Roadtrip to Germany - Weinstrasse & Schwarzwald

Hello all, I am seeking some advice please from those experienced in these matters.

It's been some years since I last did a trip in the car to Germany - it was pre-Brexit - although many years ago (last century) I used to live in Germany. So I'm seeking advice on what's changed in recent years - both in terms of post-Brexit rules, insurance, stickers, kit to take, as well as developments in low emission zones, permits, fees, etc.

I'm now considering a vacation late summer or early autumn. I'll be taking a ferry to either Rotterdam or Hook of Holland in my 2018 Euro 6 G30 530d, then driving via Koblenz, the Rhine Valley, Mainz, Ludwigshafen/Mannheim to the Wine Road, staying a few nights there either in Bad Duerkheim or Neustadt-a-d-W. There's a possibility of a day trip to Strasbourg as well. Then onwards to Baden Baden, Freiburg and to visit friends in the Black Forest, before a return trip via Nuremburg and Wuerzburg back to the ferry port.

Any advice you may have based on your recent experiences of driving in the Netherlands, Germany and possibly France would be gratefully received - thanks in advance!

 

Sounds like a great road trip.

Can only advise on France having been through there recently. Other than the usual high vis vests, spare glasses (if wear any) the only other thing post Brexit is an air critique as there are low emission zones around some French cities. It is easy to apply for via a French govt website and costs less than 5 euros. They then send you a sticker to put on the bottom of your windscreen. Be worth checking if the areas you may go to have a low emission zone or not.

 

Insurance. As before, ie 3rd party via green card – you don’t need a separate green card, just insurance docs.

Holiday length maximum of total of 90 days in any 180 period. They’ll stamp your passport in and out to keep check. More on this further down.

LEZ spreading throughout Europe, so you’ll need to do research regarding the cities you are likely to pass through.

UK sticker or reg plate with same. Not GB, Wales et cetera.

France requires a HI-viz vest in car (not boot). Not a bad idea anyway.

Entry Exit System (EES) due to kick in this Autumn at all Europe Schengen borders. 6th October 2024 is the date bandied around. On your first pass through they take biometrics – facial recognition and fingerprints. Current indications are it will be quick leaving Europe, but maybe not so leaving UK’s major ports. Mind you, this has been in the pipe line (starting date) since 2020, so who knows.

 

Apologies for a slight hi-jack.... in late March we will be driving through France to Belgium, I don't intend stopping in any of the notified clean air zone cities, so suspect I don't need to apply for one of these?
I've signed up for the Gent clear air zone clearance for the car, all sorted for this one.

Having just read the guidance, I know I need to order a UK sticker now.

 

It's not just stopping, but also driving through. Goodness knows where the boundaries are. .

 

With regard to the UK sticker I didn't want to attach anything to the paintwork or rear window so purchased from eBay a pair of see through number plate stickers as per below. Not sure whether it's completely compliant but didn't get stopped during 5 weeks and 3500 miles recently. Plenty of UK cars sporting the old GB sticker/plate or nothing at all on our European travels

 

I’ve purchased a French air zone sticker thingy. Cheers.

 

I didn't provide a complete list the paper work you need to have with you when driving a vehicle in France (don’t know what applies elsewhere), so here goes:

ID – that's likely to be your passport .

Registration document – is it still the V5?

Insurance. Picking up on Singvogel’s post, just to clarify here’s a quote from MIB “The UK is part of the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GCFCA), which comprises all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries as well as Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Switzerland. UK-based drivers do not need to carry green cards for their vehicles when travelling to these countries” and
“providing the minimum compulsory insurance cover required by the law of the country visited. ” Not necessarily the same as UK 3rd party. Certainly not fully comp. You need to check your policy, and amend as you feel appropriate.

MOT certificate

And the UK plate thing was introduced just to, well you put your own explanation in, and yes, it’s usually ignored. But I work on the premise that if I’m pulled over for some transgression or a random check, then the less there is to find wrong, the more likely I’ll be waved on, with the other side of the coin being the more that’s wrong the more likely I’ll be booked. So I try to keep whatever I’m using, car or motorcycle, as legal as possible.

In the case of an accident it usual to complete an accident form - all parties concerned each complete and sign the forms. so in the case of two cars each driver completes and signs a form with their interpretation of the event, handing a copy to the other driver. I've uploaded an English version. The other driver is likely to have a French, German, whatever version. It's handy to carry the English one just in case. You can read more at
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2149?lang=en

Last point on paper work. There’s no producers in France; a possible/probable on-the-spot fine for a missing document.

Apologies if I've missed something.