Self-drive holiday: Take your car on holiday and have fun

14 December 2021, 11:39

A car holiday gives you the flexibility to plan your trip exactly the way you want it. This gives you the unique freedom to personalize your holiday regardless of whether you’re staying in the UK or going abroad.

In this post, you will learn about the many benefits of taking your car on holiday. You will also receive tips to make sure you have a good and safe trip.

Make the drive part of the holiday

When you take your car on holiday, you can easily see the trip as an ordeal to overcome. But driving shouldn't be a sour duty.

One of the many benefits is that you can worry less about deadlines. You are not bound to reach the airport at a certain time, nor do you have to worry about finding the right train departure in a foreign city.

We recommend that you plan your trip as part of your holiday. Enjoy the view and drive through small towns you have not visited before. You can also find sights in advance that you would like to see along the way, so that the car trip will be full of great memories.

When you take the car on holiday, you also have the option to stop if you see something on the road that you would like to experience and continue the drive when it suits you.

Relaxing self-drive holiday in the UK

A holiday by car is an obvious opportunity to be a tourist in your own country and experience the UK from new angles. Our country is full of beautiful nature, exciting experiences for the whole family, and beautiful old towns that are waiting to be explored.

There are many advantages to having a self-drive holiday near your home. Indeed, smaller distances give you the possibility to discover or rediscover your region and live a lot of good times without having to drive far, which is also an advantage if you have children on the trip.

In many ways, it can also be more relaxing to spend the holidays close to your home. You don’t have to familiarize yourself with the traffic rules in other countries and you don’t have to worry about probable traffic jams. And if something does not go according to plan, you can always get in the car and drive home again.

Good advice for a self-drive holiday abroad

A self-drive holiday abroad requires a little more planning than a holiday close to home. In addition to planning the route and stops along the way, there are also some handy tips you should follow before you set off.

Before departure, make sure that:

  • The car has the correct tyre pressure for the weight of the luggage.
  • You have filled up with washer fluid and the car's wipers are in good condition.
  • You have coolant, sprinkler fluid and oil with you if you need to refill more along the way.

It's also a good idea to check that your brakes are working perfectly. If you are going to a hot country, you should also make sure that the air conditioning in the car is working. Get quotes on air conditioning repair.

Also, don't forget to familiarize yourself with the country’s traffic rules. In some countries there are special rules that you must follow.

For example, in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria you must bring a yellow safety vest in the car, and in France it is mandatory to carry an alcohol tester in the car.

Repair your car abroad without worry

Should you need to have your car repaired during your self-drive holiday, it is fortunately not as big a challenge as you might fear.

With Autobutler, you can obtain repair quotes from quality garages nearby, both in the UK and abroad. That way, you can easily find the best solution at the right price. Find a garage near you here.

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