I had to prepare a lot for the first time I drove to Europe from the UK. With so many different laws and regulations, it’s a bit overwhelming. There are already lots of guidelines on what’s needed. For example, RAC has a comprehensive checklist.

Here is my checklist and comment about it:

1. Basic stuff: Passport, Driving Licence, and V5C for proving car ownership.
2. You need a bunch of additional things in your car trunk. Needed by law.
   • Reflective jackets, warning triangles, headlamp beam deflectors, UK car sticker, and first aid kit.
   • You can buy all of these from Amazon.
3. Vehicle insurance
   • Most UK insurance already has 3rd-Party coverage for Europe.
   • Sometimes you can call your insurance to upgrade it to Full Coverage for a fee or free.
4. European Breakdown Cover
   • If you already have a UK breakdown cover, check if that covers you for Europe.
   • If not, you can buy a temporary one online. I bought a single trip coverage from AA for 3 days for just 25 GBP.
5. Register to enter low-emission zones
   • Entering low-emission zones without registering your car will result in a hefty fine. Ensure you have registered with the respective city you plan to visit. This article has more details.

That’s it. This should be enough to get to the other side of the English Channel.

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