A warning for anybody insuring foreign guests on their car.

My wife and I regularly do house swaps for the whole summer. This year we are off to the States and as part of the deal we are swapping cars. However, our insurer would not add the American visitors to...

Where can I hire a car which I can drive in France?

Last week I had to donate my 1996 Volkswagen Golf to a breakers' yard in France because the cost to fix it would be much more than the car’s value. We returned by rail. However, I now find that because...

I'm about to get a new top spec Mazda 6 as a company car - should I report back on my experiences over the next three years?

My company Skoda Superb estate was wrecked in December last year and since then I have been driving around in an Octavia estate from the company pool, which took me 17,000 kilometres in six months from...

Is there a difference between French and UK pump fuels which can affect fuel economy?

I was interested to read your comments about the KIA Sorento. Two years ago I took delivery of a new KX3 2.2D and the following day started a journey to the south of France. While it was running on UK...

How long can a UK-registered car be kept in Spain without leaving the country?

A friend of mine has moved to Spain for the summer. He generously invited me to join him for a week and we were discussing his car. It's British registered and fully legal in England. He reckons that he...

Why do French roads have no litter or potholes?

I have recently returned from a holiday in Brittany. I drove hundreds of miles on all types of roads and I didn't encounter a single pothole. Also, no roadside litter. How is it that the French can get...

Is it legal for American car hire companies to charge additional road tax?

My sister hired a car online in America shortly before her flight to London Heathrow. When she went to collect the car she was faced with considerable additional charges, one of which was road tax at £1.35...

How can I adapt my Suzuki Splash's headlights for driving in France?

In November 2012 I purchased a brand new Suzuki Splash 1.2 Automatic. I intend taking it to France later this year but could find no guidance in the handbook about adapting the headlights for driving on...

Breakdown cover for Europe?

I am taking my 2004 E-Class to Verona via France and Switzerland. Can you give any advise on what the best breakdown cover would be? In the UK it is relatively easy to find non main dealer garages but...

Is it illegal to take my sat nav with speed camera alerts to Italy?

Can you clarify the legal situation in Italy regarding Speed Camera detection? I understand that devices that pick up radar are illegal, but what about speed camera alerts generated in GPS devices?