driving abroad | Ask Honest John

Ask Honest John

Most recently answered driving abroad questions

Do I need to adjust my headlights for driving in France?

I'll be driving in France in October. Do the headlights on my 2017 Mitsubishi Oulander PHEV need masking?

What's the likelihood of my old diesel campervan being banned in Europe soon?

I own a campervan with a Euro 4, 3.0-litre diesel engine. I'm becoming concerned that, because of anti-diesel legislation in the UK and Europe, it will become unusable and therefore valueless. What is...

My son's No Claims runs out soon - should we insure an old banger in his name to maintain his NCB?

We run two cars: an Audi A5, UK insured for summer and a Nissan X-Trail, insured in France for winter. We share them both with our son, who lives in London and does about 4000 miles per year. We do 40,000...

I need a spare bulb kit to drive in France - what do I do if none of the kits fit my car?

I'm going to France for 10 days and have a 2012 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. I need to carry a spare bulb kit to comply with French law. So I went to Halfords today to buy one. I entered my vehicle registration...

Mercedes won't refund my repair bill for a breakdown abroad - where do I stand?

My 2014 Hymer B 585 Starlight motorhome (based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter) recently broke down while I was in Ireland. I was recovered to an authorised Mercedes-Benz repairer, who eventually diagnosed...

My motorbike has been insured in America while I was there - why have I now got a penalty warning for having no UK insurance?

In April, I temporarily imported my Triumph motorbike into the USA to use on a 3 month road trip. I couldn't SORN because it is a requirement for the road tax to remain current. I let my UK insurance lapse...

My daughter is returning to the UK after 20 years - do you have any advice on insuring her new car?

My daughter, an expat for 20 years, will return to the UK this year from Hong Kong. She holds a full license but hasn't driven for 10 years. I've told her to take lessons again and on return to to the...

I need a small, easy to parallel park car - what do you recommend?

I haven't driven in 20 years. Now I have moved to the Netherlands and need a small car that is small, easy to drive and easy to parallel park, mostly for the school run, but also so we can do some driving...

I accidentally misfuelled my car - but my insurance firm says I don't have a claim?

I have inadvertently filled my 2013 Range Rover Sport Black SDV6 with petrol in France. The car had a quarter tank of diesel and I noticed nothing for about 100 miles just before our destination. After...