If you’re going in an MX5, avoid the motorways and toll roads. It will be extremely boring and defeats the point of going in an MX5!
If you can buy it locally (coolant, oil, spark plugs, etc) then there’s no need to bring it, especially in a car as space limited as an MX-5.
If you can get another solution to the issue that it addresses, leave it behind (e.g. jump start pack - you can always push start the car or call on your breakdown insurance in the unlikely event of a flat battery - or tyre inflator).
You can charge your telephones/tablets/laptops in the car or your accommodation - no need for powerbanks.
Dump the locking wheel nuts. Nobody is going to steal your wheels (and if they were, those nuts wouldn’t stop them). Far more likely that you won’t be able to find the key when you really need it.
Good breakdown insurance is vital. (My BMW Z4M broke down on a trip to Le Mans. The pipe which split was unavailable anywhere in Europe. Green Flag transported the car to the nearest BMW dealers, gave us a hire car for the rest of our holiday, another hire car to get us home when we got back to the UK, and then repatriated the Z4 to my local BMW dealership in the UK. I dread to think how much it would all have cost).
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If you’re going to Germany and visiting pretty much any city you’ll need an “Umweltplakette”. Similar applies in other European countries.
More here: Environmental Badge Germany - Umweltplakette
You might run out of space on your windscreen though…
In addition to having the bookings on the booking.com app on our phones, I found it really useful to take an A5 day-to-a-page diary so I could keep all the details in one place:
The accommodation address & contact phone number
Booking reference
Parking details
Number of nights booked
If the accommodation has a washing machine & dishwasher
Deposit paid or full amount
Recommended restaurants nearby & walking distance
Distance and journey time to the next accommodation
Any planned stops or visits to places worth seeing en route.
Having done the research in advance, it is so easy to forget about a restaurant or place to visit months later. If it’s all written down on the accommodation dates it becomes much easier to plan each day.
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Emission sticker for France, some towns and cities have ULEZ zones , you can get one online posted to your home.
I always keep photos of passports on our phones.
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Download the travel books to your phone - most are available on Amazon unlimited and theres always free trial periods available or jist sign up for a month.
Congrats on tying the knot.
In seven decades of international driving I am always learning something new. One thing I needed on my last European trip, 20 border crossings in 15 days, that I had not thought of before was a fresh battery for my keyfob. Not sure which model you have but my '02 NBFL will not start without a charged key fob battery.
Next time I leave the country I’ll be getting a new fob battery before I leave, half way round the Nurburgring is no time to be worrying about the location of the nearest Mazda dealer, luckily it was only an hour away !
Crikey - don’t get a sticker from the link suggested - 16 - 25 euros!!!
Get it direct from the German gov for 5.95 euros, I got both mine from this link!
https://www.berlin.de/labo/mobilitaet/kfz-zulassung/feinstaubplakette/shop.86595.en.php
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on a related note make sure you take a spare key. I always make sure my better half has that in her handbag.
Not sure about the 02 NBFL battery though, I have the original fob to open the locks, but the key itself doesn’t have a battery and you don’t need the fob to unlock., so I’m puzzled!
The breathalyser rule in France was repealed in 2020. I’m not sure about other countries.
However, you potentially need more than one.
If you carried only one and used it, then you wouldn’t have one if you were stopped.
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Cripes. My conclusion is that one should only venture to foreign parts, even ones a spit away, without taking a Transit van to accommodate all the kit you might need. Makes me wonder how I ever managed to drive as far as Imola, Siena and Maranello armed with no more than a map and our passports…
Sorry I was not quite clear the battery goes in the fob not the key as you say.
I have always understood the car will not start if the fob with charged battery is not present on a NBFL.
Hence when changing the NBFL ECU like for like one also needs the fob and locks for the replacement unit.
Also the bulb kit law is a bit useless for the NC.
The amount of work involved to change a bulb, doesn’t make it an easy 2 minute job.
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Very similar on many motorbikes.
But the very fact you have the bulb kit with you - generally gets you a warning that it is out and instructions to change it at your next rest break.
Better than getting the fine / ticket.
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What was the need for a breathalyser? To self test prior to driving? What if you physically do not consume any alcohol?
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There’s a bit of info and context here, if you’re interested:
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And on later cars with led bulbs, the whole unit would have to be changed, hardly a roadside job and who would carry a spare headlamp unit just in case? Difficult to explain if you don’t speak the language fluently!
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The RAC website has useful driving advice for every country in Europe, eg France:
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/country/france/
just select the country from the dropdown.
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If driving in Switzerland, check that your car insurance covers you, as it’s a non-EU country. A couple of years back, I found that my then-insurer did NOT cover Switzerland unless applied for in advance (and extra premim paid).
On the same theme, also bear in mind that many mobile phone airtime providers do not include Switzerland in their roaming allowance. Lebara are one who do, and I got a SIM from them last year to ensure that I at least had data for Waze for our trip last year.
If you need cheap breakdown cover, check https://www.comparebreakdowncover.co.uk/
Are you beginning to wish you had never asked the question!
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