Planning Your Route

Plan your route - and plan ahead...

Did you know?

• Nearly 60% of holidays in Europe are made by car.*
• Around 3 million Brit motorists head to the continent every year.^♦
• Road fatalities on Greek roads are 5 times higher than in the UK.^†
• UK holidaymakers driving in Spain or Portugal are 3 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than back home.^♦

* How Europeans go on holiday - Eurostat 2006

^♦ RAC Foundation - Motorway Month 2006

^† RAC Foundation and European Road Federation,'Sun, sea ... and sirens?', August 2006

Stay calm and stay safe...

Try to stay calm when you are driving - like cultures, driving habits vary widely around the EU and it always pays to stay calm and consider other road users. EOS Gallup took the driving temperature in a 2006 poll and talked to 14,000 drivers in 23 countries to see how national driving attitudes varied.^‡ See what the poll found...

• British motorists have the least patience in Europe - 87% agreeing that they sometimes get very annoyed by other drivers.
• Belgian drivers are the calmest - only 55% are bothered by other people's driving.
• Remember that French drivers flashing their lights at a junction are not inviting you through - it means 'please give way, I'm coming through'.
• German drivers are most likely to flash their headlights at you from behind.
• British drivers are most likely to use inappropriate hand gestures.
  • Remember, making such gestures to other drivers is illegal in Germany.
• Greek motorists are most likely to get annoyed by last-minute lane changers.
  • Mirror, signal, manoeuvre: always indicate your intentions and do so in plenty of time.
• Italian drivers don't like other motorists using hand-held mobiles while on the road.
  • It's widely recognised as a potentially dangerous distraction.
  • In countries like the UK and Netherlands, the use of a hand-held mobile while driving is illegal and you can be penalised if caught by the police.

^‡ EOS Gallup Road Rage Poll & RAC Foundation 'Sun, Sea ... and Sirens', August 2006

Always check the local motoring laws before you travel.

That's why a little preparation will help your trip go that much more smoothly if you're taking a driving break in Europe.

• Make sure you have travel insurance and international breakdown cover.
• Know where you're going, know the route.
• Know the local motoring regulations.
• Know the mileage, the approximate fuel costs.
• Know what any road tolls will cost you.
• Know the weather for each stage of the journey and the forecast.
• Find services like hotels, restaurants, car parks and tourist attractions.

Try the Norwich Union Route Planner - it will help you work out your route, the costs and also help you find points of interest along the way.

 

Travel Insurance from Norwich Union

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