What stickers / certificates do I need for driving in Europe?

[TallPaul_S]

With LEDs it might be less traumatic to buy the cheapest bulb pack possible.

Yeah, I think that's what I did - doesn't really matter if they don't fit your van, just so you can show them if asked!

 

[Kind of Blue]

Is it a requirement now to have a specialised high visibility, flashing/strobing beacon in case of emergency? I have seen these and they seem a good idea to have for use in UK in any case. Especially as they are portable, magnetic and small. imagine breaking don in a dangerous spot on a bend for instance. ???

 

[Lambretta125]

Hi my big adventure is going to Lake Como in July with my new van. Other than the above info ( cheers Brexit) is there any other stuff to know about. If anybody has any recommended sites or must see places en route please let me know. Cheers

 

[JumpShip]

Is it a requirement now to have a specialised high visibility, flashing/strobing beacon in case of emergency? I have seen these and they seem a good idea to have for use in UK in any case. Especially as they are portable, magnetic and small. imagine breaking don in a dangerous spot on a bend for instance. .

Not coming in til Jan 2026 .

 

[Ayjay]

Other than the above info ( cheers Brexit)

@Lambretta125 - I know it's sad after this long, but you would still be hard pressed to find a bigger anti-Brexiter on here than me and I really, really don't want to start another debate as that one is hopefully dead and done but even I wouldn't try to blame Brexit for all the rules we have to obey to enable us to [legally] drive sur le continent - most of them have been in place for donkeys and, indeed, have mostly always struck me a sensible.
On Como, I lived and worked in Italy for a while years ago (albeit Napoli in the south) and my only recommendation would be don't do it in July. I appreciate that you might not have a lot of choice but it will be busy in the extreme and if you must go make sure you pre-book your site(s) as they will all be packed as, indeed, will everywhere else.

 

[AeonMach]

if going to any of the following LEZ yiu need to register your vehicle (it lasts 5 years and is free):

- Brussels
- Gent
- Antwerp

Think you have to do them individually (I did as was not sure if they covered more than one area).

When did that come in?
Is it recent cos I was there last summer (parked by station in G(h)ent and passed through Antwerp autoroute/tunnels) and hadn’t spotted that! I guess Antwerp would have been ok but pretty central in Gent…?
Maybe I just missed it though and got lucky!!?

PS ok I’ve just looked at the Gent one and it really is a small tight city centre only and we JUST went round the perimeter to park at the station! I assume we would have been absolutely fine with Antwerp too on same basis…

 

[Paynewright]

Hi my big adventure is going to Lake Como in July with my new van. Other than the above info ( cheers Brexit) is there any other stuff to know about. If anybody has any recommended sites or must see places en route please let me know. Cheers

We stayed in a rented house in Onno last July. It was busy but not horrendously so.

We ventured to Bellagio most evenings which was about a 15 min drive for us. The Alfa Romeo museum was worth a visit. We tried to book a tour of Monza but it was fully booked - I’d book well in advance if going again. There is also the Moto Guzzi Museum at Mondello which we didnt get to.

Nesso is lovely but lots of steps down to the famous foot bridge. Orrido Di Bellano has stunning waterfalls in a gorge you can walk through.

The driving style was very different and most Italians take the approach of nothing is ever going to come around that blind bend so I’ll drive in the middle of the road. The roads aside the lake are typically narrow with rockface one side and armco the other!

Cathedral in Milan is fabulous but again you need to book.

It is stunningly beautiful!

 

[Alied]

You will also need one for Germany if you decide to go Germany

 

[Paul Sussex]

When did that come in?
Is it recent cos I was there last summer (parked by station in G(h)ent and passed through Antwerp autoroute/tunnels) and hadn’t spotted that! I guess Antwerp would have been ok but pretty central in Gent…?
Maybe I just missed it though and got lucky!!?

PS ok I’ve just looked at the Gent one and it really is a small tight city centre only and we JUST went round the perimeter to park at the station! I assume we would have been absolutely fine with Antwerp too on same basis…

Not sure- googled

When did that come in?
Is it recent cos I was there last summer (parked by station in G(h)ent and passed through Antwerp autoroute/tunnels) and hadn’t spotted that! I guess Antwerp would have been ok but pretty central in Gent…?
Maybe I just missed it though and got lucky!!?

PS ok I’ve just looked at the Gent one and it really is a small tight city centre only and we JUST went round the perimeter to park at the station! I assume we would have been absolutely fine with Antwerp too on same basis…

Hi AeonMach

I’m no expert and not necessarily going to those places but may stray in by accident (especially as I have a defective in built compass and can get lost going to the bathroom).

This is what I found:

Low-emission zone in Ghent

To improve air quality, Ghent’s inner city (the area within the ring road) is a low emission zone.

stad.gent

Slim naar Antwerpen

www.slimnaarantwerpen.be

Hope this helps.

 

[Fishinbrine]

Evening all, if you are travelling on the Euro tunnel, I have read that gas bottlesust be secured. So in my camper the gas bottle is indeed in a gas safe box but the bottle is not strapped in there - should it be? Anyone else used the tunnel and have any experience of what's needed for the gas?

 

[doncarlyon]

You would be very unlucky if you got checked or even pulled up about that.

 

[Fishinbrine]

You have pretty much described my luck there hence the reason for me asking the question lol!

 

[Alied]

I came over to France on Friday via Eurotunnel and was stopped just after UK passport control and was asked if I had any gas on board. I said I did and was pulled over to one side, they only wanted to check if it was disconnected and shut turned off.

 

[JumpShip]

Yeah if you've got gas you have to prove it's off .

 

[Ayjay]

In my experience, that has only ever meant that you turn on the gas on a ring on your hob and they listen for the ‘hiss’of the gas escaping. I’ve no idea whether or not that can actually hear it though.

 

[JumpShip]

They've wanted to look inside the gas locker in ours each time to make sure it was off . ...and I always forget and lock it , then have to turn the engine off , get out , open the locker for them

 

[Ayjay]

@JumpShip. I suspect they get put off of doing that with us when they see the amount of kit we're transporting on the floor in the back which prevents getting to the gas safe without unloading so they just ask us to turn it on. Either that or you look dodgy so they feel the need to check properly .

 

[JumpShip]

Yeah perhaps right .
Ours is easy to access on our motorhome (External door) so easy to inspect.
Our vdub doesn't have gas so we just tick 'no gas' when asked.