Make sure though that you are fully prepared for the trip and you have all the driving requirements to be both safe and legal. Obviously you will take your passport but also take your driving licence, insurance documents, log book and M.O.T. Always take your driving licence, but photo copies of the the car documents is usually OK.

You will also need Hi Viz Florescent jackets for all the people in the vehicle. A spare bulb and fuses kit. You do not need every single bulb and fuse for your car just get a kit with a variety in it. It's all you need to show the police if stopped. Newer cars sometimes have the GB or EEC flag on the number plate but if not you will need a GB sticker on your car. If you are towing anything (caravan, boat etc) then that will also need a sticker on it.

A warning triangle is one of the legal requirements for driving in France and you need 2 if driving in Spain. As I'm sure you will already know, as you are on this website, you need headlamp converters but a first aid kit is not compulsory in France though it makes sense in our opinion along with a fire extinguisher. Under the European Good Samaritan Law, drivers are expected to stop and assist if they encounter an accident, providing the circumstances are safe, so both these items could prove life savers.

 

Another important point when driving on French roads is that you will come across a ‘péage’, which is a toll booth put in place to collect funds to pay for road-building and maintenance. Some of these péages collect cash, some allow you to pay by credit or debit card. Make sure you have change and credit/debit cards to hand as a lot are unmanned.