Country and document planning should always be at the very beginning of travel preparation. It’s not always possible to visit all the desired countries as one might imagine. Recognizing bureaucratic and political obstacles in advance can save you a lot of trouble later on. I will outline, step by step, which documents and considerations are important to keep in mind when planning a trip.
Papers, documents & insurance
1.1 Passport:
You should always have it with you, and you always have to have it with you as soon as you leave Europe’s national borders. It should be noted that you can usually only apply for new visas if the passport is still valid for at least 6 months. If you are planning a long trip and you may want to apply for a new visa on the way, it is essential to keep an eye on the validity of the passport.
Sometimes it can also be advisable to pay attention to which visa you already have in your passport in order to avoid having entry problems when visiting two different countries under which political tensions are prevailing. With an Israeli visa in your passport, you will not be allowed into many Arab countries such as Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
1.2 Visa:
This point can usually be skipped quickly when traveling in Europe. But if you plan a trip across the European borders and leave behind
maybe even to other continents, there is no getting around good visa planning. The subject of visas varies greatly from country to country and therefore cannot really be generalized. Sometimes it is not even necessary to organize a month in advance because you get one issued directly at the border, in other countries it can turn into a meltdown – if you have not applied for the required visa months in advance. Then it can mean driving around the country, flying over it or immediately turning around and back home. In any case, you should inquire extensively in advance for which countries there are which visa regulations.
If you need several visas for a tour, it is also advisable to set up an exact schedule of when which visa will be applied for. It is not uncommon for the day of the application to be decisive for the period of visa validity!
You can find a lot of information on the topic on the website of the Federal Foreign Office: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de
2. International driver’s license and vehicle registration:
2.1 Before I started my first big trip, I didn’t even know that there was such a thing. An international driver’s license and an international vehicle registration document. You will not need these papers within Europe, but if you are about to leave European borders behind you, it is very advisable to have them with you. All you have to do is go to your respective driver’s license office, and most of the time you can go home with the papers on the same day with relative ease. Most of the time, however, these have to be „updated“ again after a year with a stamp.
2.2 Carnet de Passage ATA – Triptik: You will not need a Carnet within the EU, if you are leaving Europe, you may need to be able to import it into certain countries in your vehicle. The Carnet de Passage is a kind of passport for your vehicle, which is required in over 65 countries today. You can apply for it at the ADAC, for example, and have to leave a deposit (around 2500, -). You will receive this back after you have returned the carnet.
Insurance: A distinction must first be made between three types. On the one hand, there is insurance for people, equipment and vehicles.
3. insurance for man and vehicle:
3.1 As on any other normal trip, you should take care of adequate insurance cover for people. In most cases, a common foreign health insurance policy that you take out for one year is sufficient. However, it should be noted that these are usually no longer than a validity of no more than 60 days per trip. That means if you plan to be on the road for more than 60 days, you have to look elsewhere. There are offers from various providers for this purpose. On average, this insurance costs between 60 cents and 1 euro per day of travel. Since I am currently an ADAC Plus member, I have mostly accepted the ADAC’s offer. Otherwise, I recommend that you simply ask your insurance company first.
3.2 For the vehicle you always have to have your local insurance certificate with you. There is hardly a border where you are not asked: “You have the green paper?” And that’s exactly what it looks like. Simply call your liability insurance company and have the international insurance confirmation (a green paper) sent to you. This is exactly where it is stated in which countries it is valid. For all other countries, you can usually get vehicle liability insurance directly at or behind the national border for around 10 – 50 euros (depending on the vehicle, country and duration of travel). Sometimes you are really forced to close one, other times nobody cares. Personally, however, I always advise you to close this. Especially in foreign countries, traffic is often very chaotic and inconsiderate. Something can happen quickly, for which one is happily assured, e.g.
If you can plan, plan. When you need solutions, act creatively.
Marc Wibbels