Hi guys, as some of you know, I usually do a couple of longish euro trips in Beti each year; the main one being in the summer months; this ones usually a distance of around 2,500 miles. This summer, we'll be covering a much bigger distance - maybe as much as 6000 miles and all within a five week period.

I realise this is going to be fairly demanding on the car but I have no reason to suspect there will be any reliability issues. In terms of vehicle care/maintenance though, are there any additional precautions I should take into consideration bearing in mind the distances that will be covered and the amount of time? I obviously know to take the basic euro travel stuff ie hi vis vests, bulbs etc etc and I also take a 1 litre oil top up and coolant top up.

What other things would you advise doing before or during the trip?

Sounds like an interesting adventure you have ahead of you, hoping to go on a bit of a trip myself.

I've previously done a couple of long trips, not entirely sure on the miles covered, but have included down as far as Venice and across to Vienna on one occasion over 7 weeks and 3 months from the UK to top of Sweden and down the coast of Norway via Germany and Denmark in another, in an older car on both occasions.

My main advice is common sense, have everything you need(sounds like your prepared), keep checking your levels and General vehicle condition and on longer bursts keep an eye on your warning dials(became a little paranoid about this after water temp hit red climbing the trollstigen). Be sure you keep the car outside and in clean, esp in Hotter weather as it doesn't take long for muck to bake on, if your carrying a lot inside give it a sort out occasionally to ensure nothing inside is getting damaged(stuff leaking)- a couple of hard days on the road takes its toll much more than weeks of local driving.

It might be worth getting a healthcheck done before you go if its been a while since the last service, Skoda are offering spring health checks at £19.99 atm, but some network garages like ATS do them for free, any possibilities of needed work should be done before, I had 4mm of tyre tread on rears before leaving on one trip, which would of been fine, but torrential rain when I got to Austria meant deciding to get them replaced there, cheaper, but quite a hassle! Nissan dealerships I called in to with questions across Europe were quite helpful, hopefully Skoda are the same.

You can spend forever preparing and building knowledge and supplies before leaving, but that still doesn't mean you might be stuck at the side of the road broken down whilst the guy that just jumped into his car to get on the ferry that morning sails past, but prep means its less likely to be you and if anything does happen, you will know you did all you could!

last word, your vehicle might have breakdown cover, but do you? I got stranded in Scotland having broken my arm mountain biking, check travel insurance covers, otherwise you'll have to ask a Bri-skoda member to fly down and drive you back!

Enjoy yourself and enjoy the smile that euro driving brings!

Remember if you are going through France, the new legislation comes into effect from the 1st July 2012, from which time ALL motorised vehicles must carry approved breathalysers for self testing

Remember if you are going through France, the new legislation comes into effect from the 1st July 2012, from which time ALL motorised vehicles must carry approved breathalysers for self testing

This isn't quite true. The police wont be fining until November and i very much doubt they will be targetting foreign cars due to the fact that 99% of them wont even know about the law:

http://www.thelocal.fr/2725/20120301/

Thanks for the reply's guys. Angrybeard - thats very useful stuff - I usually dont do any 'tidying' or cleaning of the vehicle when away but this time it might make good sense - maybe worth me doing a proper detail with a couple of decent layers of Sealant and wax covering the paint to make this easier. I'll also be on around 4mm tread on the tyres so I may also have to get a change mid way through (I usually swap them at 3mm). In terms of insurance - I have that covered. Thankfully the Skoda cover is pan european (maybe worth me checing if there are any countries that are excluded from this of course!) and my travel insurance has just been renewed and is totally adequate.

The plan is to sit at no more than 65mph for most of it (except perhaps the unristricted parts of the Autobahn when going through Germany) to aid fuel economy. Also, Im not sure about the quality of the roads in some parts of the countries Ive never previously visited ie Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzigovina, Montenegro etc etc but Id expect them all to be pretty decent. (??)

Make sure you tell your insurers the dates you are away as they usually need to know as i found out the other day as i am going to Germany in a few weeks.

A good idea when doing longer trips is to let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to be there.

Also the rough route you will be taking.

If anything does go wrong, at least people will have an idea of where to look for you.

Especially useful if going off the beaten track.

Have a safe trip matey.

A list of the finest hotels and restaurants near Skoda dealers - so if you are unlucky and have an issue you can enjoy the stopover time!

A good idea when doing longer trips is to let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to be there.

Also the rough route you will be taking.

If anything does go wrong, at least people will have an idea of where to look for you.

Especially useful if going off the beaten track.

Have a safe trip matey.

Sounds obvious, but I hadnt really thought that one through! Great idea, thanks.

A list of the finest hotels and restaurants near Skoda dealers - so if you are unlucky and have an issue you can enjoy the stopover time!

lol for the first three and a half weeks its purely going to be campsites, after that it will be staying over with friends in various locations so no posh hotels unfortunately :'(

I'm not sure that the French police have an unblemished reputation when it comes to their treatment of drivers from other countries. In any case, whether they are targeting particular vehicles or not, you could be stopped for some other reason.

'France's compulsory breathalyser law doesn't come into force until July 1 and you shouldn't actually get hit with the £9 fine for not having one if stopped until November. However, Rosie Sanderson, specialist adviser on European motoring for the AA, revealed: "We've heard whispers that French police are already trying to enforce this." '

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/9295204/Guide-to-driving-abroad.html

I'm not sure that the French police have an unblemished reputation when it comes to their treatment of drivers from other countries. In any case, whether they are targeting particular vehicles or not, you could be stopped for some other reason.

'France's compulsory breathalyser law doesn't come into force until July 1 and you shouldn't actually get hit with the £9 fine for not having one if stopped until November. However, Rosie Sanderson, specialist adviser on European motoring for the AA, revealed: "We've heard whispers that French police are already trying to enforce this." '

http://www.telegraph...ing-abroad.html

To be honest, for what it'll cost, I'll pick one up and leave it in the glovebox for this and future trips.

I'm not sure that the French police have an unblemished reputation when it comes to their treatment of drivers from other countries. In any case, whether they are targeting particular vehicles or not, you could be stopped for some other reason.

'France's compulsory breathalyser law doesn't come into force until July 1 and you shouldn't actually get hit with the £9 fine for not having one if stopped until November. However, Rosie Sanderson, specialist adviser on European motoring for the AA, revealed: "We've heard whispers that French police are already trying to enforce this." '

http://www.telegraph...ing-abroad.html

So you need to have 2 of these as once you have used one if you get stopped, they will just fine you for not having one knowing the French....Also they have to have certain markings on them:

Drivers must now have at least one unused breathalyser (it's wise to carry a spare in case you have to use one) displaying the French NF certification mark in the car.

For £5.42 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alcosense-ALCNFTWIN-French-Approved-Breathalyser/dp/B007K5XZXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339682953&sr=8-1

...I think i will risk a £9 fine and argue the fact if i get pulled over!

Wow! This sounds like real fun!

Assuming that -

1 the car is fully serviced, checked over (with special mention of the impending expedition) and properly taxed and insured

2 you have top-up oil and water with you, together with the supplied tools

3 you have a good heavy-duty, waterproof torch or lantern

then you have done everything reasonable regarding the car. You can never cover all situations but, in a European context, you should never be beyond civilised assistance!

Having taken care of the car, you must then look to yourself and passengers. (You mention camping, so you may well be up on this.)

1 Routine prescribed medications for the duration, plus another emergency supply in case you're held up

2 First Aid stuff - antiseptic wipes, creams, antihystamines, plasters, a couple of 'ambulance' dressings, wide bandages and sticky tape (safety pins are out!). Sounds a lot but it should all fit in a sealing plastic lunchbox. Throw in a handful of large vinyl 'surgical' gloves, too.

3 A hiviz vest (at least) each, whatever the local reglations; a survival blanket or two (keep you warm at the roadside while you wait for the towtruck, if not for worse situations! A couple of pounds a go. Has everyone got a good set of waterproofs?!)

4 A pair of tough gardening gloves - and a roll of kitchen paper for wiping up, and a rubbish bag or ten!

5 Emergency food (cereal bars are good) and water (for drinking and wound rinsing - change every couple of days).

Odds and ends -

hand torches, spare batteries, charging leads etc and adaptors for all your gadgets. Personally, a small handheld GPS is an essential, usually in the 'wilds', but it would for example also give you a track-back to your parked car in a strange city! Although of little use in a modern car, a pair of pliers, cross-head and ordinary screwdrivers, a roll of insulating tape and a hammer (!) always seem to find their way into the toolbag.

I'll think of more, and other members will have their own lists, too...

So you need to have 2 of these as once you have used one if you get stopped, they will just fine you for not having one knowing the French....Also they have to have certain markings on them:

Drivers must now have at least one unused breathalyser (it's wise to carry a spare in case you have to use one) displaying the French NF certification mark in the car.

For £5.42 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alcosense-ALCNFTWIN-French-Approved-Breathalyser/dp/B007K5XZXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339682953&sr=8-1

...I think i will risk a £9 fine and argue the fact if i get pulled over!

What happens if you get pulled twice? You won't have a spare the second time. What about the third?

Buy 10 to be safe.

What a seemingly ill thought out law

What happens if you get pulled twice? You won't have a spare the second time. What about the third?

Buy 10 to be safe.

What a seemingly ill thought out law

Exactly - i will just risk a 9 quid fine, although it isn't enforceable til Nov anyway so not going to worry.

Mobile phone - and the means to keep it charged in the car all the time!

A comprehensive set of detailed maps of the places you intend going - just in case of diversions off the normal routes because of roadworks or accidents.

Though I haven't been to the old Yugoslavia or Greece or Hungary driving for a few years, don't bank on the roads being that good - even the motorways can be dodgy at times. Some of them were made out of sections of concrete and every so many yards theres a thump as you ride over the joins, or the little humps that develop. After a while it can be extremely sleep-inducing and monotonous! On one trip down the A1 through the middle of Yugoslavia it vibrated loose the fastenings of a boot-lid carrier on the convertible we were in, and when we realised, it was clinging on by a single strand of twine!

Following on from that I made myself get into the habit every day before setting off to ensure that the car (and caravan/trailer/roof-rack) was packed properly and securely. In the end it has become second nature just to run the old eyes over everything EACH time I stop, as well as having a walk round the car glancing at tyres and wheels and so on.

Useful thread, this, hearing others' ideas for trips away. I'm hoping to head for SW France, possibly Spain - but in the BMW, complete with my trusty 12-string in the boot. One of the things that persuaded me to buy the thing was the fact that the boot on it is a decent size, and has room for clobber and the box!

Enjoy your trip ZZ - a lot of the fun is in the planning and building the anticipation for the adventure ahead!

No big deal. You are not going to Outer Mongolia. Service etc. are as available as at home. In a pinch, VW and Audi dealers will suffice. One-time breahalyzers are sold in french supermarkets at around €1.00 each´, so pack a handful.

If you go to the old east bloc countries, check that your navigator has the required maps.

I do about one of that length trips a year down through Europe to Spain or Croatia - you will not encounter anything that cannot be solved with a little common sense and situatin awareness. eastern bloc truckers can tend to appear a little aggressive and uncaring about "regular" motorists.

In addition to the breathalyser(s) requirement in France, from Jan 2012 all camera warnings on satnavs are illegal, and from reports on my camping forum, they are checking this:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/radar-detectors-in-france.html

Keep safe and have a great trip