Following on from my previous post about driving times to the costa del sol, its all now booked.

What I am looking for is advice really on what to check/do/take with me on a mammouth 3,000 mile return trip.

Things I know about are:

Convert headlights,

Warning Triangle,

Yellow reflective jackets,

Spare bulb kits,

Insurance green card.

What about general checking, the octy currently has 48K miles on the clock.

1. First aid Kit

2. Fire Extingusher

3. (if Driving through france Hide any speed camera detection devices )

4. Fluid Levels water brakes etc

5. Tyre tread depth and pressures

plus all the usual for a UK trip:thumbup:

Plenty of food.

An excellent selection of CDs

How about a bottle of motor oil in the boot?

spare spectacles if you wear glasses (iirc a requirement in Spain)

spare wheel/jack/tools

Euro breakdown cover

some screen wash already mixed up, basic tools to do basic repair work if needed and check the spare.

Headache tablets for after you hear "Are We There Yet?" for the thousandth time :rofl:

and after you pass the last service station for 100kms the dreaded "i need a toilet":rofl:

Pro-plus

I thought about the oil, but there are plenty of places in france/spain to buy the stuff and with 2 weeks luggage in the car I really need as much space as possible. I must leave some space to get the beer in on the return leg.

Two triangles needed to conform in Spain.

Also jacket (Reflective) to be on as you leave the car.

that the 'mrs' has plently of sweets, chocolate, magazines, books to keep her quiet for the duration :)

spare key!

Check that a service isn't likely to become due while you're on the trip.

Assuming you're on variable service, you can do this by pressing and holding the trip re-set button for a couple of seconds IIRC (ignition on but engine not started).

Good tip that Andy!

Taking a spare key is also a good idea, get Mrs Manny to keep it in her handbag.

A large plastic container of water, for you, your family, and the car!

spare screenwash

Based on experience gained on the Cannonballs & Furballs this would be my minimum list. OK your not doing a Cannonball but most are relavent

Get the car serviced & fully prepared at least 2 weeks before the off, that leaves time to fix anything you or the garage find & to make sure the garage havent cocked up anything on the service.

If you are worried about Tyres, Brake pads or clutches change before you go, Ive seen too many clutches fail, remember the car will get several thousand hard miles.

Things to take

Anything required legally in the countries we are visiting, the RAC & AA can help with this if your not sure & dont forget the luminoius vests

First Aid Kit

Small Fire Extinguisher

Spare bulbs

Any parts that are known to be suspect on your car & can be carried easily

List showing where dealers for your car are located in the countries you are visiting if applicable Skoda do little road maps for each country with the stealers on

Full sized spare if your car has a space saver

Basic tool kit + a hammer (how often have you needed something heavy)

Check the jack & wheelbrace are servicable

Key for locknuts if fitted + a spare wheel nut

Selection of cable ties

Roll of duck tape (Essential, fixes a million problems)

Halfords do a set of tapes to repair broken lenses in red orange etc, very usefull

Can of flat tyre inflator

Can of Petrol ( Only really needed if you will be on back roads at night, I get in the habbit of refilling at 1/3 tank)

Bottle of brake/clutch fluid

Spare set of car keys (not kept in the car)

Tow rope

A decent recovery insurance & check the small print, some include hire cars, some just include a taxi to the nearest airport & a standby budget flight home

Copious supply of Red Bull

A few non perishable snacks & some water

Decent maps, Michelin Europe is fairly comprehensive, Sat navs Ok until you want to divert for a blocked road so a map as well is IMO essential

It pays to carry the originals of your Insurance, Log Book, Licence & obviously passport. These are all useful in roadside tugs but hopefully you wont be driving Cannonball style !!

Also Photocopy them all & cary seperately. A friend was robbed in spain & all her documents were in her hand bag but she had the copies, a quick trip to the british consulate & a temp passport document was issued.

List of telephone numbers for credit card companies in case you get hit & be wary in fuel stations, Ive had a card hit twice, both times in Italy though

Watch out on the French motorways for speed traps, they are fairly common now & be extreemly careful coming back, the last 100 miles or so are bound to have some. For anyone looking for a fun drive there are some great backroads leading to Calais that are usually police free ;)

The Spanish Police are a law unto themselves & many are corrupt so tread carefully if you get a problem, The French Police seem incredibly fair & above board.

Check tyre pressures before you leave & when you load the car put the heavy stuff as far forward & as low as you can in the boot. if weights ahead of the wheels it helps keep the car level. Remember most things are cheaper in Europe so take the minimum, no point loading the car out, Ive seen people who are going self catering taking a weeks food !!, If you are self catering all you need if even this is the minimum for a first meal. same if you have babies, you dont need a weeks supply of daipers & a travel cot etc etc,

Hope this helps

Stuart

If you can afford it the little box that allows electronic access through the toll booths is a great idea, you get a dedicated lane which saves the long queues for the toll booth, you can get them from Sanef - Concession et exploitation de réseaux d'autoroute it that allows electronic access through the toll booths (charged automatically to your c/card or bank account)

The site is entirely in French though but with a bit of help can be navigated through.

If you want some scenic driving try & plan a route that will take you through Andora IMO its worth the diversion

If you want some scenic driving try & plan a route that will take you through Andora IMO its worth the diversion

Caution. Andorra is not an member of the EU (where a Green card is no longer required) and a Green card is essential here. Many insurance companies will charge an extra premium for this diversion. An IDP might also be needed.

In case of problems, I've scanned all my paperwork including passports, driving license, travel insurance, breakdown recovery etc, and emailed to my gmail account.

That way, if (God forbid) anything gets lost/stolen, a copy is only as far away as the nearest internet cafe!

Phil

A lot of really useful information in this thread!

I'm driving through France to Noirmoutier from Calais this Summer for the first time, so the tips and advice here will be most useful!

Small amounts of change in each currency for 'by the highway' windscreen cleaners.

Small amounts of change in each currency for 'by the highway' windscreen cleaners.

just a nice extenderable wrench is needed for that