Your car · Car kit list

Your car

How to Pack the Car for a Road Trip in Europe

7 parts: what the law asks for on your route, what gets you out of a breakdown, what an electric or a petrol car needs, and the kit for the season. Tick what is in the car, mark what is not for your trip, and give anything you still have to buy a date.

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Part 1 of 7 · The law

Carry What the Law Asks for on Your Route

Each country writes its own list, and the police check it at the roadside. These are the items the countries on your route ask for.

Required kit by countryTriangle, vest, first-aid kit and the rest, in 14 countriesWinter tyres and chainsDates, markings and fines in six Alpine countries

Part 2 of 7 · Help

Be Ready to Call for Help

112 works in every country on this site. What you need before you leave is the number of your own breakdown cover and the form for an accident.

Breakdowns and accidentsWhat to do on a motorway, and when the police must come

Part 3 of 7 · Repairs

Find What Fixes a Flat Before You Need It

Many new cars have a sealant kit instead of a spare wheel, and it only seals small holes in the tread. Know which you have before the hard shoulder.

Breakdowns and accidentsFlat tyres, towing and the motorway rules

Part 4 of 7 · Electric

Pack the Cables and Cards an Electric Car Needs

Public AC chargers come without a cable, and a domestic socket is a last resort. Pack the Type 2 cable, a contactless card and a plan for the cold.

    Electric cars on a road tripCables, the domestic socket, the cold and a breakdownPlugs and cablesType 2 and CCS

    Part 5 of 7 · Fuel

    Know Your Fuel Before the First Pump

    Pumps across the EU carry the same labels as your filler flap. Match them, top up the AdBlue, and leave the spare can behind unless your crossing allows it.

    • Read the fuel label inside the filler flap (E10, B7) and match it at the pump How to do it
    • Diesel: top up the AdBlue before you leave How to do it
    • Keep any spare fuel can to 10 litres How to do it
    Petrol and diesel carsFuel labels, AdBlue and spare cans

    Part 6 of 7 · Winter

    Add the Winter Kit From October to April

    Winter tyre and chain rules change at the border. The rest of the winter kit is what keeps you moving, and warm, if a pass closes behind you.

    Winter tyres and chainsDates, markings and fines

    Part 7 of 7 · Summer

    Add Shade and Water From May to September

    Southern Europe in August is hot enough to make a stop on the hard shoulder dangerous. Carry water for everyone and never leave anyone in the parked car.

    Breakdowns and accidentsWaiting safely behind the barrier

    Keep this page

    If Something Goes Wrong: 112 and Who Else to Call

    Every country on this site.

    France

    • Emergency112
    • BreakdownThe number on your breakdown cover

    On the motorway. Use only the emergency call boxes, not your mobile. Only breakdown firms approved for that motorway may come, at a fixed price: €151 to repair on the spot or tow a car up to 1.8 t, €186.72 from 1.8 to 3.5 t, plus 50% from 18:00 to 08:00, at weekends and on holidays.

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Germany

    On the motorway. Emergency call boxes stand every 2 km; the arrows on the roadside posts point to the nearest one, and it sends your position.

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Austria

    On the motorway. Hazard lights on, vest on before you get out, wait behind the barrier. Put the triangle about 200 m back; the posts are 50 m apart. Call boxes every 2 km give your position.

    After an accident. If anyone is hurt, call the police at once. Damage only: report it to the nearest police station unless you exchanged names and addresses.

    Switzerland

    On the motorway. Triangle at least 100 m back on a motorway, 50 m elsewhere. Use the orange emergency phones and wait behind the barrier.

    After an accident. Damage only: tell the police if you cannot tell the owner of what you hit straight away.

    Italy

    On the motorway. On the Autostrade Alto Adriatico network, SOS columns stand every 2 km. Only firms authorised by the motorway company may repair or tow on it.

    After an accident. Stop, help anyone hurt and exchange details. Leaving after a damage-only accident costs €302 to €1,208.

    Spain

    On the motorway. Spanish cars use a V-16 light; a foreign car may still use its triangles.

    After an accident. Call the authorities if anyone seems injured, and stay until they arrive.

    Belgium

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Netherlands

    On the motorway. Park close to the barrier and get everyone behind it. Give the road, the hectometre post and the side of the road. Rijkswaterstaat: 0800-8002.

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Poland

    • Emergency112
    • BreakdownThe number on your breakdown cover

    After an accident. The police must come only if someone is killed or injured.

    Czechia

    • Emergency112
    • BreakdownThe number on your breakdown cover

    After an accident. Call the police if anyone is hurt, if damage to any one vehicle may exceed CZK 200,000, if you damaged other property or the road, or if the road cannot be cleared.

    Slovakia

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Slovenia

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Hungary

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    Portugal

    After an accident. Call 112 if anyone is hurt. Fill in the European Accident Statement with the other driver.

    What to do on a motorway, and when the police must come: breakdowns and accidents.