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Published 9 February 2018
The rules vary quite a lot from country to country but you're going to need all or most of these things to meet European driving regulations.
Warning triangle
Carrying a hazard warning triangle is a compulsory requirement in many European countries. This model complies with European standards and has a handy carry box for transportation and storage.
You can buy the Warning triangle on Amazon.
Headlamp Beam Converters
Don’t dazzle oncoming traffic when driving abroad. These deflectors come with instructions how to stick them to your existing headlights.
You can buy the Headlamp Beam Converters on Amazon.
Reflective jacket or waistcoat
You might look like you're heading to a 90's rave but at least other drivers will be able to see you if you have to get out of your vehicle for any reason. Plus it's compulsory to carry this in your car in many European countries.
You can buy the Reflective jacket or waistcoat on Amazon.
Country Sticker
Unless you have your country marked on your number plate you'll need a country sticker for the country that your car is regestered in.
You can buy the Country Sticker on Amazon.
Basic First Aid Kit
In many European countries it is compulsory to carry at least a basic first aid kit in your vehicle.
You can buy the Basic First Aid Kit on Amazon.
European Travel Kit
You can also purchase this kit for driving in Europe. This kit also contains spare headlight bulbs which are a requirement when driving in France.
You can buy the European Travel Kit on Amazon.
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In addition to these items in all countries you need to carry your drivers licence, vehicle insurance and the original registration document for your vehicle.
Interestingly for many European countries you need to have your headlights/passing lights switched on during the day, something we found really hard to remember to do.
The list of items above is just the standard things that you are going to need to cover you in most countries but you should check specifics for the countries that you are going to visit as there are additional requirements in quite a few.
The AA has produced a really useful set of pdf's which cover driving requirements and tips for all European countries. You can find a list of these pdf's on the AA website here .
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