Relaxing Holidays:

Fill up the tank before beginning the journey to avoid overcrowded gas stations during the trip as far as possible.

Refill the window cleanser container.

Have tyre tread depth and pressure checked

Check engine oil level.

Check tyre pressure of the spare tyre.

The operational functionality of all lighting installations must be ascertained. It may prove advantageous to take along a replacement lamp box, in case a replacement for a special lamp proves difficult to come by.

Items required at all times inside the passenger cabin:

Check if a breakdown triangle is stored on board.

Check if warning vests have been stowed away at arm's length.

Review the vehicle equipment specifically required at your destination. For instance, Greece and Turkey require drivers to carry along a fire extinguisher. Croatia demands that cars are equipped with a towrope. France, Spain, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia have ruled that replacement lamps for the headlights are obligatory. Turkey and Cyprus dictate that two breakdown triangles must be stored on board to secure the area before and behind the vehicle.

Many countries have ruled that the evening light must be switched on by day, for instance Slovenia, Croatia, as well as Italy, Hungary and Portugal.

Have the air conditioning checked if possible.

Carry with you an international insurance card.

Bring along a spare car key to have a replacement at the ready in case of an emergency.

Ensure that you use current road maps of the countries you will be travelling in.

Once the car has been fully prepared, it is time to determine the route and the day of departure. Unfavourable days to start a journey on are Fridays and Saturdays.

If it is impossible to avoid commencing the travel on weekend, it is advisable to plan the route carefully to favour secondary roads over main routes to avoid neuralgic bottlenecks that are prone to causing massive traffic jams. Such alternate routes may take a little longer, but it spares all passengers the unpleasant frenzy of clogged highways.

If you do get into a traffic jam, it is paramount to remain calm.

Keep a safe distance to the car ahead of you, also in traffic jams and during stop-and-go driving, to avoid pileups.

Keep the service lane clear!

Sufficient water and light meals now and then can greatly ease the strain of long routes.

Have breaks at regular intervals, ideally every two hours. Children will be particularly pleased with this, and do not forget to take along toys, possibly even the favourite plush toys, as well as a supply of diapers, if necessary.

Store emergency phone numbers on the cell phone (insurance company, debit card deactivation hotline, credit card hotline, tow away service and repair service).

When the car is left unattended during breaks, do not leave any valuables in the vehicle to minimise risk of car burglaries.

When driving in cities, have all doors locked at junctions and traffic light stops to prevent assaults.

Store your luggage safely inside the car. Secure suitcases to prevent them from shifting. Raise the trunk separation bar. Luggage should be safely stowed away in a firmly mounted roof-top box. Heavy pieces, when roof-mounted, can quickly turn into projectiles. Beware of the car's shifting center of gravity.

Do not operate the air conditioning at too low a setting to reduce the risk of catching a cold. The rule of thumb in this regard is outer temparture minus a maximum of 6 degree celsius.

Beware of mountain passes, do not permanently use the brakes and exploit the engine braking effect to prevent the braking system from overheating.