Car holiday - 5 tips for a carefree holiday
- Posted on
- By Autoglas Concurrent
The holiday is almost on the doorstep, so many are already preparing their motorhomes or mobile homes for the free days. A wonderful feeling, of course, to go out for a while. Especially if you go by car, because then the holiday starts when the suitcases are in the boot. In order to be able to go on holiday without any worries, we give you some useful tips! Surely there are still a few things that can throw a spanner in the works.
1. Please note the vignettes for entering environmental zones
Many people only get stressed by the idea, the jumble of vignettes that are in circulation. The vignette that causes the most uncertainty is the environmental vignette. To illustrate for a moment that this confusion is not entirely unfounded.
In France, for example, you should first consider whether you want to go into Paris, Grenoble or Lyon, because for each city you need a different eco-label because they are all in a different environmental zone. The problem is, however, that you can only buy the stickers online and that you only need them in the cities. If you are going on the ring road, you do not need the vignette. This also applies to many other countries, such as Germany and Italy. Often you can buy them on the spot before going into the city, but in some situations they can only be bought online. The delivery time is about four weeks and the cost is usually not more than five euros. But if you do not have it with you when it is mandatory, you risk a fine of a whopping 80 euros.
2. Find out in advance where the toll roads are so that you can roughly estimate the costs
If you leave towards the south, you will probably pass through the necessary toll roads. The amount of the toll also varies from country to country. It is useful to estimate in advance what a toll road will cost approximately. A good overview can be found on the ANWB website. This way you can estimate what you have to spend on costs so that you know how much money to bring with you to your holiday address.
3. Make sure you have an alcohol tester with you
In France it is even mandatory, the alcohol tester! Of course, they know their pappheimers there. Because in a holiday country known for its delicious wines and rosé is a glass too much of course too quickly consumed. If you then consider that many people also pull a caravan with them, it is quite logical that the country controls this quite strictly. The tester is therefore mandatory.
4. Another obligation in many countries: the safety vest
The safety vest is also mandatory in many countries. For example in Austria, Italy, Spain but also in the aforementioned France and since 1 July even in Germany, you have to have at least 1 safety vest in the car, and do not just throw it in the boot somewhere carelessly but make sure that it is within reach. Think of the door's card compartment or hat shelf. You can be checked for this! In addition, a warning triangle is also mandatory.
The alcohol tester and the safety vest are, by example, available via the ANWB website.
5. Check the traffic rules of the countries you are visiting
Besides the different rules that apply to the things you need to have with you, there are of course a lot of holiday countries that have slightly different traffic rules. Nothing is more annoying than to incur a fine for an offence that could easily have been prevented!
6. What to do in the event of an accident on the road
Bad luck on the road is always annoying, especially when you're far from home. We may still be able to repair a flat tyre ourselves. And for engine problems there is always the help of the ANWB, but what if we get involved in an accident during our ride then it is often a bit more urgent. Especially because the emotions play a bit of a role. It is advisable to have a handy address on hand in order to be able to find a quick solution in case of car window damage.
7. Finally: Always bring a spare key with you!
It can happen to anyone just like that. You are on holiday, put the car key in your shorts or swimming trunks without a hitch and a few hours later you discover that you have lost it. Blind panic, of course, because the spare key is at home, but that is, let us say, 500 kilometres away. What now?You can then, of course, break the car open but it is smarter to just make sure that you carry an extra key with you at your holiday address or in your hip bag. So before leaving, make a spare car key. This saves a lot of unnecessary stress.
With the tips above you can go on the road with peace of mind and enjoy a wonderful holiday!