Driving from London to Hungary tomorrow...tips and checks!

[Greggers]

Morning all,

I'm undertaking the 1,069 mile journey from Stepney to Budapest tomorrow, to pick my girlfriend and our dog up, before returning in a week's time.

The journey will begin at around 7am, in my '99 S3 (no cruise control - why oh why did the first owner not add this option?!), and I don't intend to stop until I see the Danube (apart from the obligatory 22 petrol stops).

I've listed below a few of the things I've thought of / checked / need to do before I leave, and if anyone has any experience of driving in Europe with a UK car, I'd appreciate thoughts on any glaring omissions:

- Insurance: calling my insurer shortly to add European cover (and there's some sort of green card I need, I'm told...)
- Breakdown: calling my breakdown company shortly to add European breakdown recovery
- Checked oil, water, washer fluid, tyres
- I need to work out if you can adjust the headlights on an S3 to suit the other side of the road
- I have a European road map, have printed the three routes Google recommends, and I'm trying to update my TomTom with European maps (why they sell a 2gb unit with no memory card slot, and then make the European maps 2.2gb, I do not know...)
- I've been told I need to carry spare headlights bulbs (will have to pick some up en route)
- My car does not have GB plates, so I guess I'll need a GB sticker

And that's about it.

I'll go and stock up on coffee and red bull...

 

[quattrojames]

Have a read of this:

Touring tips, country by country | AA

From July 1 you need a breathalyser in France, they might be doing spot checks when the law comes in.....

 

[cjsuk]

Money for tolls

 

[Ste_Nova]

hi vis jacket
torch

 

[James TQ]

think its law to carry a warning triangle so make sure you have one in the boot

 

[DALE_AVANT]

Have a read of this:

Touring tips, country by country | AA

From July 1 you need a breathalyser in France, they might be doing spot checks when the law comes in.....

I was looking at these the other day to cover the above:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_871069_langId_-1_categoryId_226211

 

[Greggers]

Thanks everyone - much appreciated.

I'm off to Halfords to pick up a few bits, and I'll let you all know if the car fails miserably during a challenging weekend!

 

[shady-ninja]

apart from satnave you will need a good old fashion road map.

 

[brasiliangringo]

hi vis jacket
torch

Exaclty, dont get stopped without one you will be fined in certain countries.

If you are passing through Austria dont do as i did and wing it on the motorway as you are expected to buy the motorway toll at the service stations (as you are in CZ if you go that way). I didnt and got an 100 Euro fine.. The whole motorway was stopped and spot checked for Hi Viz jackets, this that and the other past the border from Italy.

Oh and enjoy the roads over there, there is some really clean tarmac on the continent with ****** all traffic making it a real pleasure to move fast and consistently.

 

[James TQ]

Take abroad map but hide it from the misses, we all know what their like with directions

 

[Westy_A3T]

Spare money to pay off the police

 

[Turkster]

I'm not sure but one of these in the boot is also required in some of the countries in Europe and Eastern Europe.