While going away in your caravan or motorhome is generally a relaxing experience, there are always things you can do to make a trip go more smoothly.
This couldn’t be more true in the wake of Brexit, when travelling to the continent involves more red tape than ever before.
Luckily, the folks at FlightsFinder.com have made a few suggestions about the precautions you can take for a hassle-free holiday and the CaravanTimes team have added a few of our own too.
Shahab Siddiqui, founder of FlightsFinder.com said: “Tips to ensure the trip runs smoothly include researching the country’s passport validity rules before booking a trip and checking there are free passport stamp pages.”
Passport validity
Soon-to-be expired passports can lead to the holder being denied entry to certain countries. For many destinations, travel documents must have at least six months left on them after departure, so it’s a good idea to follow this rule wherever you go.
Brexit changes
UK citizens are now classed as ‘third country nationals’ under EU regulations, which comes with a new set of rules to follow. For example, passports must have been issued in the past ten years no matter their validity and have at least three months left on them.
Free passport pages
If you’ve been taking your leisure vehicle to countries all over the world, it’s important to check that there are still empty pages in your passport. There must be two blank pages in your travel document to accommodate new stamps on your latest trip.
Roaming costs
Everyone has become accustomed to relying on their phone, but roaming charges abroad can soon add up. Check your roaming package before leaving the UK and switch to flight mode and only use Wi-Fi when it’s available if your provider is going to charge you daily.
UK stickers
It used to be that vehicles travelling abroad had to display a GB sticker, but these now need to say UK instead. Remember to have such stickers for both your towcar and your caravan, unless your number plates include the UK identifier.
Register your caravan
Non-commercial trailers over 3,500kg gross weight must be registered as trailers to travel to most of the EU. Check the weight of your caravan on the information plate or sticker, which is generally located on the side of your caravan by the door. Remember it will weigh more when loaded.
Sidestep Dover to Calais
When thinking about taking your caravan or motorhome to the continent, everyone immediately assumes Dover to Calais is the only route. Consider alternatives such as Newhaven to Dieppe or even Harwich to the Hook of Holland for a quieter, less stressful experience.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Martin Kallur
