All the rules and regulations you need to know for an excellent European road trip
Photo Nik Berg
Preparing for your next European road trip? This is what you’ll have to throw in the boot.
Research shows that for nine out of ten people, the holiday starts on the way to their destination. But getting ready for your road trip is not always without stress... What do you have to pack? What are the rules for each country? Don't worry: with a little help from Detour your European adventure will get off to a great start.
In the Netherlands, where I’m from, and the UK, it’s not mandatory to have a safety vest, warning triangle and spare light in your car, although it’s wise to carry them nonetheless. But if we go abroad, then - in addition to a vaccination passport or a negative PCR test - there are a number of other items required when travelling on foreign roads, so leave a little room in the boot.
Here’s a brief overview of the mandatory items you’ll need to carry in each country:
Austria: Warning triangle, Safety vest , First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Belgium: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Croatia: Spare lamps, Spare wheel, Warning triangle(s), Safety vest, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Czech Republic: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Spare wheel
France: Warning triangle, Safety vest
Germany: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box
Hungary: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Italy: Warning triangle, Safety vest
Luxembourg: Warning triangle, Safety vest
Norway: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Poland: Warning triangle, Safety vest, Fire extinguisher
Portugal: Warning triangle, Safety vest
Romania: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher
Slovakia: Warning triangle, Safety vest, First-aid box, Spare wheel
Spain: Two warning triangles (just in case), Safety vest, Spare wheel
Sweden: Warning triangle
Switzerland: Warning triangle
If you’re travelling to (and within) Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland or the Netherlands, it’s not mandatory to have these additional safety items in your car. However, it is necessary to use a warning triangle in certain situations, so best pack one just in case.
Photo David Becker / Unsplash
Tolls and vignettes
If you want to make progress across Europe it’s hard to avoid driving on toll roads. In Belgium you have some tunnels that you have to pay for, but in France, Austria and Italy it’s quite normal to pay for the highway itself. The rules differ per country. For Switzerland, for example, you need a vignette on the windscreen, which you’ll need to buy at a service station. For Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania you also need a vignette but in these countries the vignette is digital. Your licence plate is registered in a database, so no more sticker on the windscreen! Ideal.
You do not pay tolls in Germany, but it is mandatory to have an environmental badge in certain cities. You must order this in time online or go to a German TÜV-station or Dekra station where your car will be inspected. Recently it has also become mandatory to have an environmental badge in certain cities in France.
Photo Jaguar
Bella Italian towns: don't just drive into them
A fun photo session with your road trip car in an authentic cute Italian town can be expensive. In many Italian cities, there is a restricted zone for motor vehicles. The buildings and the living environment in historic city centres in Italy are threatened by exhaust fumes. To protect them, a restricted area for motor vehicles has been established in many cities. The entry ban applies in many historic towns and villages. You can recognise the restricted zone by the white round sign with a red border. Above it it says that it is a no-entry zone Zona Traffico Limitato, (ZTL), or park (Zona Tutelata).
Speed cameras
The Dutch are generally known as frugal people. So if we can avoid a fine, we will. That is why the Dutch use apps en masse to tell us where the speed cameras are along the road. Super handy. However, speed camera signalling is not permitted in all countries. In addition, in some countries it is not permitted to place the navigation device in the middle of the windscreen; the view must not be obstructed.
Other oddities
A breathalyser on board is compulsory in France. You must have two tests per vehicle, which are marked NF. If you get a fine in Poland, you will have to pay it immediately in cash. So always take some cash with you. If you wear glasses or contact lenses and are travelling in France, Germany and Austria, among others, it is mandatory to have a spare set of glasses in the car. And in Portugal the police don't like bicycle carriers; bicycles or other items cannot be transported on the back of the car in Portugal. Why not, is a mystery to us.