Evening all.
We have just got home from a nice Sunday lunch with my parents and we decided to take the Mx5 as was a nice clear day. On the way back we got to discussing our honeymoon trip across Europe in her scheduled for May. We are covering 8 countries in 10 days and have everything we need driving and city permit wise, breakdown, first aid kit, roadside kit, breatheiser etc. as well as things like the jump pack incase the battery gives up.
I was wondering what other things we should take? Would you take oil, spark plugs, coolant etc or am I just over thinking it. I thought I’d start a list that maybe people could add to if there are things I am missing which may bodice of future use.
Ta
Dave
First aid kit
Breatherliser
High vis (for each person)
Warning triangle
Jump start pack
Tire inflater
Locking wheel nut
Permits etc (stick air etc)
V5, MOT certificate, driving license and proof of insurance
Thank you. I had already got a spare bulb kit but you had just reminded me to add it to the list. I was thinking some basic tools and things like plugs, coolant, oil etc but wondering if that’s just overkill now. Where do you draw the line…
A “She Pee” & a Gentleman’s 1 litre plastic PeePee bottle.
For those Little Unintended Moments.
I speak from exerience and some relief.
Mind you, heart pills a day might have something to do with it!
You don’t need the breathalyser for France anymore, but you do need beam benders and a UK badge, pretty sure you also need a fire extinguisher, the high viz needs to be in reach before you exit the car, also don’t forget the MOT and a photo card driving licence.
We have 4 European road trips under our belts since 2019. If you wear glasses for driving, some countries state you should carry a spare pair. A selection of zip ties never go amiss & don’t take up much room. Depending on where you’re going, a large long sleeved cotton shirt to go over a t shirt - when it gets hot, you can fry in the cabin surprisingly easily. Get a couple of single fitted cotton sheets to go over the seats, they stop suncream from getting on the upholstery and are cooler & can be washed easily on your return. Dunelm have a good selection from about £10 each. A supply of paracetamol & ibuprofen is a good idea, they are not readily available in supermarkets & are expensive in pharmacies in Europe. A wide neck insulated water bottle is handy to put iced water in for the day. Baseball cap is essential when the sun is higher than the sun visor during the day. Rough guides or Lonely Planet guides are good for accommodation & places to eat. I strongly recommend booking accommodation in advance, firstly because you get the choice of good places and secondly you don’t waste time in the morning deciding where to head for. We have found booking .com very useful. We tend to stay in apartments rather than hotels, they are often the same price & have washing machines so you don’t need to carry as many clothes. Opt for quick dry, non iron items so they just need a quick wash.
You now need a UK sticker rather than GB. Magnetic ones are convenient if you don’t have an aluminium boot!
Squashy holdalls are easier to fit in the boot than suitcases.
Enjoy, you will absolutely love it!
Keep digital copies of your travel tickets, driving licences, passports v5 and insurance certificate with you, By next year the EU might have finally implemented their visa waver scheme ETIAS https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
I also have copies of all documents in Dropbox.
Take out mobile booster for your phone contracts if you don’t already have EU cover.
Keep your satnav up to date, I find it useful to set the satnav to Kph. Plan your routes, I use MyRouteApp for this https://www.myrouteapp.com/
Remember to get the necessary vignettes especially before driving on a Swiss motorway and check current requirements for other countries.
Oil , coolant and spark plugs ? I think they sell all these in most countries. Apart from the necessary documents, and other mandatory stuff . all we’ve ever taken on many long European trips are maps (still useful for planning diversions ) , phones , powerpacks and breakdown card . Sorted -most of the rest is clutter you will never use .
Thank you for the detailed reply.
All our accommodation has been pre booked and the route has been gone over ALOT!!!
We are big fan of DK travel books here but I won’t be taking them all with me but have done a folder with print outs of everywhere, all the bookings, route etc.
Thanks for these. I use to have a European health care card but not sure if now outdated. Will take a look.
All permits have been arranged accept the Swiss motorway one as that’s a January to January but it is on my to do list.
I have just started plotting my trip for next year as well. 10-14 days for France, Switzerland and Northern Italy. Potentially throw in Germany and Belgium diversions just to tick those off as well.
I am using Michelin paper maps to channel my inner Harry Metcalf but they are extremely handy in that they clearly mark out the scenic roads so it is easy to plot where to get off the motorways.
I love that. Although the wife is a rubbish map reader!
We are going through Amsterdam, Bruges, Luxembourg, stuttgart, Zurich, lake como, Milan, Geneva, Paris.
for France get yourself the toll tag, it saves loads of hassle stopping and the passenger having to lean out or get out to pay, which is not so easy in an MX-5. Its our essential, and at some tolls you don’t even need to stop using the speed lanes!
I think it works elsewhere as well, have a look here, defo worth it…
Did anyone say “driving licence” ? If I recall correctly Italy needs you to have it on you, and it needs to be the up to date version, if you still have the old style paper one, which I did before driving there for the first time! And check what you have is still in date, as they have to be renewed every 10 years.
Swiss motorway vignettes you just buy when you cross the border, not sure you can do in advance, but no hassle to get,
If you’re going to Portugal, as we did in 2022 (via Spain), it’s possible to pre-register for autostada tolls- just means you can drive through (a certain lane) without stopping, and the cameras read your reg no and the “bill” is sorted out when you complete the period you’re in Portugal. Couldn’t do that in Spain- at least in 2022 you couldn’t.
Not a big deal, but it’s just smoother and less hassle.
www. portugaltolls .pt
