Today, more and more of our compatriots decide to go to Europe by car on their own. At first glance, it seems that it is quite simple: took a vacation, loaded the trunk - and forward, towards adventure. In fact, such a journey requires serious preparation. So, it is necessary not only to take care of the availability of documents that you may need abroad, but also to check the serviceability of your car, as well as carefully develop a route. So, today we propose to understand in more detail how to go on an independent trip around Europe in your own car. To do this, we will consider the main points that should be given special attention when planning a trip.
Developing a route: by car in Europe
First of all, you need to think about a rough trip plan, and then carefully develop all its details. Of course, in this caseeveryone is free to be guided by their preferences, as well as financial capabilities. However, we will give basic recommendations. First of all, you should not include too long journeys in your itinerary: driving a car across Europe is pleasant, but very tiring. As a result, wanting to cover as many cities and countries as possible during your vacation, you will be very tired, as a result of which you will have to spend more time relaxing than walking and sightseeing. Also, when planning your travel time, be sure to take into account stops for snacks, etc.
Navigation
When planning a trip by car around Europe, it is advisable to use the Google Maps service or a navigator, with which you can plot a route in accordance with certain entered parameters (for example, excluding toll roads). If your car is not equipped with a regular GPS, then we recommend that you purchase it, especially since the price of these devices is now publicly available. And when you find yourself in a completely unfamiliar country where people speak a language you don't understand, this little device can become a real lifesaver for you. After all, he will not only show you the way, warn you about the permissible speed limit, but also inform you about the nearest gas stations, ATMs and cafes. It is better not to rely on paper cards, although you can throw a couple in the glove compartment just in case.
Hotel Booking
When going to Europe by car, you should take care of thebooking rooms in hotels where you will stay on your trip. It is very convenient to use popular sites to select and book suitable hotels. Pay attention to whether the hotel you like charges an advance payment. Indeed, when applying for a Schengen visa, the embassy will most likely require you to confirm a 100% prepayment of hotel rooms for the entire period of your trip. Also try to find out if the hotels where you plan to stay have their own parking. Don't be discouraged even if it's paid. Upon arrival, it is advisable to park the car near the hotel and go for sightseeing on foot, by public transport or taxi. Going to the city center in your own car makes sense only if you are sure that you can find parking for it. The fact is that the situation with parking in all more or less large and popular European cities with tourists is quite bad. In addition, this pleasure is far from cheap. If you cannot find a parking lot and leave the car in the wrong place, then be sure that you will be fined, and perhaps even taken to the impound lot.
To Europe by car: documents
After you have developed a travel plan, booked hotels and received the appropriate visas for all participants in the trip, it is worth remembering about other necessary documents. So, going to Europe by car, be sure to take with youa passport with a valid visa, medical insurance (it is inexpensive, but in case of an emergency it will save you a tidy sum, because medical services in European countries are by no means cheap), international car insurance (Green Card), vehicle documents (registration certificate and power of attorney required), driver's license.
In addition, it is advisable to have with you printed hotel booking confirmations, copies of your passport pages with visas stamped, and an international driver's license. Next, we offer a closer look at car insurance and an international driver's license, since these questions often cause a lot of questions for people planning to travel to Europe by car.
International Vehicle Insurance
Most of this insurance is known by its English name - Green Card. The "Green Card" is a kind of analogue of the usual OSAGO, which operates on the territory of all European states (with rare exceptions). This policy insures the civil liability of the driver. Thus, the party injured in the road traffic accident receives the payment on it in accordance with the legislation of the state where the accident occurred.
As for the cost of the Green Card, it is the same in all insurance companies and is regulated by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. The cost of the policy is affected by three factors: its validity period (minimum - 15 days, maximum - 12 months), type of transportmeans and territory of use. On average, a "Green Card" for 15 days will cost you one and a half thousand rubles.
International Driving Permit
Many travelers believe they need an international license to travel to Europe. This term refers to an international driver's license (or IDP), which is a translation of a national driver's license and confirms your right to drive a car of one category or another. On the territory of Russia, the IDP has the right to issue only the traffic police. Please note that an International Driving Permit is only valid when paired with a national licence.
To be fair, traveling by car to Europe in most cases does not require the driver to have an IDL. It is enough to have a national driver's license with you. However, in states that have signed only the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, adopted in 1949, you may still be required by international law today. In Europe, such countries are Albania, Ireland, Andorra, Iceland, M alta, Cyprus, Turkey and the Netherlands. Of course, the requirement for an IDP is in most cases purely formal, and local police rarely punish foreign drivers for not having this document. However, in order not to worry once again and protect yourself from possible problems, it is better to spend a little time and get international rights. Moreover, this procedure takes only 20minutes (in Moscow) and will cost an average of one thousand rubles.
Preparing your car for a long journey
I would like to say that if a trip by car to Europe is on the agenda, then the issue of preparing your iron horse should be one of the paramount. Be sure to remember what you wanted to fix in your car and put everything off until later. Also look at when the next maintenance is scheduled to take place. And if there is very little time left before it, then it is better to do it in advance. Be that as it may, the diagnosis will not be superfluous, because not all car problems can be identified during an external examination.
After you have made sure that your iron horse is fully technically sound, and that the trip to Europe by car will not end at one of the service stations, you can slowly begin to equip it with everything you need. So, to enter the territory of the European Union, your car must have a European-style first aid kit, an emergency stop sign, a fire extinguisher, and a reflective vest. Moreover, these items are not only necessary in emergency situations. Their presence can also be checked by the police at the border.
We have de alt with the necessary items. Now let's talk about optional, but highly desirable things that you need to have with you when going on a long journey by car. So, it doesn’t hurt to put a compressor in the trunk to inflate tires. Also check the condition of your spare tire or "stowaway". If you are planning a trip in autumnwinter time, please note that studded tires are not allowed in Europe.
Don't lose sight of the towline too. Of course, in which case you can use a tow truck, but most often it is much easier to tow a stalled car, especially if you are traveling with a group of several cars. It is advisable to capture all the liquids vital for your car for topping up. After all, if something happens, this can help you get to the nearest service, and maybe even to Russia, which will seriously save repair costs. In addition, take a set of basic tools with you: pliers, wrenches and screwdrivers. Plastic clamps, adhesive tape and electrical tape will also be useful. All these items will not take up much space in the trunk, but in some situations they can be literally indispensable.
Crossing the border
So, any trip to Europe starts with crossing the border. Since the price of gasoline abroad is quite high, we recommend refueling a full tank in the CIS. At the border with the European Union, you can write down the number of liters in the tank, but you should not worry about this, and no one will take money from you in the form of a duty.
When communicating with border guards and customs officers, behave correctly and politely. Fulfill all requests coming from them. So, they may ask you to open the trunk, hood or show the contents of the bags. Surely the border guard will ask about the purpose of your trip. Do not invent any fables, answeras is.
If your car has tinted front windows, be aware that this can cause problems at the border. The fact is that in Europe such tinting is prohibited. It may even come to the point that you will be asked to remove the film, which can be quite difficult, especially in winter. However, even if you safely enter the territory of the European Union with tinted windows, then you should not flatter yourself and think that all problems are behind you. After all, you can easily be stopped by the first policeman who comes across. And in this case, you will not only be forced to get rid of tinting, but also pay a pretty decent fine.
On European roads
So, you have successfully overcome all the formalities, and your iron horse quickly winds the first kilometers on the roads of the European Union. But you shouldn't relax here either. First of all, it is recommended to immediately pay for travel on the autobahns. In Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, you need to purchase a sticker to attach to your windshield. It will mean that you have paid the fare on the autobahns. The cost of a sticker may vary depending on the country, but on average it will cost about 15 euros.
Now, in order for a trip by car to Europe to bring you exclusively positive emotions, it remains only to carefully follow all the rules of the road. Before entering each country that is part of the European Union, you will see an information board with speed limits for the city, country roads and motorways. It is very important to remember these numbers and notexceed them. After all, exceeding the speed limit even by several kilometers per hour can result in a minimum fine of 30 euros. For more serious violations, the fine can be several hundred or even thousands of euros! Moreover, it is unlikely that it will be possible to avoid punishment, since all roads have modern video recording equipment. If a policeman stops you, don't even try to bribe him. Not only will he not take the money, but he can also hold you accountable for trying to bribe an official.
However, when traveling by car across Europe and concentrating on observing the speed limit on European roads, one should not forget about other traffic rules. So, watch the signs, traffic lights and markings very carefully. By the way, the latter in most cases is applied very competently and is able not only not to confuse, but, on the contrary, to help the driver to cross the interchange or intersection correctly. Of course, as a rule, the first kilometers on the roads of Europe are accompanied by a slight stress on our drivers. However, gradually you will get a taste and be very surprised at the driving style of our compatriots after returning home.
Cost of travel by car
It is naive to believe that tourist trips to Europe by private car are much cheaper than when traveling by plane. Therefore, the expenditure part is an important item in planning your vacation. We propose to briefly find out how much a trip to Europe on your own "iron horse" can cost and what items of expenditure should include yourbudget.
- Expenses for processing the necessary documents for the driver and car. This item implies the purchase of a "Green Card" and, if necessary, the issuance of an IDP. It will cost approximately 2500 rubles.
- Expenses for he alth insurance and Schengen visa processing. On average, these documents will cost 4,000 rubles per person.
- The cost of preparing the car for the road. It all depends on the brand of your car and its technical condition. Also in this paragraph we will include the purchase of a navigator. So, a good device with loaded maps of Europe will cost about 8 thousand rubles.
- You can only calculate gas expenses if you have a final travel plan in hand. On average, if you travel along the route Moscow - Warsaw - Berlin - Brussels - Paris, you will have to spend about 18 thousand rubles. Don't forget to budget for gasoline for the return trip as well.
- Expenses for toll roads and parking. Everything here will depend solely on the country where you are heading to, as well as on whether you plan to leave your car in the hotel parking lot and walk around the city on foot, or whether you want to travel everywhere on your "iron horse".
- Expenses for accommodation, food and entertainment. Everything here is purely individual. After all, someone does not mind living in cheap hotels far from the center, while someone definitely needs 4- and 5-star hotels in the very heart of the city. The same goes for food with entertainment.
