European Motorhome Holiday – Essential Checklist
If you are planning to head across the Channel in your motorhome this year, then it pays to be like a boy scout – prepared. Here’s what I would recommend.
Paperwork
- Driving licences (photocard and paper counterpart) for all drivers in your party plus photocopies of each. If you still have an old-style paper licence, consider having it updated to a modern EU licence or getting an International Driving Permit (available from the AA)
- Vehicle registration documents plus photocopies
- Vehicle insurance certificate plus photocopies plus your policy leaflet
- Passports
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – the successor to the E111 and available from Post Offices or www.ehic.org.uk
- Ferry tickets or booking voucher plus details of the times and dates of each ferry
- European breakdown insurance – unless you are brave and mechanically gifted
- Travel insurance
- Some currency – take a wad of cash to get you started, it is always useful!
- Maps of the countries in which you will be driving (or a good sat nav)
Equipment
- 2 warning triangles
- A reflective vest for each person in the vehicle – legally required in France and some other countries. Keep these in the vehicle so you can put them on before you get out if you break down on a motorway or similar.
- Headlight beam deflectors/blockers – so that your dipped beam doesn’t dazzle oncoming traffic. Continental police have been known to check for these and penalise people without them – they must be fitted, even in daylight.
- First aid kit – sometimes a legal requirement, always a sensible precaution.
- Spare bulbs – ideally a spare for every exterior bulb on your motorhome and trailer (if any).
Driving
Different countries have different rules when it comes to driving. It always pays to be prepared and by far the best place on the internet to learn about country-specific driving requirements is The AA’s website – click here for driving requirements by country.