Driving holiday tips: be prepared for holiday by car

Summer, winter, spring or autumn: many Indian people like to go out by car during the holiday periods. The car is and remains the most popular means of transport; slightly more than half opt for a car holiday. To make your trip to the holiday destination as carefree as possible, there are a number of things you can take into account.Do this, because good preparation can save you a lot of stress. That is why we give car holiday tips about the car check, packing, maximum loading weight, fuel consumption, mandatory tools for the car, toll, roadside assistance, car insurance and more important points. All this so that you are as prepared as possible for a driving holiday.

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• Auto check before departure
• Organize car
• Maximum loading weight
• Driving holiday and Corona
• Mandatory tools Europe
• Vignette and environmental sticker
• Check tire pressure
• Winter or summer tires?
• Rules, fines and obligations
• Riding in the mountains
• Know what car insurance covers
• Breakdown situations
• Roadside assistance needed
• Replacement vehicle
• Avoid black Saturdays
• Provide entertainment in the car

Auto check before departure
With the extra weight of luggage, the steep mountain slopes and the long distances, the chance of a defect in the car during your holiday is just a bit greater than during routine rides on the Indian roads. It is therefore wise to have the car checked at the garage before departure. Almost every car dealer checks for a few bucks whether the brake discs, the air conditioning and the windshield wipers will last for a holiday (and hopefully longer). Do the check well before departure, so that there is enough time for any repairs to your car.

You do not have to have everything checked by a specialist, there are also some actions you can perform yourself. This will save you on maintenance costs . Such as checking the tire pressure and tread depth of the tires. You can also check the fluids yourself, such as coolant, brake and windscreen washer fluid. This way you know whether you need to refill them and whether you need to bring spare fluid with you. And… do you actually have a spare wheel in the trunk? Good to have a look at that.

Organize car
Before packing, make a packing list for the driving holiday. Once packed? Then the layout of the trunk — and the rest of the car — can begin. How do you do this as practically as possible? Heavy suitcases and bags are best placed at the bottom of the trunk. If everything does not fit and luggage comes out above the back of the rear seat, make sure you have a luggage net or rack and secure the luggage properly. This way you prevent bags, suitcases or loose items from flying through the car in the event of an accident or sudden stop. That can be quite dangerous. You can use auto repair shop management software free for better experince.

Maximum loading weight
If you are not, or to a lesser extent, limited by a baggage limit, you are quickly inclined to take more than necessary. But even if you have the space, it is good to think about the amount of stuff you are taking with you. Excess baggage leads to higher gasoline consumption and sometimes even unsafe traffic situations. Especially when the maximum loading weight of the car is exceeded. Useful; the maximum loading weight can be found on your registration certificate. So leave unnecessary things at home when you go on a driving holiday. Also pay a little attention to your driving style, as this will affect fuel consumption .

Driving holiday and Corona
Each country has its own corona rules . When planning your vacation, pay close attention to the travel advice for each country and keep checking them as your vacation gets closer. In addition, take into account not only your final destination, but also the countries in which you are passing through. Keep an eye on the India Worldwide website for the most up-to-date information.

Mandatory tools
Unlike in the India, most countries have strict requirements for the safety equipment in the car . In addition to a warning triangle, a first-aid kit, safety vests for all occupants, spare bulbs, an alcohol test and a fire extinguisher are sometimes mandatory. You should put these tools and other important items that you may need during your driving holiday in an easily accessible place. That is not in that one bag somewhere in the back of the trunk under all those black, big bags. If you rent a car abroad with a license plate of the country itself, other obligations sometimes apply. Always check the applicable requirements with the rental company.

Check tire pressure
After charging the car, check the tire pressure: for better road holding and fuel savings, this should be increased when the car is heavily loaded. The weaker the tires, the more fuel will be consumed during the ride. But also make sure that the tension is not too high, because that can cause a blowout and less grip on the road. And that is dangerous. The correct tire pressure differs per car. On a sticker in the door frame, sun valve or fuel valve there is (probably) a sticker stating the correct tire pressure for your car.

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Winter or summer tires?
By the way, also keep in mind what kind of tires you leave for the holiday destination. Most of the Indian cars run on summer tires all year round. Even in winter. Driving with winter tires is therefore not mandatory in our country. It is different abroad: in the colder periods of the year it is mandatory in some European countries to drive with winter tires . In winter conditions, the braking distance is shorter with winter tires, and the grip on the road is better. In some areas and under certain weather conditions, snow chains are also mandatory abroad.

It is a completely different story when you drive in the summer, or other periods with warm weather. Then summer tires are better again. These tires are also not mandatory in the India. Other countries are also not that strict about driving with summer tires in the warm times.

Vignette and environmental sticker
In many countries in Europe, tolls are levied or a vignette is required. Nowadays, tolls can be paid in more and more places with a credit card, instead of just cash. Do you only have cash? Then you have the chance that you will end up in a much longer line. An electronic toll badge is for sale for the French toll gates, with which you can easily pay at separate (and often faster) rows. You need a vignette to drive through Austria and Switzerland. You can often buy this at the highway border crossings. If you want to arrange such a vignette in advance, you can order it online.

With regard to the environment and emissions, there are nowadays (parts of) countries in which your car has to comply with certain environmental conditions. To indicate that your car meets the environmental requirements, you must apply for an environmental sticker . If the car does not meet the requirements, you are not allowed to pass through such an area and you must take a different route. And does your car meet the requirements, but you don’t have a sticker? Even then you are not allowed to enter the area. A waste of detours. If you order an environmental sticker, you often have to wait five working days for it. So don’t wait until the last moment to check and apply.

Rules, fines and obligations
Sometimes different traffic rules apply abroad than those we know in India. For example, did you know that as a glasses-wearing driver in Spain, you should always have spare glasses with you? And the amounts for fines are sometimes much higher than in India. if you press the accelerator too hard, resulting in a criminal case and disqualification from driving. And anyone driving around with winter tires in Italy in the summer period risks a fine of at least € 419 and a maximum of € 1,682. To avoid unnecessary fines or difficult situations, it is advisable to read up briefly before departure about the biggest differences in foreign traffic.

Riding in the mountains
As soon as you cross the Indian border, the landscape quickly changes. Hills provide an adjustment in your driving style. Where in India it is best to drive in fifth gear at 80 kilometers per hour, you do not do any good in a hilly landscape. You have to tour in the mountains. If you hit the gas, the car should still be able to accelerate. If this is not possible, switch back. Otherwise the engine will be overloaded and can overheat — especially if the car is at, on or over the maximum loading weight. For driving downhill, a low gear is the best choice. When you take your foot off the gas, the car has to slow down on its own. Continuously pressing the brakes is not necessary and this prevents damage to the braking system.

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Know what car insurance covers
You can prepare so well… anyone can have a car breakdown or an accident. Therefore, before you leave, find out what the car insurance covers in case you drive damage abroad. Also check whether you are insured for roadside assistance and how to act in a breakdown situation. That is great if you get stuck along the road with a breakdown. You can find out in which countries your car insurance provides cover on the green card. Abroad, that card is proof that your car is insured. The green card usually contains the contact details of the party that you must call in case of damage or breakdown. Keep in mind that not every car damage abroad is covered. Do you want to take out a different car insurance policy before departure? Then you can compare car insurance policies at Pricewise to find the best cover at the lowest premium. Are you traveling with a caravan? Then remember that you have to take out caravan insurance for this.

Breakdown situations
You have your car properly checked, everything neatly packed and you go with car insurance of which you know what it covers. Unfortunately, this does not mean that you are fully protected against car trouble while on holiday. Know what can happen to you. What are common breakdown situations on the road? An empty battery, the car not starting, broken lamps and a flat tire. It also happens more than once that people leave their car keys in the ignition and lock the car. Break open the car? No, just make sure you bring a spare key — and don’t leave it in the car. Furthermore, problems with the brakes occur, refueling with the wrong fueland problems with the fluids. Of course there are also the more extreme variants; the collisions. Inevitably, with so many people (driving long stretches) on the road.

Roadside assistance needed
You have a breakdown on the road… what do you do? Be the first to turn on your hazard lights. Then make sure you stand in a safe place. Drive or move your car to the emergency lane or side of the road, and place a safety triangle behind the car so that other drivers see you. If you need roadside assistance, call your roadside assistance provider. He will then ensure that help is sent. You can take out breakdown assistance insurance in five different ways: via the car insurance company (this is not possible with all insurers), via the importer or the car company, via a breakdown service, via the travel insurance (in that case you are only insured for breakdown assistance in abroad and not in the India) or you opt for roadside assistance on demand. Use automotive repair management software to take care of your car.

Roadside assistance on demand works via an app and you only pay if you need roadside assistance. You can also choose to resolve the breakdown with a local party. However, you are a lot more expensive without roadside assistance insurance. And one more important thing; make sure you don’t accidentally take out double insurance for roadside assistance. This can happen if you do not know (anymore) that you already have additional insurance through your car insurance.

Replacement vehicle
Do you need a different car because of the damage? Then, depending on the car insurance you have taken out, you can get replacement transport reimbursed from the insurance. A liability insurance pays anything here, but you have a comprehensive insurance or limited-hull insura g, it may be that the cost of the replacement vehicle will be reimbursed. Check this with the car insurance company. Do you only have third party insurance, but have taken out travel insurance? Check whether the replacement transport is (partly) reimbursed.

Avoid black Saturdays
Black Saturday . Certainly not a party, those endless traffic jams to your holiday destination. Where this term was previously only used for the busiest Saturdays in France, it is now used as a name for the Saturdays with the worst traffic in Europe. If you are going to drive, try to take this into account. Know that days from Thursday to Sunday are especially busy. Except in Germany; Thursday and Sunday are the best days to be on the road. The dates for Black Saturdays vary by country. Because although the crowds are mainly caused by the many holidaymakers, there are also a number of holidays abroad that cause you to be delayed.

So, are you going on a summer vacation by car? Just check beforehand when the black Saturdays or other busiest traffic days are in the countries you will be driving through. Try to avoid these days. That can save you some travel hours. The busiest days on the French motorways are likely to be 3 and 10 August this year.

Provide entertainment in the car
And then another very important thing: the longer the ride, the greater the chance that you will get tired of sitting and driving. Try to keep it fun for as long as possible. How? Make sure you have some food and drink on the go so no one can get cranky from hunger or thirst. Of course you can, and should, stop at a gas station or roadside restaurant along the way, but having something to hand certainly won’t hurt. Also provide the necessary music or choose the radio; this often gives you something to talk about or think about, as the DJs often come up with fun facts. And fortunately nowadays we have our tablets and smartphones, with which we could enjoy ourselves for hours. Download a movie, games or an e-book in advance. Or bring a real book. And of course you can also opt for the old-fashioned games, such as ‘I see I see what you don’t see’, counting the number of cars in a specific color or naming car brands. Also quite a bit of fun for adults. And also think of the driver. Stop often enough to refuel it, entertain this one, but … don’t distract too much!

Do you know any great tips for fun in the car? And would you like to share your experiences on the way to the car holiday? We would love to read it in the comments you can leave below!