We have brought together a checklist of documents and spares which are needed for driving in France. Most of these things are legal requirements whilst others are just plain commonsense. We have tried to make this easily readable so that interested parties can take it in at a glance.

We assume that the vehicle you will be travelling in will be serviced several weeks before your trip to France.

Documentation

1) Passport

2) Drivers licence

3) Valid vehicle insurance cert - or a document provided by your insurers to prove that your vehicle is indeed insured.

4) Vehicle registration document

5) Valid MOT certificate - if applicable

Ancillaries

A newish French law (July 2008) has made it a legal requirement for the vehicle driver to carry a High Visibility/flourescent vest or jacket in the vehicle. This must be situated so that the driver is able to put it on before leaving the car.

Now, we have interpreted this law to mean that only the driver need have this vest/jacket, but as with a great many laws there are grey areas, and this grey area is: What will the reaction of the French police be if there are 4 or 5 of you milling around on the hard shoulder and only one has a reflective vest? Our opinion is (as we have had some dealings with the Flics ourselves in the past) that they would be totally underwhelmed and an on the spot fine would most probably be the result. For a couple of quid each we recommend that you treat yourselves to one each from Vispack.

2) GB sticker - or similar from whichever country you are from. GB stickers or similar must be displayed on your vehicle (including motorbikes) and also on anything that you are towing, such as trailers, caravans, boats etc.

3) Warning triangle - Drivers going to France have been required to carry one of these for many years now, but during our frequent trips to France we have found that barely 1/3rd of drivers have one with them. These things cost £6 or £7, so is it worth risking a 90 Euro on the spot fine for not having one in the car? Drivers in Spain need 2 triangles.

4) First aid kit - we mean a proper one, not just a box of plasters bought from the local market!

5) Small fire extinguisher.

Spares

1) A complete set of replacement bulbs for the vehicle in which you are travelling. Carry spare fuses too.

2) Headlamp beam converters - These are tolerated by the French police - just. In reality they like you to be using headlamp bulbs which dip to the right. If you happened to stumble across a Flic in a bad temper he could well make demands on your credit card via an on the spot fine. Our advice: Pay up and argue later lest he finds something else wrong - and he will, believe me.

Foot pump with guage

This is not a legal requirement but it makes sense to carry one just in case. When did you last check the pressure of your spare tyre? In most cases the answer would be either Never, or I forget, or months and months ago. Don't be caught out if you have a flat, and in any case, foot pumps are good for inflating lilos, footballs etc.

We also always take some radiator sealant and at least a gallon of water, just in case.

Take spares of anything else you have room for.