“Don’t let your holiday
  trip turn into a very
  expensive nightmare”

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THE THREE MILLION BRITONS who take their cars to the Continent each year end up in accidents ranging from a dent to a tangled wreck — And that's before they've even gone forty miles into France!

For the uninitiated, driving around Europe can be fraught with problems that can turn your holiday into a nightmare. But follow these few basic rules and you should get there and back unscathed.

Check your passports are current and your driving licence valid for Europe. You may need to update your driving licence for the new photocard licence (recognised by most European countries) or an International Travel Permit. Pink and green licences might be acceptable in certain countries; the green is not. Drivers must be over 18, and there may be restrictions on your speed limit (55mph/90kph maximum) if you've held your licence for under a year.

Keep passports and licences in a folder, along with your tickets and car, travel and health insurance policies and vehicle registration document (or, in the case of a company car, a letter of authority). Don't forget traveller's cheques, maps, credit cards and foreign currency. Photocopy everything and keep the copies with you somewhere safe. You only have to have your passport stolen, as I have in Paris, to appreciate just how much hassle these simple precautions could save you.

Tell your motor insurer when you're going abroad, and find out what
to do in the event of an accident. Arrange European motoring assist-ance: AA, RAC, Green Flag, etc. If you don't belong to a motoring organisation, now is a good time to join. Ask about fact sheets, advice on driving abroad and extended European cover — break down without any and it could cost a small fortune to have your car brought back to the UK.

Have your car fully serviced. Having a failed starter motor or alternator repaired (according to the AA/RAC, the most common problems) can cost £800 on the Continent. And having your car repatriated to the UK can easily set you back between £600-£1,200! Buy everything you need well before your holiday. Minimise your luggage and don't overload your car. If possible, try to fit in a couple of leisurely day trips to France to familiarise yourself with the roads and signs before the big day — and do practice the language, even if it's only some everyday pleasantries.

On the day of your holiday allow plenty of time to get to the port or Tunnel. And relax. When you arrive in France, you need to stay cool, calm and collected. Thirty per cent of motorway accidents are caused by tiredness or stress — many while racing down the autoroutes on the first day. The French Tourist Office advises drivers to take a break every two hours.

Andrew Howard of the AA points out that most accidents abroad are not caused by forgetting which side of the road to drive on, but by drivers looking the wrong way when they go to pull out from parking.

"Everything," he says, "is the wrong way round and nothing is where you would expect it to be. You must," he advises, "always think back to front and remember that although you may want to admire the scenery, the guy behind might be running late."

A friend has a Feng Shui chime in her car to remind herself the moment the car is in motion to "think right, look left" as she pulls off — which also applies to roundabouts and road junctions. Use whatever aide-mémoire works for you.

Traffic lights can spell disaster. My colleague and I accompanied the children's charity, The Italian Job, on a rally through Europe in a sparkling metallic blue Bentley Turbo R. Having made it safely through France and Switzerland, we stopped at red traffic lights in Italy. Unfortunately, the Italian driver behind us didn't — a local policeman later informed us with a shrug that the locals never do!

However, doing as the locals do can be expensive. On-the-spot fines for speeding or jumping red lights can be over £100 — or even thousands for persistent speeding. The French police can prosecute on the evidence of the time taken to get from one autoroute tollbooth to the next. If you are fined, always ask for an official receipt: even if you dispute the fine it may still need to be paid or surety offered. Keep your tank topped up — especially in Germany where it is illegal to run out of petrol on the autobahn. Also in Germany, it is an offence to make derogatory signs or use abusive language.

Incidentally, amber filter signs at town traffic lights in France allow you to turn right — with care — against red lights. Hold up the traffic and irate Frenchmen may pelt you with garlic! And there are still junctions and roundabouts in Europe where drivers entering from the right have priority unless the approach road bears a sign "n'avez pas la priorite", in which case roundabout/junction traffic has priority.

Give cyclists plenty of space — French law states a minimum of two metres. In the birthplace of Le Tour, cyclists should be given a sporting chance!

Be extra vigilant when using your mirrors if you are at the wheel of a right-hand drive car and keep well back from the car in front to get a clear view before overtaking. Never overtake in France or Spain if you have to cross an unbroken white line. But perhaps the most bizarre requirement of all is that you have to pay for the wheels of vehicles entering Bulgaria to be disinfected!

Check restrictions on goods coming into the UK before you leave and never offer to carry anything for strangers. For personal safety, keep your doors locked and do not stop for accidents, which should be reported to the police. Do not discuss your route with or divulge personal information to strangers. And don't forget that the driving is not just something unpleasant you have to do to get to your destination but is a key part of your holiday, so enjoy it. Happy motoring!

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Make sure your car is roadworthy and bears a rear GB sticker and headlight beam deflectors.

Find out as much as you can about Continental road manners, laws and signs. Use up to date road maps/SatNav CDs.

Carry a warning triangle, a complete set of spare bulbs, first aid kit, and (especially in Greece) a fire extinguisher. This should comply with most European country’s laws.

Take change in local currency for tolls, coffee stops, etc. (Some tollbooths will take credit cards). Never leave any documents in an unattended car.

Obey the rules of the road: being a tourist is no excuse for not being aware of them. In Spain, for example, if you park in the 'zona de grua' you will be towed away and it is also an offence, if you wear spectacles, not to have a spare pair with you.

Always wear seat belts and keep small children correctly restrained in rear seats (except rear-facing baby seats for the front passenger seat). Don't stop telling yourself "think right-look left" as you pull away or when approaching roundabouts and road junctions.

Obey the speed limits, even if the French and Italians don't.

Don't drink if you're driving — French laws are more stringent than ours.

Do not drive too far without a break: tiredness (in any country) can kill.

Keep well back from the car in front when overtaking and watch the road.

Watch out for amber filter signs at town traffic lights allowing you to turn right — with care — against red lights.

Do not use your horn without a good reason.

Flashing headlights usually means, "I'm coming through". Develop tolerance for tailgaters — especially in Italy. Keep over where you can.

Never carry a full spare petrol can. (Illegal in Greece).

In Switzerland you must display a motorway tax disc (available in advance from Switzerland Tourism in London, or at border crossings). Annual toll stickers have to be displayed when using Czech Republic and certain Slovakian motorways. In Norway expect a few road, bridge and tunnel tolls, and there are tolls for entering Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.

Hiring a car abroad: credit cards should be acceptable, and, to prevent fraud, it is usual to fill the slips out when you take possession of the car and sign on your return. Also make sure their insurance cover is adequate and you do not have to pay for any repairs!

One-off breakdown cover from the RAC or the AA costs around £45 for a week.

Good news for cat and dog lovers: British motorists can now take their pets on holiday with them without having to quarantine them for six months on their return. Contact your local vet, who should be able to fully advise you about the Pet Travel Scheme.

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