Driving in Europe 2022
 

I will be driving my 1965, UK registered, 1800S in Continental Europe in May 2022.
I plan to travel in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
My car has a chrome GB on its rear.
What am I required to display in future, and what additional documentation must I carry?
MY wife and I are British nationals.

The country code for UK registered cars is UK (since 28 September of this year).

I can't see any reason why you can't keep your chrome GB, but it no longer has official meaning.

You need to carry your driving licence (valid if the card and issued on UK mainland) and insurance details. You should also take your V5.

Tips for the Netherlands

If you are sticking to main roads and motorways then your driving experience will be very similar to the UK (with the exception that the Dutch on the whole don't believe in leaving a safe brake distance between vehicles).

If you venture out onto rural roads and into built up areas then keep en eye out for yellow triangles (or the lack of yellow triangles) at junctions. If there is a yellow triangle either just before (on roads with faster speed limits) or just after / next to the junction then you have right of way. If there is no triangle then it is most likely that traffic from the right has right of way...

...I've heard many a comment from UK drivers visitng me full of stories of "and then the effing prick pulled right out in front of me"!

Keep an eye out for rows of white give way traingles painted on the road. These are used in addition to the yellow triangles to help make things clearer.

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If you are not driving through France then I don't think you need to worry about carrying alcohol testers

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If you break down the Dutch do expect you to mess about with setting up a warning triangle and I think people are happier if you then wander about wearing a day-glo vest but I don't think either are a legal requirement.

People will get upset about UK headlights with out adjusters but they won't freak out as much as they do in France.

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Speeding fines and crossing solid white line fines in this country are way way more expensive than they are in the UK. If you get caught the rozzers are likely to make you pay at the roadside. If need be you will be marched to the nearest cashpoint. Best to carry a credit card - Mastercard is more widely used here than Visa. (American Express is more or less a thing of the past here). Debit cards used to work in either side of the channel but post brexit banking relations might be different - I don't know for sure.

If you travel at speeds in excess of 50 kph above the speed limit on motorways (and get caught) then they will take away your vehicle. In a built up area (say 50 kph) the rule is reduced to an excess of 30 kph.

Motorway speed limits here at the moment are a bit messed up. During "day time" hours the maximum speed limit is 100kph. After hours you can do 130kph (signs say when).

I think that you will find that reflective triangles and high vis vests are mandatory. Frankly anybody who doesn't carry them for emergency, needs their brains testing. Some countries mandate that if you wear glasses you need to carry a spare pair. Again a no brainer. It's all about self preservation.

I appreciate that - however when it comes to what is actually legal and what is not I beleive these requirements are not legal requirements in the Netherlands. I have no idea about the other countries.

The Netherlands is a strange place:- At this time of year a lot of people change their tyres from summer to winter tyres. There isn't a legal requirement for this in the Netherlands but there is in Germany, and I assume (but do not know) that in more northern countries snow chains would also be necessary if not legally required.

The "trick" about all season tyres is slowly filtering through here but it has taken a long time for people to cotten on...

I'm not sure that winter or all-weather tyres are actually a legal thing in most German laender, just that using inappropriate tyres may go against you in the event of an accident.

Maybe this?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu