Best European driving kit
We pick the best pack to take if you’re driving in Europe this summer
If you are joining the thousands of Brits heading off to Europe this summer in your car, you will need to be prepared. In addition to packing your swimming costume, sunscreen and a copy of Auto Express, you’ll need to think about how to ensure your car is legal on the continent.
Besides paperwork, there are a few emergency items that are compulsory in Europe but are not required in the UK, although it would be sensible to always keep many of these items in your car.
The neatest and cheapest way is to buy a European driving kit, which puts everything you need into a holdall that can be kept in the boot. Getting it before you go will save you a fortune compared with a panic purchase at the port.
We compared six of the best to see which offers the best combination of contents, quality and value for money.
How we tested
We were looking for packs which would be legal in the European countries British motorists most commonly visit – namely France, Spain and Germany.
For this we expected them to have the bare minimum of a warning triangle, UK sticker, high-vis vest and basic first aid kit, all contained in a bag. Any extras on top of this that would be useful in an emergency gained additional points.
Used - available now
2017 Hyundai
i20
87,000 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £5,190
2016 Hyundai
i10
106,000 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £3,499
2019 Vauxhall
Astra Sports Tourer
92,000 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L
Cash £6,599
2011 Nissan
Qashqai
90,300 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £4,795While the basic items may be legal, they might be limited in their usefulness in a real emergency, so we checked the quality and contents of the first aid kits and bulb packs, and the triangle. Finally, we looked at the price to rate each pack’s overall value for the asking price.
Ring RK002
- Rating: 5 stars
- Price: around £34.99
- Extra contents: 2x vests, foil blanket, bulb set
- Contact: ringautomotive.com
You could pop the Ring kit into your car and be confident that it has the basics to be legal on the continent, plus some items that would be genuinely useful in an emergency. The substantial carry bag contains two high-vis vests and a foil blanket, which could keep you warm or act as a shelter if you are waiting outside the car. The bulb set is the most comprehensive here, too, and includes fuses. Ring’s first aid kit is small but has the essentials for a proper emergency, rather than just a grazed knee.
The AA European Travel Kit
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Price: £26.25
- Extra contents: Kent map, European handbook, bulb kit, voucher
- Contact: argos.co.uk
The AA’s kit came very close to taking the win here, mainly because it looks exceptional value for money. In addition to the usual essentials, the big carry bag includes a basic bulb kit, a road map of Kent and a comprehensive paperback guide to driving in Europe. It’s also got a large and useful first aid kit. There is only one high-vis vest though, and we’d gladly swap the book for a foil blanket or some fuses in the bulb kit.
Halfords European Driving Kit
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Price: around £32.50
- Extra contents: 2x vests, 2x UK stickers,
- Contact: halfords.com
The contents of this Halfords kit are packed tightly into a green bag, which is more compact than most of the holdalls here. That might be helpful if boot space is scarce once you are packed for your holiday. Inside, there are two high-vis vests and the best first aid kit in this test – this one might actually be of some use in an emergency, although there is nothing for smaller everyday injuries. Inexplicably, the pack also includes two UK stickers.
RAC Premium Family European Driving Kit
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: around £39.99
- Extra contents: 2x warning triangles, 2x UK plates, 2x vests, torch
- Contact: racshop.co.uk
It might be the most expensive in this test, but the big RAC bag is full of items that make it seem reasonable value overall. The bulb pack includes fuses, there is a pair of vests and a surprisingly bright LED torch, complete with batteries. It has both magnetic and adhesive
UK plates, and even a pair of warning triangles. This could be useful on a small two-way road.
Family Motoring & Leisure European Motoring Kit
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Price: around £21.99
- Extra contents: 2x breathalysers
- Contact: amazon.co.uk
This good-value kit contains a hangover from the past – two breathalysers. These were a legal requirement in France, but are now no longer mandatory, so we’d like to have seen them swapped for something more useful. The bag contains a small UK sticker, stick-on headlamp masks, and a single high-vis vest. The first aid kit is no bigger than a pub’s packet of peanuts, but its contents are well chosen.
Simply European Travel Safety Kit
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Price: around £29.99
- Extras: Bulb kit
- Contact: simply-brands.com
Putting this kit in last place doesn’t mean it fails, it’s just average in most areas at a price that’s reasonable, but not great, value. It has the basics, plus a bulb kit with fuses. It’s the only kit here without a Velcro-style strip to hold it in place.
Verdict
While there are no bad kits here, some offer more value for money and have items that are genuinely useful for continental motoring. The Ring RK002 is the package that offers a good selection of items at a decent price, so it takes the Best Buy. The AA set seems better value, but the bulb kit is less useful, and it would need another high-vis vest to win here. Halfords’ emergency kit comes third, with the best first aid pack.
Continental driving: What will you need to stay legal?
In addition to all the documents and policies to make sure your car is legal and covered for travel in Europe, you will also need to carry at least some of the items in these kits. There must be a high-vis reflective jacket for the driver and every passenger, and they need to be within reach so you can access them without getting out of the car.
You’ll also need a reflective warning triangle and beam converters, if your car doesn’t have the technology to change the light pattern itself. Your UK sticker must be clearly visible on the rear of the car. Spare bulbs and a first aid kit are compulsory for locally registered cars and recommended for visitors in most countries. If you are not sure, it is advisable to have them in the car anyway, rather than risk a fine.
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