Travel in Europe

[Frederick Vine]

I have a 2021 Rav 4 Hybrid . Do I need a spares bulb kit for European travel ?

[philip42h]

Good question ... the exact rules will vary for each country that you propose to drive through. The RAC suggest that "It is recommended but not mandatory that you carry a spare bulb kit for your vehicle" when driving in France for example. And then the follow-up question might be "just how many of the 'bulbs' can the average driver actually change at the roadside anyway?" 😉 

(Personally, I'll probably pack one of the spare bulbs kits that I already have - knowing that most of the bulbs won't fit!)

[Frederick Vine]

My thoughts exactly. The Rav 4 is mostly LED so probably not a roadside fix. 

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

3 hours ago, Frederick Vine said:

My thoughts exactly. The Rav 4 is mostly LED so probably not a roadside fix. 

The french law states “must carry” also you need a breathalyser kit. 
I carry a Halfords stock bulb kit and so far have never been stopped. I think only 2 of the bulbs are actually useful and those are the internal ones lol. 
front and rear are led

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, PaulDM said:

The french law states “must carry”

The UK motoring organisations (AA and RAC), as well as various travel organisations, state that carrying bulbs and fuses is recommended but not compulsory in France ...

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

7 minutes ago, philip42h said:

The UK motoring organisations (AA and RAC), as well as various travel organisations, state that carrying bulbs and fuses is recommended but not compulsory in France ...

On the spot fines are definitely a thing for no breathalyser. For £5 I’d err on the side of caution. Oh and don’t forget UK marked Europlates are no longer recognised so you will have to ruin your paintwork with a retro GB sticker.  

[Frederick Vine]

Thank you guys, I will take note and stay inside the rules.There is conflicting info about France and the breathylizer,  but I will be travelling through Spain only, from the Santander ferry.

[atkiman]

and GB plates change to UK plates from the 28th of next month, another piece of needless legislation. i'll have to try and get the GB plate off the back of the car now with a hair dryer

[Gerg]

I have a good idea that Spain has a requirement for two warning triangles to be carried in the car.

This is a Spanish website, in English, checked for accuracy by the Guardia Civil, apparently:

https://n332.es/warning-triangles/#google_vignette

I appreciate this wasn't what you were asking, but easily overlooked...

[Frederick Vine]

50 minutes ago, Gerg said:

I have a good idea that Spain has a requirement for two warning triangles to be carried in the car.

This is a Spanish website, in English, checked for accuracy by the Guardia Civil, apparently:

https://n332.es/warning-triangles/#google_vignette

I appreciate this wasn't what you were asking, but easily overlooked...

I have those thank you. Just the bulbs to get now and I’m good to go 👍

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Gerg said:

I have a good idea that Spain has a requirement for two warning triangles to be carried in the car.

This is a Spanish website, in English, checked for accuracy by the Guardia Civil, apparently:

https://n332.es/warning-triangles/#google_vignette

I appreciate this wasn't what you were asking, but easily overlooked...

According to AA/RAC:

(8) Spain: One warning triangle compulsory for non-Spanish registered vehicles; two for Spanish registered vehicles. Note: Drivers of non-Spanish registered vehicles should consider carrying two triangles as, regardless of regulations, local officials may impose an on-the-spot fine if only one is available.

Yes, of course it's a good idea to carry two to keep the Spanish happy, but if we want to know what is the minimum required ...

[Grizelda Wizzle]

I also understand that it is compulsory in France to carry hi viz jackets in the car itself and not in the boot.  Spain will also soon be changing from the warning triangles to a flashing beacon system.  

[Frederick Vine]

Thank you everyone, the problem is now sorted, a full kit is ready for the journey.

[Grizelda Wizzle]

I know you're sorted but DH reminded me that you also have to carry the tools in your vehicle to enable you to replace the bulbs - the bulbs on their own are not enough apparently.  I'd also be very interested to know how you get on using your Sat Nav in Europe as currently finding it a nightmare to programme anything non-UK in.  Have resorted to using Geo co-ordinates!

 

[Frederick Vine]

Will do, I have a back up Garmin satnav, just in case  !

[Scottydog007]

In Austria I had the vignette for motorway travel but still got stopped. I was asked to show my vehicle registration documents. I actually had a photo copy, but that was not acceptable. Austria insist you carry the original vehicle documents. I was told I had to stop driving go to a hotel and get them couriered over. Can you believe it. I argued and said I’m a tourist in his country please be understanding. He kept me for 30 minutes then gave an on the spot fine of 60€. 

[philip42h]

16 minutes ago, Scottydog007 said:

In Austria I had the vignette for motorway travel but still got stopped. I was asked to show my vehicle registration documents. I actually had a photo copy, but that was not acceptable. Austria insist you carry the original vehicle documents. I was told I had to stop driving go to a hotel and get them couriered over. Can you believe it. I argued and said I’m a tourist in his country please be understanding. He kept me for 30 minutes then gave an on the spot fine of 60€. 

For travel in Europe, one needs the original V5C. For leased /company cars you can use a VE103B Certificate which is "an authenticated document and an acceptable substitute for the V5C".

[Wensobern]

Thanks for sharing your experience – original vehicle docs are a must there, it seems. A 30-minute detour and a fine, yikes! For fellow travelers, good to know about the VE103B Certificate for leased/company cars.

[GBgraham]

I've just done Greece to the UK and back again. I carried a warning triangle, hi-viz waste coats, a bulb kit (save's any arguments) snow socks (instead of chains), registration docs, insurance, green card. I think some countries require you to carry a fire extinguisher and I'm almost sure France does not require breathalysers any longer. At the end of the day you should check all these yourself as we can only pass on experiences. 

[Wensobern]

On 2/13/2024 at 4:46 PM, Wensobern said:

Thanks for sharing your experience – original vehicle docs are a must there, it seems. A 30-minute detour and a fine, yikes! For fellow travelers, good to know about the VE103B Certificate for leased/company cars.

By the way, if you're into smooth travel experiences, this site might interest you: https://travelbusinessclass.com/. Here's to smoother roads and less paperwork!

[Roy124]

On 8/26/2021 at 7:11 PM, Scottydog007 said:

 I was told I had to stop driving go to a hotel and get them couriered over. Can you believe it. I argued and said I’m a tourist in his country please be understanding. He kept me for 30 minutes then gave an on the spot fine of 60€. 

Cheaper than an hotel.  Was it cash, brown envelope job, or card?

Once got a parking ticket in Salzburg.  Did a run for the border and back in UK  changed plates.   Good luck chasing me on that one as I had all the car docs - the ones issued to me and the ones that had been held by the authorities.  All given to me when I exported the car.

[152bobby]

On 8/14/2021 at 2:31 PM, Frederick Vine said:

My thoughts exactly. The Rav 4 is mostly LED so probably not a roadside fix. 

I was just about to say this.  That rule that France has had since time began, is fading, due to LED sealed units etc.  So to be honest, to comply, just have spare bulbs for the indicators, number plate bulbs etc and anything else that can be manually done at the road side.

To be honest, I'm pretty sure the French police have far more pressing police issues that are more of a priority. (Or they should have).🤣

[Roy124]

On a more practical note, if you are travelling through a country that does not have your particular car model,  consider carrying some model specific spares.

i travelled through Europe in a SAAB.  A windscreen wiper blade split.  The best I could find was a Ford blade which fitted by was the wrong profile. 

Spark plugs and fan belts were other good standbys. A can of oil might be worthwhile for older cars.

That was years ago and for the ubiquitos Toyota probably unnecessary.