Overseas driving regulations

If you are towing a car behind a motor caravan overseas, our advice would be to use a trailer with all four wheels of the car off the ground. Although most countries do not have a specific law banning A-frames, they do have a law which prohibits a motor vehicle from towing another motor vehicle.

We also recommend that you complete a vehicle match to check your kerb weight when towing with an A-frame.

You can carry your bikes on the roof of your car, provided they are attached to an adequate roof rack, and the total height does not exceed 4m. You can also carry your bikes on the back of your vehicle, provided they do not obscure lights, indicators or number plates. If travelling through Portugal, make sure your bikes are carried at the rear of your caravan or motorhome and not your car. Bike racks can only rest on the towbar if the maximum weight on the towbar is not exceeded.

Find out more about noseweights. 

E-bikes are allowed on the road and cycle paths if they are available in most countries; some do not allow these bikes on pavements. You must wear a safety helmet and not go over 25MPH. It is also recommended that you take out personal liability insurance for yourself and ensure the bike is insured for theft or damage.

Find out more with our electric bike buying guide.

The image above shows how to display the marker boards in the cycle carrier if the overhanging load doesn't exceed the width of the vehicle (it should be perpendicular to the lighting board). If it does exceed the width of the vehicle, you will need two hatched reflective stripes, one at each edge pointing down (forming an inverted V). The Lighting board and the marker board are both needed for Spain and Italy. For the rear marker board, the design in Spain is 3 red and 3 white hatched, reflective stripes. In Italy, the design is 5 red and 4 white hatched, reflective stripes.

In Spain and Italy, any overhanging loads must be indicated by a square panel measuring 50cm x 50cm. The square must have reflectorized red and white diagonal stripes. Panels can be purchased from Fiamma stockists and are available in aluminium and plastic. In Spain, you can use either; however, in Italy, the panel must be aluminium.

You need to display a UK identifier on the rear of your vehicle when travelling in Europe. If your number plate includes UK on its own or UK with the Union flag, then you do not need a separate UK sticker, unless you are travelling in Spain, in which case a separate UK sticker is also required. You will need a separate UK sticker displayed on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has a Euro symbol, a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales or no flag or identifier.

If you’re travelling in Spain and your outfit exceeds 12m, you must fit marker boards to the back of your vehicle. You can either have two small boards or one large board, but they must be placed at the back of the outfit between 50cm and 150cm off the ground.

Your marker board must:

• have plain yellow in the centre with a red outline
• be made out of aluminium
• be manufactured to the ECE70 standard

Marker boards can be purchased from most HGV suppliers, including HGV Direct.

In Italy, as per Article 3 of EU Directive 96/53/CE, caravans and camper vans registered in another EU country can be used in Italy provided they do not exceed 12 m in length, 4 m in height and 2.55 m in width.

All motorhomes and caravans (not combined with a towing vehicle) with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes must have a sticker showing the position of the blind spots, visible on the sides and at the rear of the vehicle. These regulations have been in force since 1 January 2021.

The stickers:

• Must be visible from the sides and rear of the vehicle, and at a height between 0.90 and 1.50 meters from the ground.
• Can be glued, painted on the bodywork or affixed by riveting or any other means of fixing.
• It must be placed to be visible at all times.
• It must not obstruct the visibility of the vehicle's registration plates and various lights and signalling devices or the driver's field of vision.
• Must comply with the model set by the decree of 5 January 2021.
• Foreign vehicles passing through France are also subject to this signing obligation.

To view the stickers and more information, please visit https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr

Note: There are no specific blind spot stickers for motorhomes or caravans, so you can use either of the stickers listed on the link above. There is no official distribution point for the stickers at present, but these can be purchased online at most big retailers (Amazon, eBay, etc.).

Stickers are compulsory for different types of vehicles. For trailers such as caravans, 2 different stickers are required: 70 and 80 (the limits for outside built-up areas and highways). For motorhomes, the stickers are only compulsory if the total mass exceeds 3,5 t. Up to 12t, the stickers required are 80 and 100; for vehicle over 12t, the stickers required are 70 and 80. The stickers must be positioned at the back visibly.

The stickers are also compulsory for vehicles registered abroad. The fine for failure to display ranges from 74 to 104 EUR.

In nearly all European countries, it is illegal to use car navigation systems which actively search for mobile speed cameras or interfere with police equipment (laser on radar detection). Car navigation systems which give a warning of fixed speed camera locations are legal in most countries, except for France*, Germany and Switzerland, where this function must be deactivated.

For France, failure to comply with this regulation involves a fine of 1,500 Euros, 6 penalty points, and the vehicle may be confiscated.

In some EU countries, there are restrictions on dash cam usage, and you may receive a hefty fine if you get caught using one.

In both Austria and Portugal, it is illegal to own and use a dash cam. Fines can be as much as €25,000 if you are caught using one. It is also illegal to use one in Luxembourg.

In Belgium, France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland, they are legal, but there are strict conditions for their use. Please check before you travel.

It is legal to own and use a dash cam without restriction in the following countries: Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Adapt your headlights so that you do not dazzle oncoming traffic by manually adjusting your lights or by using headlight converters. Eurolites are available from most motor accessory shops or online at www.travelspot.co.uk. These headlight converters come with a list of over 600 different vehicle types, with corresponding diagrams showing you how to position them. Eurolites are suitable for clear lenses, projectors and xenon headlights.

In certain countries, it is compulsory to use your headlights at all times. Check the table below.

* V16 Beacons                                                                         

Spain - V-16 Beacons replaced warning triangles from 1 Jan 2026  

A new rule is designed to prevent injuries to drivers who get out of their cars to place warning triangles on the road in the event of a breakdown and to provide greater visibility and warning to other road users. 

V-16 beacons should meet the technical requirements of the (Spanish Directorate General for Traffic) www.dgt.es and incorporate a geolocating system inside its casing without the need for additional external connections.  

More info on the DGT website (Spanish Directorate General for Traffic) 

Including a list of approved devices