Driving on the Continent

[Kopfjaeger]

For those of us who enjoy driving, the Continent beckons, often, time permitting.

My last 'jolly' took in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland back in 2012 and it was simple and I only required a Vignette for transitting through Switzerland

The situation is a little more complicated now, with the low emission zones.

So if you're planning a trip to the continent, you should check up on any restrictions that could impede your travel plans. We aren't part of Europe any more, so you can imagine GB plates ate likely to attract 'special attention'.

Below is a link to an RAC Web page that gives useful info for France and the requirement for 'Crit Air' Vignettes.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/

This is probably old news for regular travelers, but for infrequent travelers  something thst might not be considered.

Perhaps other members know other requirements for travel in the EU and the rest of Europe?

It would be handy if this info was collated and put in a folder for the benefit of all?

 

[duncan-uk]

Thé crit air vignette was they new one on me. 
 

my understanding was you need:

bulbs

triangle

hi-viz for all passengers

Headlamp beams adjusted or deflectors

breathalyser (not law i don’t think but for a £5 makes sense

UK badge not GB and no eu starts (the UK really grates as graphically looks awful)

Take your docs: v5, insurance, mot  

a peage tag is brilliant too  

 

[olliecampbell]

Spent a week in northern France about a month ago....didn't bother with the breathalysers.

Interestingly, Sarcosy who introduced the breathalyser requirement was mates with 1 of the only 2 licenced breathalyser manufacturers in France. Funny that. 

From the research I did on the Critair tags you need to watch out on timings for most of the zones. There's only a few where they're 24/7 (Paris for example). And I think you only need the sticker when entering the zones.

I have to say, the driving was great. Decent empty roads without lumps and pot holes, decent drivers. Think I might move there....

[Matthew]

Some of this is already covered, 
 

For France:

Buy a crit air sticker, €4.60 delivered from the official French website and mine arrived in 2 weeks: https://certificat-air.gouv.fr

The law regarding the breathalyser sticks has been rescinded and was never upheld when it was on the statute books anyway, DON’T WASTE THE £5 buying one as you are just throwing money down the toilet for something that is not needed and never worked anyway!

UK oval sticker or the blue UK flash on the number plate, either is acceptable.

High viz vest, 1 for each occupant of the vehicle and they need to be accessible inside the vehicle, not in the boot.

Warning triangle also accessible within the vehicle.

If you are a spectacle wearer, the law states you need a backup pair with you in the car in case you lose a pair.

It isn’t law but you need to be able to replace a blown bulb if found to be blown while travelling and upon insistence by the police, you’ll be fined if you are unable to do the repair there and then. Remember that many of our cars have LED lights that can’t be repaired, only a whole unit replaced, so carrying bulbs is not necessary as they would be unusable.

Headlight converters, but again, many of our cars don’t need them as they have a flat beam or, like mine, there’s an option in the iDrive to switch the lights to right hand traffic from the default of left hand traffic. 

Winter tyres are now mandatory in certain areas from October to March.

For Germany:
Buy an emission sticker here: https://www.berlin.de/labo/mobilitaet/kfz-zulassung/feinstaubplakette/shop.86595.en.php

I bought mine there, they are valid all over Germany, cost €5.95 and it arrived in a couple of weeks.

No other specific requirements.

Switzerland:

Vignette for driving in the Swiss motorways, 40 Swiss francs and can be bought at the Swiss border crossings. I buy mine at the Vallorbe crossing in the Jura region of France.

General:

For any European trip you will need your car’s v5c or letter of approval for taking it out of the U.K. if it’s a company car, insurance proof (make sure you’re insurer provides the same cover as if in the U.K. for your trip and not just the statutory requirement for the country you’re visiting). Valid European breakdown cover is also a must in my opinion. 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Matthew
Added re spectacles