Driving around Europe for the summer - Help Needed!

CityofDawros

Me and a few friends will be driving across Europe during the summer for three months and we need some advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The friend that bought the people carrier we will be travelling in doesn't have a license so the driving will be done by me and another guy. We both have open driven insurance so will that cover us?

2. The car tax is almost up, do we need to buy Irish tax for it even though we wont be in the country for three months?

scudzilla

CityofDawros wrote: »

Me and a few friends will be driving across Europe during the summer for three months and we need some advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The friend that bought the people carrier we will be travelling in doesn't have a license so the driving will be done by me and another guy. We both have open driven insurance so will that cover us?

2. The car tax is almost up, do we need to buy Irish tax for it even though we wont be in the country for three months?

Unsure what you mean by Open driven insurance

As for Q.2, Yes, you do need the vehicle to be taxed here because as far as i know, if it's not, it can be seized in a foreign country, or you can face a heavy on the spot fine

cormie

CityofDawros wrote: »

Me and a few friends will be driving across Europe during the summer for three months and we need some advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The friend that bought the people carrier we will be travelling in doesn't have a license so the driving will be done by me and another guy. We both have open driven insurance so will that cover us?

It will need to be under someones insurance policy in order for you or your friend with open drive to actually drive it legally.

2. The car tax is almost up, do we need to buy Irish tax for it even though we wont be in the country for three months?

Yes, the vehicle will be in use so should be taxed and you don't want your holiday ruined for the sake of skimping on the cost of 3 months tax I'm sure

Answers are to the best of my knowledge

dazed+confused

Make sure to bring your insurance policy with you along with your driving licence. Check with your insurance company that you have European cover, most policies only allow short trips, so you may have to pay a supplement if you're going to be gone for a few months.

The French and particularily the Dutch traffic police really don't mess around, so I wouldn't have anything out of date in the windscreen either. Don't forget to buy a headlight dipping kit to correct the headlights if your people carrier is right hand drive.

cormie

And also a full kit for what's needed in other countries, first aid kit, hi viz jackets, warning triangle, fire extinguisher and all that.

dazed+confused

Oh and driver chooses the music, and on long journies at least one passenger has to stay awake to keep the driver from nodding off.

marious

don't forget registration cert, its very important U might get into trouble if police will stop you and realize that u don't have it

marious

and as a advise: buy one of them stickers for front lights to prevent dazzling due to using other side of the road, I've never put them on but had them just in case

cormie

cormie wrote: »

Answers are to the best of my knowledge

One of them is possibly wrong, my insurance company insures me on other cars not owned by me regardless of if they're insured or not, so too my Dad's policy, and my sister's. However in Ireland it is a requirement to display an insurance disk. If I'm out driving my Dad's car and have a smash it's my policy covers the 3rd party, the ole lad's insurance policy has nothing to do with it. Years back there was a stipulation in a policy I had that the car had to be otherwise insured.

OP, check with your insurance company does your cover include out of country driving, it may well do but often not for three months.

keithclancy

CityofDawros wrote: »

Me and a few friends will be driving across Europe during the summer for three months and we need some advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The friend that bought the people carrier we will be travelling in doesn't have a license so the driving will be done by me and another guy. We both have open driven insurance so will that cover us?

2. The car tax is almost up, do we need to buy Irish tax for it even though we wont be in the country for three months?

You'll need to have a policy on the car itself in the name of the owner of the car.

As.
1. If you get stopped in Germany you'll need the VRC in your name and the same name as on the Insurance Certificate (Its preferable to have the the Green Cert also, but not absolutely necessary)

2. Open Insurance only covers you in your own country, the Dutch for example insure that car, not the person and technically you shouldnt allow someone to drive your car in Belgium/Germany (there are a few exceptions to this), so anyone can drive your car and is covered in NL, but not when you cross the border. (Unless some kind of special Insurance Policy for EU Cars)

You also run into problems whereby the laws are different.

As an example, you park the Vehicle somewhere your not supposed to and its found to have been a cause of an accident, your 'Open Insurance' would only cover the vehicle when your driving it, not when its parked, UNLESS its registered to you. If not then the onus falls on the registered owner which would have no insurance policy on it.

3. Road Tax is required on the vehicle (although they have no mechanism of checking it).

Best bet, Transfer the Vehicle registration to one of the Drivers and get a policy on it that will covered, or transfer over your own insurance policy to the car.

fricatus

If any of you wears glasses, you need to keep a replacement pair in the car in certain countries - notably France.

Del2005

I checked before my driving other cars only works in Ireland, no other countries. You'll need to get a policy with all 3 of you on it, even if your policy does allow driving other cars. Is it worth the hassle of trying to prove to every cop who stops you that you are legally allowed drive with several pages of documents in a language they may not read? It could ruin a great trip.

DYLF

RoverJames wrote: »

One of them is possibly wrong, my insurance company insures me on other cars not owned by me regardless of if they're insured or not, so too my Dad's policy, and my sister's. However in Ireland it is a requirement to display an insurance disk. If I'm out driving my Dad's car and have a smash it's my policy covers the 3rd party, the ole lad's insurance policy has nothing to do with it. Years back there was a stipulation in a policy I had that the car had to be otherwise insured.

OP, check with your insurance company does your cover include out of country driving, it may well do but often not for three months.

you may wanna check if your insurance policy covers you for driving in europe. i know mine is fully comp etc but it only covers ireland and UK