Lots of people choose to take their cars abroad with the to try and cut down on their holiday expenses. Whether you live in America and want to take a road trip across Canada or you are based in Europe and fancy driving through a few different countries, you will find that using your own car greatly saves some pennies! After all, rental autos are extremely expensive these days.
Even though it may sound easy, there is, in fact, a lot that you need to think about before you do take your car into another country. Hopefully, our concise checklist will tell you everything that you need to know!
Get The Right Insurance
Getting a 3 minutes car insurance quote takes no time at all when you are looking for cover to protect your car in your home country. The good news is that some insurance providers cover drivers and the cars when they are abroad. But as not every policy will cover you for this, you need to read the small print to ensure you know whether or not it does before you do cross any borders. If it doesn’t, you will have to look for an extra policy so that you are 100% certain that your car will be covered in foreign countries.
Breakdown Cover
You should also think about getting some breakdown cover that will cover you when you are abroad as well. Lots of breakdown and recovery companies have a presence in many other countries so you may be able to work something out with your current provider. They will probably be able to offer you a special deal on foreign cover. If not, you need to do your research and buy with a foreign company.
Know About Compulsory Equipment
Some countries state that drivers should always have certain tools and pieces of equipment in their car with them at all times. For instance, if you are driving in Greece, you will need a first-aid kit in your car. And if you plan on traveling through Spain, you need to ensure that you have some replacement headlamp bulbs with you all the time. Be sure to research the driving laws in your destination so that you can pack your car appropriately!
Plan Around Traffic Jams
Each country has its own public holidays, most of which will be held on or around days of important cultural significance. Usually, these will be extremely busy out on the roads as the locals will be heading off on their holidays. If at all possible, you should try and steer clear of traveling on these days, as there will be a lot of traffic jams and hold ups! If you are traveling in France, the government have set up a specialist website that highlights any days when there could be lots of traffic jams. Most other countries will have similar resources.
Make sure that you don’t get caught out while driving in a foreign country. Thankfully, all of these points should give you plenty to think about before you set out!