Preparing Your Car:

Check that your car is ready for a long journey.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for tyre tread (don’t forget the spare!), tyre air pressure, lights, oil, water and brake fluid.  Make sure you have a full tank of petrol (some people try to arrive on the other side of the channel with an empty tank as petrol is cheaper in France - but we don't recommend this, you won't save a fortune!).

You need to ensure you have the following for your car: nationality sticker, spare light bulb set, beam deflectors (so you don’t blind oncoming traffic with your lights), warning triangle (not essential, but it is a legal requirement if your hazard lights aren’t working for any reason, so you are advised to take one), first aid kit and fire extinguisher.  

You need to take the following documents: full UK driving licence, vehicle registration document, insurance certificate (green card not necessary) – make sure your insurance company covers you for driving on the continent, European accident statement form (available from your insurance company - see example on the left), vehicle recovery insurance certificate and information pack*.  You will need a letter of authority to use a company car.

*We recommend you take a European vehicle recovery insurance policy with one of the leading providers such as the AA or the RAC.  If you have a major breakdown, or accident, these policies are worth their weight in gold.  Both the AA and RAC offer such policies.

Also we recommend that you take a spare set of keys.  A good friend of ours locked their keys in the car and had to smash the window to recover them as they were staying in a gite several miles from civilisation!