Your car
How to Get Your Car Ready for a Road Trip in Europe
Verdict
Pack for the law on your route, then for the breakdown you hope never comes.
Nearly every country on this site asks for a warning triangle, and most ask for a vest. The rest of the kit is what gets you off the hard shoulder: a way to fix a flat, the right number to call and, in winter, tyres the next country accepts.
A missing vest in Portugal costs €60 to €300 at the roadside. A tow off a French autoroute costs €151 at a fixed price, and more at night. The first is avoidable before you leave. The second is easier to bear when you know the price in advance.
Start with the kit list. It builds itself from your route and your car, puts every date in your calendar, and stays on your phone when the signal does not.
Pack the car
- GuideCar kit listTick it, date it, send it to your phone and open it with no signal
- GuideRequired kit by countryTriangle, vest, first-aid kit: what 14 countries ask forChecked 4 October 2026
When something goes wrong
Electric or fuel
- GuideElectric carsCables, domestic sockets, the cold and a breakdownChecked 4 October 2026
- GuidePetrol and diesel carsFuel labels, AdBlue and spare cansChecked 4 October 2026
Season and size
- GuideWinter drivingTyres, chains and the dates each country asks for them
- GuideMotorhomesOver 3,500 kg: licence, tolls and speed limits changeChecked 30 September 2026
Next on the road
Sources
We don't sell kit, insurance or breakdown cover.