Holidays overseas with a car can offer more freedom to explore the cultures and countries you are visiting. Bringing your car with you also presents you with several of the top roads of the European continent. Still, before you begin your trip you do need to take some safety measures and examine the legalities of bringing your vehicle.

When planning to drive through Europe you will need to make sure you take the correct paperwork with you, this will include a valid full UK driver’s licence, insurance certificate, vehicle registration document and if the vehicle is more than 3 years old, the MOT certificate.

Car insurance may not cover you when you are overseas. A simple phone call can determine if you are covered and how long that coverage may last. There is a European motoring standard on most insurance policies. Any country that is not a part of the European Union will require you to have green card insurance paperwork.

You may elect to hire a car instead of bringing yours. You will need to ascertain which countries allow you to hire a car. You must also have the official document verifying your right to drive the automobile.

For vehicles that you take with you there are GB stickers needed at the rear of your vehicle, unless you have a modern Europlate Numberplate. All vehicles will need to have their headlamps readjusted for driving on the right side of the road. This can be completed with beam reflectors on the headlamp lenses for most cars. HID xenon lights come with a switch which manually changes the beam for you without the need for the reflectors.

Emergency kits should always be in your vehicle no matter where you travel; however, there are certain laws that may affect what you have in the kit. You should always have a first aid kit, reflective jacket, fire extinguisher, warning triangle and extra bulbs for the lamps. Road flares and other safety equipment may be warranted depending on the country you visit.

Whilst driving abroad is a good chance to explore the full potential of your car many countries frown on you using radar speed detector devices. When driving through France the Police are particularly hot on this issue and have the power to confiscate such equipment.

In most European countries the Police have the power to hand out on the spot fines so it’s a good idea to carry plenty of local currency, otherwise your car may be temporarily confiscated whilst you are taken off to the nearest cash point to get some money. Be aware that in many countries the maximum speed limit and maximum blood alcohol level is a lot lower than in the UK, so obey local speed signs at all times, which may be in kilometres per hour, and do not drink and drive.

Driving abroad is a fantastic way to explore other countries, however before setting off make sure you have properly prepared from your journey. One final point to remember is that on the continent they drive on the right. This may seem an obvious point but you can easily be caught out when pulling out of junctions or approaching a roundabout.