Driving in the UK and Abroad (In Your Grenadier): What You need to know
- karenconnolly59
- Mar 20
- 10 min read
Updated: Apr 16
"Live your life by a compass not a clock"
Stephen Covey
In our last post we went through why we chose our Grenadier 4x4 to use for our adventures. We didn't include any of the facts that you may normally consider when buying a new car, such as petrol versus diesel and fuel consumption, as we knew it would not be the most economical car in the world and we knew this would not overly influence our choice at this point. However, we do think you need this and other information when you want to take your car on long journeys or abroad.
We will share information about the practicalities of owning a Fieldmaster and taking it to different countries for the adventures of a lifetime. Not all cars are made equal and so this information covers what we needed for a car we owned not rented and one with no added extras like a roof tent or a trailer.
The Ineos Grenadier website will give you their technical details which you can find here depending on the model you buy and its specification. The information below is for our Grenadier Fieldmaster 3.0l Diesel with BF Goodrich All Terrain Tyres and no towing facility.
Ok lets start with the basic facts for our Grenadier Fieldmaster:
Driving in the UK, sitting in this car is a dream even though our roads are in a poor state and our motorways crammed so imagine the even greater pleasure you can have driving this car abroad whether you are traversing mountains or taking the autobahn!
Driving in the UK and Abroad (In Your Grenadier): What You need to know?
The rules for driving abroad though are different and change regularly so whilst we will try and give you lots of information that we researched for us we will include suggested websites to check the information for yourselves before you set off on your journey to drive your Grenadier in the UK and abroad. This post will focus mainly driving in mainland Europe as the rules for travelling even further afield need to be researched with the final destination in mind. We can also send you a quick checklist for free to assist with your planning if you subscribe to our website with your email and put checklist in the comments below.
Identification
You will need a full passport with at least 6 months left before it expires after the date you intend to return home.
Driving Licence
You will need a full (UK) Driving Licence and will need to carry both the photo ID card and your paper copy. Depending up on which countries you intend to visit you may also need an International Driving Permit. For example a Great Britain and Northern Ireland driving licence would normally be sufficient if you are driving to the EU but this may not if you only have a paper licence for example. You should check the Gov.UK website for more details and which countries require an IDP as there are 3 different types. These can be applied for through PayPoint shops and currently cost £5.50 for each country you need an IDP for.
Tip: Photocopy all your documents just in case
Car Information
A V5C Logbook is needed and a UK sticker attached to your vehicle visible from the outside
Insurance
Car Insurance is more complicated and so needs to be understood in more detail for example:
All UK car insurance will cover you for third party cover when driving in the EU, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland. However, you need to check with your insurance company to see if they will also provide you with fully comprehensive cover if you take your car abroad. For these countries you do not need to carry a green card.
If you are driving into these countries you may need a green card:
Albania, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkey, Ukraine
If you’re driving in the rest of the world
You may need to carry a green card to prove you have the minimum insurance cover required by the country you’re driving in. This includes:
Israel, Morocco,Tunisia
You may also need additional insurance for your vehicle, trailer or caravan. Check the travel advice for the country you’re going to.
Getting a green card from your insurer
A green card is proof that you have vehicle insurance when driving abroad.
Contact your insurer to get one for your vehicle. They’ll either:
post you a green card - allow up to 6 weeks
tell you how to download a green card to print yourself
You will need to carry extra green cards if:
you’re towing a trailer or caravan (one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer or caravan)
you have 2 insurance policies covering your trip (one card for each policy)
you have multi-car or fleet insurance (one for each vehicle on the policy)
Showing your green card when driving abroad
You must show your green card if you’re involved in an accident.
You may have to show your green card:
at the border when moving between countries
if you’re stopped by the police
A copy of your insurance should be taken with you and make sure you are covered for driving abroad and for how many days as this can vary for each insurance company.
This information is taken from Gov.uk website and should be checked before you travel abroad in case there are changes.
Travel Insurance
Fully comprehensive travel insurance is required before travelling abroad in your car.
For travellers from the UK you can also apply for a UK Global Healthcare Insurance Card via the NHS website which will enable you to get state healthcare in the European Economic Area and some other countries as if you were a resident of that country. Any fees payable would be the same as a resident from that country. The UK GHIC has replaced the EHIC, however you can use your existing EHIC until it expires. You can apply for a UK GHIC here. The GHIC lasts for 5 years.
Visa Requirements
When travelling to the EU or Schengen area you do not need a visa provided you do not stay for more than 90 days in any 180 day period (this is a rolling 180 days).
You may need a visa if you plan to work or stay more than 90 days. Check out the information on the UK Government website here
Ferry versus Eurotunnel
Driving your Grenadier abroad involves you taking a train or a ferry (unless of course you have your car shipped even further afield) and which one you choose may depend upon your final destination. If driving to France for example you may prefer the Eurotunnel but take the ferry for northern Europe. We have taken both the Eurotunnel and the overnight and daytime ferries with the considerations being:
Costs - It doesnt always follow that one method of transfer is always more expensive than another. We have varied our transfer route simply based on which is the least expensive at the time. When considering the cost think about which mode of transport gets you closer to your final destination. Do you need an overnight stay in paid accommodation, and how much will your fuel cost. If you get the overnight ferry would this be cheaper than a hotel or Airbnb? We have taken all 3 methods of transfer mainly decided by our final destination and/or cost. So we took the Eurotunnel to France, the overnight ferry when travelling to northern Europe and the daytime ferry when travelling again to France and Belgium.
Travel time - The shortest transfer time to Europe is via the Eurotunnel taking approximately 35 minutes once on the train. Transfer via the daytime ferries to France takes 1.5 hours (Dover to Calais) or 2 hours (Dover to Dunkirk) and of course you can take the overnight ferries from Hull to Rotterdam which takes 11.5 hours
Final destination - Consideration of your final destination is part of your planning and costs consideration. If you are driving to northern Europe you may wish to take a ferry from Hull to Rotterdam or even Denmark to Norway if travelling to Scandinavia rather than the Eurotunnel and starting all your onward journey from Calais.
Our Grenadier waiting at Dover
Clean Air (or Low Emission) Zones
Many countries in Europe now have low or ultralow emission zones similar to the UK and may require you to display an emission sticker in your vehicle windscreen. Failure to display an emission sticker may result in a fine. In the UK cities use APNR and the fines if you are non-compliant are quite hefty up to £480. Cities currently covered by the LEZ or ULEZ are:
Bath
Birmingham
Bradford
Bristol
Portsmouth
Sheffield
Tyneside - Newcastle and Gateshead
In Scotland the cities covered are:
Aberdeen
Dundee
Edinburgh
Glasgow
The Emission charges should not be confused with the congestion charge which is a different tariff and is focused mainly in London.
The position for European Low Emission Zones, Congestion Charging & Urban Traffic Restrictions can be complex depending upon your travel plans. We use a great website called www.urbanaccessregulations.eu as this gives you up to date information for the major cities so you don't get caught out. The fines can be significant!
The LEZ or ULEZ stickers last the lifetime of your vehicle and although they cost around +/-£5 each to purchase you only need to add the countries you intend travelling to or through and build on the places the further you go.
There are a few websites which outline the major European Countries and most now have Low Emmission Zones. We have also used the AA.com and moneysavingexpert.com
You need to allow a couple of weeks to order your car windscreen sticker if required.
Vignettes versus Toll Roads
Toll roads are tariffs charged for distance travelled along chargeable roads whereas the Vignette is a form of compulsory road tax based on how long the vehicle may be on the road eg 1 month. The vignette can be purchased as a coloured sticker or a digital version attached to the vehicle licence plate. These are required in the following countries:
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Austria.
Some European countries do not charge either but may charge to cross a bridge for example. Costs will vary depending upon the vehicle size/weight or even the exchange rate but if you need to orderthe vignette sticker in advance make sure you have these to avoid hefty fines or opt for the digital version and keep a copy of your receipt.
The following table will outline which countries have which type of charge as it stands today
Onboard Car Requirements
The onboard requirements are not consistent for all countries. Many are the same but if you carry all of these you should be covered for most of the countries when travelling in Europe.
Breathalyser Kit |
Emission Sticker in Germany or a paid Vignette/Crit'Air in other countries |
Fire Extinguisher |
First aid kit |
Headlamp beam deflectors |
Reflective jackets (there must be one for each passenger and be kept within the cabin of the car) |
Spare bulbs |
UK car sticker (if you don’t have a GB Euro number plate, or no matter what's on you number plate when driving in Cyprus, Malta or Spain) |
Warning triangle |
Winter tyres or snow chains – compulsory in some areas during winter (1 November to 31 March) and must be used as per road signs |
Prohibited Items
As the UK is no longer in the EU the following items are prohibited. However, once you are in the EU and you purchase food items for personal consumption these can be taken with you to other EU countries.
meat or products containing meat |
milk or dairy products |
Limited quantities of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, egg products and honey are allowed |
Plants most EU Countries have strict rules regarding the import of these. |
Any items regarded as unsafe or restricted include weapons, fireworks, controlled drugs, endangered plants and animals, rough diamonds, indecnt/obsecene materials, self-defence sprays, LPG Vehicles cannot travel in the Shuttle. |
Restricted quantities of fish or fish products are allowed |
Speed Detectors. Any in-car radar and speed camera detecotrs are illegal if carried in the car and will attract a hefty fine. |
Driving Rules
Remember driving is Europe is on the righthand side of the road except for Cyprus, Malta and Ireland, but there are often reminders as you leave the ferry terminal or the Eurotunnel.
There are some often not realised rules too which are worth checking out for example:
The speed limits are in Km/h and vary according to weather conditions and type of road
You must only park in the direction of the traffic
Park up with the wheels turned into the kerb
You can turn right in some countries when the traffic lights are on red
Stop means stop not give way
You cannot have speed camera alerts on your Sat Nav in some countries eg France it is illegal and so they should be disabled. We did find that our sat nav via Apple Maps automatically disabled them
All European countries have laws restricting the maximum blood alcohol level (BAC) while driving, with some countries having a zero-tolerance policy. breathalyser tests can be requested by the police even when you haven't committed any traffic offence. This happened to us first thing in the morning after we left a campsite in France. They stopped all motorists at a junction.
In some countries, like France, using headphones or earphones while driving is prohibited, even if it's just a single earbud.
Dipped low beam headlights are to be deployed when there is reduced visibility eg when it’s raining, foggy, snowing or entering tunnels. Many countries in Europe require you to have your Daylight Running Headlights on during the day regardless of the visibility. These have been fitted as mandatory to all new vehicles since 2011 and will come on with the ignition. This is different to when dipped headlights are required. Finally there are some countries which require you to have dipped headlights on when travelling on the highway eg Czechia. The following map highlights in red the countries which mandate dipped headlights during the day.
Countries in red requirie dipped headlights
Breakdown Assistance
Ineos says your Grenadier is built to go the distance. however, if you do need support INEOS Roadside Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for your first two years of ownership from new.
The two useful numbers to call are:
From within the UK, call 0330 053 0885
In Europe +443300 530 957
We also found it very useful to purchase the GOOLOO Jump Starter 4,000amps as this is great for our 3l diesel engine. it is a 12v car battery booster pack, power bank with USB Quick Charge and Type C port. The cost is around £100 and we bought ours from Amazon see the link here for more information.
Finally...
Making sure we were prepared for our travel to Europe in our Grenadier took a lot of research and preparation as the rules for each country are subtly different and we were planning to travel to around 10 countries. We wrote this post 'Driving in the UK and Abroad (In Your Grenadier): What You need to know' we have designed a quick checklist to assist with your preparation and so if you would like a copy of this please subscribe with your email on the home page and put checklist in the comments below. (We are not getting paid for any of our recommendations or links in this post)
Happy Travels!
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