we avoid one zone by a slightly different route, so was gonna do that.
I don’t think it does have bulbs, will double check what is needed!
RM.
I was wondering about the requirement for spare bulbs recently. On modern cars they almost never break and they'd be all but impossible to replace at a service station in the dark.
On my Capri I could switch the bulbs in minutes. On the Octavia I wouldn't know where to start.
Apparently the kit doesn’t have bulbs, but also neither does the car as it’s frickin’ LED beams or something which cost a jillion pounds to replace. They’re not listed in required on the RAC link tractionman helpfully posted so I think I’ll meh that one.
Thats a great tip MattOAB but for some unknown reason I’ve never really struggled with that, just seems to come naturally to me! He says… 🤣
RM.
Watch for bikes overtaking you on the inside on bike lanes before turning right anywhere and everywhere, they have priority.
In general if it's coming from the right there's a possibility it has priority.
If you hear a siren do the same as everyone else, leave a space down the middle.
And yes, Matt's idea or anything else that wil remind you to drive on the right.
My kids made a 'Drive right' sign that used to be blu-tacked to the dashboard for the duration of any right of the road trips.
I've pulled out twice and forgotten, it's a really useful reminder.
Great idea.
Our boys were trained to call out 'On the right' whenever we were about to drive off having been out of the car.
Other words were used when they were teenagers, same intent mind 😀
And nothing is getting fixed or spares bought in Germany on a Sunday
And France. We had a puncture on the motorway between Calais and Paris on a Sunday. No spare and foam can wasn't going to touch it. The only way to avoid an overnight stay in a random small town was to get an emergency mobile fitter. Oh, and in France you can't replace just one tyre, by law it has to be both on the same axle so that doubled the already ludicrous cost. And we had to wait nearly 6 hours before they got to us.
Assuming if you have fancy LED headlights they can be programmed to driving on the right? Otherwise you need a set of beam deflector stickers.
Toll tag good if you can, not sure if there is such a thing for B/NL/D
No tolls in Belgium nor das Vaterland..
A French CritAir sticker might be worth getting if you want to avoid large penalties. Even done national parks require it.
A French CritAir sticker might be worth getting if you want to avoid large penalties. Even done national parks require it.
I thought Crit’Air was being abolished?
Crit air is still required. Although French MPs voted to repeal it is still has various political stages (and fights) to go through for it to be repealed.
I seem to remember last time we drove in France I had to get some of those self-breathalyser sticks to keep with the bulbs, hi-viz vests, warning triangle etc.
Critair is stil a thing but breath tests in the car aren't.
For France, all you need is a UK sticker, headlamp diverters and high-viz bibs and a warning triangle in case of breakdown.
I know this as I'm in France at the moment and I had to buy a warning triangle on Kent on the way, as I forgot to bring either of the two that we already have at home...
What suprised me in france was how fast and aggresive thethe driving is, and just how impatient they are to people in their way, often inches off the bumper indicater flashing waiting to get passed, even on toll roads at 90+ mph
Happened to us and there was nowhere to go, slower lorries on the inside lane, someone tailgating behind us.
Googled it after getting back, France has 70% higher casualty rate on the roads.
Tilt your passenger side and rear view mirror slightly more to the left/outward. It gives you better view of passing traffic if you need to overtake anything. Fill up in UK, it's cheaper than EUland. Tolls will only be applicable in France, setting your navigation to avoid them won't really add much time before you're in Belgium.
Do the coolant, screen wash, wiper blades and oil checks the week before you go, so you have plenty time to remedy if necessary
Take your MOT certificate, original V5 and certificate of insurance. Have them with the vehicle at all times, along with your driving license.
German umweltplakkete is a good shout. Think it's €7 from most cities.
High vis for all, accessible from their seats is a must for France, highly advisable for everywhere else. I don't think you'll see a French toll between Calais and Belgium if you head towards Brugges.. Check on the viamichelin, sanef or emovis sites.
Which way are you going? I don't think you can avoid it, but Belgium is miserable. Their standard of driving is amusing to say the least, there's eleventy billion of them travelling in every direction at all times, they chose concrete slabs laid not quite the same height as each other as their national motorway surface, if you try to escape to the country roads it's no better as their villages are tens of KM long and 1 house deep. They also seem to have many, many houses of dubious occupation. It was quite odd.
The Netherlands is generally 100kph on their motorways, unless it's after 7pm, in which case it's 130kph. Watch out for Dutch drivers going absolutely nuts after crossing over the border into unrestricted Germany, little Erde camping trailer bouncing along at >160kph behind their heavily overladen Pug.
Take some shrapnel for German and Belgian motorway toilets. €1 per person. They also take cards, but the machines are slow. You get a voucher to spend against coffee as a reward.
Traffic around Duisberg can be truly awful. They're rebuilding the junction of the A40 and the A3 - imagine trying to demolish spaghetti junction and rebuild it while it's still in use. As a result whatever map you might be using isn't necessarily as accurate as what is on the ground, or in the air today. I've seen it tail back to before I knew we were near Duisberg, from any direction.
Years since I've been further up towards Bremen & Hamburg.
All good advice. I’d add… if in doubt “look left first”… always a good mantra for driving over the other side
I would also be careful driving when you come back to the UK.
I was riding my motorcycle when I got home and some days later road down a small road with a ford and met a Land rover on my side of the road. It wasn't my driving head was still slightly in France.
Cheers again everyone for all the tips!
Apparently my headlights adjust themselves - the Merc website helpfully just says ‘you don’t need to adjust them’ without a hint of how you’d actually know.
It also took me a min to figure out why people were talking about France until I remembered where Calais is.
Duisburg is where the green air stickers are needed so heading further north through NL to avoid that is the suggestion on Google maps, only a bit longer but also greener according to google as it’s less hills.
RM.
Tolls will only be applicable in France, setting your navigation to avoid them won't really add much time before you're in Belgium.
We went Calais to Bruges last summer and the standard route had no toll booths anyway
Other half always puts a scrunchy/hairband on her right wrist
Great thread and timely as I'm off on a European motorcycle tour in a few weeks. I've been before, plenty of times but not for a couple of years so a reminder is always good. I've got a crit air, just in case although I'm planning to avoid anywhere in France that requires it. I may need a vignette in Austria, but only if I use the motorways which I'm not planning to. If plans change, I can buy one at the border.
I always check the coverage carefully on travel insurance, vehicle insurance and breakdown cover. I'm glad I did as all 3 had issues! Turns out both the free travel insurance and breakdown cover I have with my bank account were no good for this trip and my bike insurance expires the day before I return! All now sorted. I have my V5, MOT, Insurance, and insurance documents. Motorcyclists are exempt from having to carry an emergency triangle, but we have our hi-viz vests, headlight deflector etc.
The one thing I am super wary of in France is "priorite a droite" having nearly been taken out on a previous trip. It's so counterintuitive and potentially lethal if you're not switched on to it. It wouldn't be so bad if it was applied consistently everywhere, but it isn't. Seems to be mainly a thing on small rural roads.
@blokeuptheroad I think the Austrian vignette, like the Swiss one, is required for any limited access road, not just motorways. So for instance parts of the fern pass (next to Lermoos), most of the zillertalstrasse, the bypass past Ellmau and Söll.
@alpin is this right, or have I imagined it?
Google tells me the route I'm taking, entering from Italy via the Timmelsjoch and crossing into Germany near Fussen doesn't require a vignette? I'm aware there's a toll on the Timmelsjoch.
Assuming if you have fancy LED headlights they can be programmed to driving on the right? Otherwise you need a set of beam deflector stickers.
Meant to reply to this - depends on the car. Passat had a setting to switch from left hand to right hand traffic, A4 does it automatically by the power of magic pixies.
Imagined
think the Austrian vignette, like the Swiss one, is required for any limited access road, not just motorways.
Nope, just motorways. Normal "Landstraßen" do not require a vignette..... Only the motorways, and even some stretches of Autobahn in Austria do not require a vignette..... Important to know if you're driving from Germany to Switzerland via Bregenz.
In Switzerland the vignette includes all tunnels and passes on the motorway network.
In Austria there are lots of extra tolls on top of the vignette for various tunnels and bridges.
And the bastard Austrians will sometimes have police forcing you onto the motorway as they want to reduce the traffic for the locals (and get their hands on your money).
If driving through, use Google maps "no toll" function for each country individually... The time saving by using the Autobahn is often negligible.
Yeah, Timmelsjoch is relatively expensive.
If you find yourself in Italy with bikes on the back of your can/van then you'll need the red and white hatched signs if they stick out wider than the vehicle. Cant remember if this includes the wing mirrors, but I know someone that has been pulled over for not having the sign attached.
Also, last year in France more motorways were switching to an automated toll system, where your number plate is read as you pass along the road. This is gradually replacing toll booths. You then have 48 hours to log into the website and pay the fees. This year I'm going to register a credit card so that the toll is automatically taken.
https://www.sanef.com/index-en.html
Also, last year in France more motorways were switching to an automated toll system, where your number plate is read as you pass along the road. This is gradually replacing toll booths. You then have 48 hours to log into the website and pay the fees. This year I'm going to register a credit card so that the toll is automatically taken.
Good spot on that one, thought it was mainly near Paris for now?
Also, last year in France more motorways were switching to an automated toll system, where your number plate is read as you pass along the road. This is gradually replacing toll booths. You then have 48 hours to log into the website and pay the fees. This year I'm going to register a credit card so that the toll is automatically taken.
Thanks for that. Just looked into it and (I think) it also works with existing Liber-T tag things: it's billed to your account via that rather than needing an additional card registered via that link.
Site here can be useful source - hopefully reliable - for rules etc for driving per country. I've referenced it in the past for checking if speed limits are different for a Transit-sized <3.5t van compared to a normal car, like they are in the UK. For the common EU countries, there appears to be same limits for cars and <3.5t vans. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/driving-abroad/road-rules-and-safety/index_en.htm#inline-nav-1
On a tag-related note, is there something about the tag needing to be exchanged every two years because of the battery going flat?
On a tag-related note, is there something about the tag needing to be exchanged every two years because of the battery going flat?
Mine's 3-4 y/o so it should last longer than that.
Cheers - mine is two and we'll be needing it again this summer.
Regarding the 'tailgating racing nutters', I always keep the left hand indicator going until I'm about to get back into the inside lane.
Regarding the 'tailgating racing nutters', I always keep the left hand indicator going until I'm about to get back into the inside lane (driving in France).
Last year I drove all the way from Morzine to Thonon in heavy traffic with a Renault Clio attached to my rear bumper. He was so close when I looked in the mirror all I could see was his face. This went on for about 45 minutes. I have no idea what he was trying to accomplish.
I kept hoping he'd run into me and puncture his radiator or tear his bumper off on my tow bar just to get rid of him.
Also, last year in France more motorways were switching to an automated toll system, where your number plate is read as you pass along the road. This is gradually replacing toll booths. You then have 48 hours to log into the website and pay the fees. This year I'm going to register a credit card so that the toll is automatically taken.
Good spot on that one, thought it was mainly near Paris for now?
interesting, I didn't see this at all going to and from font in April, and this involves going round Paris, haven't received any fines in the post yet either.
Last year I drove all the way from Morzine to Thonon in heavy traffic with a Renault Clio attached to my rear bumper. He was so close when I looked in the mirror all I could see was his face. This went on for about 45 minutes. I have no idea what he was trying to accomplish.
And there was nowhere in those 45 minutes to slow down and indicate or even pull off the road to let them overtake? It's rare you'll be held up by someone who's keen to get past. Crawling tourists on mountain roads can be irritating if you know the road. Were you in a RHD drive with poor visibility on RH bends? You could then have followed and benefitted from on-comming traffic being more alert. I quite like following cars and motorbikes down cols on the push bike, on-coming traffic is less likely to be on my side of the road.
If I was the cause of the delay I'd always pull over to let someone past. In an endless line of slow moving traffic it makes no difference, he'd just tailgate anyone. If I pulled over in those conditions I'd never get back out.
I'm certainly not a "crawling tourist".
Regarding the 'tailgating racing nutters', I always keep the left hand indicator going until I'm about to get back into the inside lane (driving in France)
What purpose does this have ?
Many countries are using ANPR cameras for policing tolls/vignettes and a lot across that Europe are managed by the same company ASFINAG. There are many many other sites that claim to sell vignettes and load a fee for doing what the official site doesn't charge for. Just be careful when you are buying these!
This is the Austrian official site https://www.asfinag.at/en/
Official Swiss Vignette and warning of fakes https://www.bazg.admin.ch/en/electronic-vignette-via-portal-purchase
Example Swiss fake site charging CHF 48. Actual price is CHF40 for the year
https://www.swissvignette.ch/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22267550331&gbraid=0AAAAA9iKUy9Q38NunorbA1WfjpPrv7x-S&gclid=Cj0KCQjwof_QBhCgARIsADaMzOcE0hzwlno8mjvkr7aQSE5c-aklNhIPkroXixEoz9qBakLeD_EM-JkaAvTYEALw_wcB
Be careful!
