If you plan to hit the road this summer and take a road trip holiday, you’re saying yes to the opportunity to discover new towns, get closer to nature and disconnect from technology for a while. Not to mention bonding with your friends – nothing quite cements a friendship like some car karaoke on a long journey!

Whether you’re planning a staycation in the UK or you’re taking your car abroad with you, we have some top tips for things you should consider before setting off on your driving holiday.

Vehicle Checks

One of the most important things when road tripping is making sure that your car is ready for the journey. No one wants to spend hours at the side of the road waiting for a recovery van!

Some of the essential checks to do on your car include:

• Oil and coolant levels
• Make sure the belts, hoses and timing belt are in good shape
• Get your battery checked
• Get your brakes checked
• Check that your tyres have the correct air pressure
• Make sure your lights are all working
• Check your windscreen wipers and top up the washer fluid (just in case the great British summer makes an appearance!)

If you’re unsure how to do these, a mechanic can perform these checks relatively quickly. For a more thorough check on your vehicle, consider using HPI Check. It will provide you with an extensive report on the history of the vehicle, including the MOT history, so you can be sure that your car is mechanically sound and has been well-looked after, even before you owned it.

Taking Your Car Abroad

If you’re taking your car abroad on holiday with you, remember to take your V5C (log book) with you. Your vehicle will still be subject to UK law whilst it’s abroad so you must make sure that you have paid for your tax, insurance and you have a current MOT.

You may have to pay an extra premium on your insurance when you let them know you’re taking your vehicle abroad and they may issue you with an internationally-recognised Green Card as proof you’ve got the minimum cover.

Don’t forget any international conditions you might need to meet, too – you may be required to pay import duty on your vehicle if you’re taking it outside of the EU. Also, by law you must affix a GB sticker to your car if you don’t have a ‘Europlate’ number plate with the GB symbol.

When planning a road trip, don’t forget to do all the relevant checks before you embark on your adventure. Once this is done, all that’s left to do is pack and you’ll soon be out on the road. Just remember to fill up the petrol tank before you go!

Bio: Rachel Elders