There's a Demoscene party (Revision) that occurs every year on the Easter weekend in Saarbrücken (Germany), and I'm thinking of attending this year. I live in England and am looking into methods of transport for getting there.
It looks like plane tickets are going to be extortionate as usual (£350+ return per person) so I'm thinking of driving instead. Since there's two of us (perhaps three, depending) we can split the fuel costs and it should be enough to cut the cost down. I'm planning on taking the channel tunnel to Calais, then driving up into Belgium, just round the edge of Luxembourg (not actually crossing the border), then down into Germany. Google maps says it's 9 hours, so I'm guessing it'll probably end up being around 12 hours total.
I've never driven in another country before and am looking for tips as to how to remain comfortable, safe and save money.
Here's my list so far:
- Bring spare food, drink, clothes and blankets.
- Fully stocked first-aid kit, flashlight, spare batteries, plasters, medical insurance cards, etc.
- Plenty of tools and spares for the car (including spare tyre and a jack)
- Take maps as well as sat-nav (low battery = lost!)
- Phrase books.
- Secondary phone left switched off but fully charged, for emergencies.
I'm also unsure as to the situation with border fees and car insurance / breakdown cover. Will I need to inform the authorities of each country that I'll be driving through, and get appropriate documents? Or is it just a case of being covered automatically in the EU?