Europe can be a great place to explore by car, especially if you are heading to the countryside. Rolling hills, quiet roads, beautiful scenery, and you get to stop whenever and wherever you want. The road infrastructure is good in European countries and traffic isn’t a problem at most times of the year, apart from the cities of course. If you have to drive in the city it can be quite stressful, particularly if you are not sure of the road system and don’t know the areas. Try to avoid certain holiday seasons such as Christmas if you are nervous and new to driving on the opposite side of the road.

The FCO provides information on the driving laws of the country you plan to visit, including local speed limits, what you have to do to comply with the vehicle requirements of the country you are visiting, and whether you need an International Driving Permit. If you are required to get one then you only need your current driving license to apply and you can get it within 24 hours in the UK by applying online.

Not every country requires you to have an international driver’s license; however it is an internationally recognised document and can facilitate contact with the authorities in the event of an accident or traffic violation. It doesn’t replace your driver’s license however, and when travelling you will need to show both.

Always carry your travelling documents with you when driving abroad, this includes your passport, driving license, car registration papers, breakdown policy and insurance documents. Emergency helpline numbers should also be easily accessible if needed.

It’s essential you have insurance that will cover you for every situation, so give your insurance company a call before you travel to check you have adequate cover as well as breakdown recovery, and if they will cover any medical expenses resulting from an accident. Standard UK insurance normally only provides third-party cover outside the UK, so if you want fully comprehensive cover you’ll need to obtain the extra. Your insurer should provide you, free, with a European accident statement form to be filled in if there should be an accident.

It’s a good idea to get your car serviced before you go as if something goes wrong in a country where they may not speak good English it could be very frustrating and stressful.

There are a few important items that you should carry with you in case of an emergency, a spare set of car keys may well come in handy, if you lose yours then you could end up paying a lot just to get a replacement. Some other items that may be useful include a first aid kit, a tool kit, spare bulbs for the car and a warning triangle. In some countries, Spain for instance, you are required to carry 2 warning triangles which is why it is so important you check each countries individual requirements. A reflective vest is also compulsory in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain, sometimes one per passenger.

Driving your own car you need to have a GB sticker clearly visible on the back of your car. You’ll also need headlamp converters if you’re driving on the right hand side of the road to avoid dazzling other drivers. In Europe they drive on the right, which means that if your car is a right-hand drive, you have to adjust the direction of your headlamp beams for driving on the right, either by using the converters or adjusting the lights. This is particularly important if you drive at night as UK headlights dip to the left, which means that they dip into the view of oncoming traffic. Headlamp converters can be purchased online.

Michiel Van Kets Writes articles for Total Travel Hire Ltd., a provider of essential travel items for driving in the UK and Europe along with car and motorbike accessories. Visit the website for a range of headlamp beam deflectors and headlight deflectors. The site also features European driving essentials; learn important legal rules for driving in European countries, a must if you have not travelled the country before as it will give guides as to what products you will need to take on your journey.

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According to advocate-General Damaso Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, “The German government’s approach is…not based on overriding reasons relating to the public interest.” Although not that binding but the full EU court backs the advocate general in abut 80 percent of the cases.

The EU court has also released a statement stating, “The German law discourages those wishing to acquire a significant number of shares in the company.” The ruling is expected to come out later this year. The case on the Volkswagen law is perceive by most people as a sort of test to see up to what extent is the EU government’s capacity to protect companies that they deemed important to their economy.

The legal queries on Volkswagen’s law are not new since it was started by the European Commission in 2005 when it took Germany to court. Since then the argument on the decades-old law didn’t stop. The Volkswagen law was created to protect Europe’s largest automaker from a foreign takeover which was seconded by German politicians and labor unions saying that the said VW law will help ensure stability at the company.

“The VW law has proved its value because it has contributed to the wellbeing of the company and its employees,” said Juergen Peters, Head of Germany’s largest industrial union.

But despite the positive votes it has from Germany’s politicians and labor unions, the EU Commission has expressed their objection to the provisions in the 1960 Volkswagen Law which limits a shareholder’s voting rights to 20% regardless of the number of VW stakes they owned plus the 80% majority vote for important decisions.

It was last November 2006 when Porsche AG has expressed its willingness to increase its stakes in Volkswagen AG to avoid hostile takeovers of other foreign investors. It should be noted that Porsche owns 27.4% stakes at VW and with the addition of another 30% will allow the former a full takeover bid.

The second largest shareholder of VW is the state of Lower Saxony which is the very same place where the automaker’s Wolfsburg headquarters is situated. State Governor Christian Wulff have assured that even if the law is abolish it would have no negative impact on the company since Porsche and Lower Saxony can prevent any takeover attempts. “Porsche’s taking a stake in the company means there would be no negative consequences if the VW law is struck down,” explained Wulff in an interview with Neue Presse daily.

Volkswagen is Europe’s largest automaker and maker of the famous Volkswagen Passat Parts. Its headquarters is in Wolfsburg, Germany. VW is currently ranked fourth in the world’s largest automaker next to GM, Toyota, and Ford.

Growing up with three brothers, Natalie Anderson became exposed early to the world of automobiles. This 29-year-old account manager now dreams of having her very own top-of-the-line vintage car and has great knowledged in Volkswagen Passat Parts [http://www.dubautoparts.com/volkswagen-pasat-parts.html].

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The VW brand division was the dominating brand for the first quarter sales drive but the star performers were Audi and Skoda. The soaring sales of new models at the Czech-based Skoda have been able to deliver an 8.5 percent operating margin—surpassing even the premium auto maker BMW. Skoda’s car sales increase by 15.5 percent in the first quarter resulting from its sales of Octavia compact and Roomster station wagon.

Volkswagen’s premium luxury unit Audi has also continued to be a strong force for Volkswagen recording 9.4 percent for its global sales or $11.8 billion fueled by the success of some of its models like the new Audi TT roadster and the Q7 SUV. First quarter profit at Audi has increased by 16 percent to $545 million.

Audi and Skoda combined comprised 69 percent of Volkswagen’s automotive profit that is despite being dwarfed by sales of Volkswagen brand vehicles. The Volkswagen brand was able to record $525 million or a 21 percent operating margin which is a tremendous increase as compared to the $66 million loss that it has gained in the first quarter of 2006.

Volkswagen against the Toyota

Despite the remarkable first quarter results obtain by Volkswagen it still faces big challenges especially since the controlling shareholder, Porsche’s Wiedeking wants the German giant to outperform the presently world number one automaker, Toyota. For Volkswagen, this would mean redoubling cost-cutting efforts, increasing production efficiency, boosting parts sharing, and above all fix its money-losing US operation.

As Winterkorn continues revamping Volkswagen his additional task now would be the development of a real export powerhouse that can compete with ToMoCo. Despite the huge revenues that Volkswagen receives still the fact remains that its success is largely centered on Europe—Western and Easter Europe comprised 62 percent of the total VW sales while only 4 percent is derived from the giant US market.

Analysts say that if Volkswagen wants to take on Toyota it has to build serious sales muscle in the US where it was only been able to sell 397,000 cars last year. In order to penetrate the US market, Winterkorn is betting on new models that would include a van scheduled for released in 2008. The VW CEO is hoping that the van’s low cost and improved quality will attract car buyers. CEO Winterkorn will also formulate new marketing strategies to further boost sales in the US.

Improving Quality

The new CEO of Volkswagen is a quality-obsessed engineer that aims to sow in Volkswagen the type of product planning, manufacturing, component sharing as well as quality expertise that he has previously instilled at Audi during his tenure as CEO.

The new CEO would like to change the management style that the company has been used to. It can be remembered that due to the poor planning at Volkswagen in that past has resulted to pileups of new products that were introduced in a short span of time and puncturing sales.

Volkswagen needs also to redouble its efforts in China and other Asian markets, where car industry is booming since the big US and European markets are beginning to stagnate. Volkswagen ranks number two in China with General Motors taking the number one spot. Last year VW has been able to sell 711,186 cars in China up by 24.3 percent.

Volkswagen’s shares have increased by 35.5 percent sustained by the Porsche’s desire in raising its shares in Volkswagen. VW shares rose by 0.4 percent last May 2 to EUR111.75 ($152) on the Frankfurt exchange.

For more about your Volkswagen parts needs like VW Beetle Part, visit your trusted online source.

Benjamin Hudson works as a supervisor at one of the top engineering firms in the business district of Louisiana. He is also a freelance journalist and has passion for anything automotive.

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This has been one of the great concerns of the auto industry. Despite being the culprit behind creating vehicles that would bring about dirt and smoke to the environment, auto manufacturers are now concerned about the welfare of the environment as well as of the people. That is most certainly they have created the Zero Air Pollution which they believe would be one of the best ways to reduce pollution.

Now ZAP, the world leader when it comes to electric cars, have set out to Europe to bring about the good news that would surely reduce the number of smoke belching machines on the streets. Steven Schneider, ZAP’s chief executive officer also came with the batch of vehicles to Europe so as to be able to further discuss the benefits of having electric cars. Though electric cars may not have easy to find replacement parts like Ford parts, these cars do provide a lot of benefit to both man and environment.

“With large car and gas dependent automakers closing plants, gas prices soaring and growing public awareness of the need to switch to alternative energy, ZAP’s global market position is stronger than ever. We hope to forge partnerships with some of the automotive industry’s most respected companies,” says Schneider.

During ZAP and Schneider’s stay in Europe, they would be presenting the various aspects of building electric cars as well as the advantages and disadvantages that this type of vehicle has. Important people in the European continent and from the auto industry would be enjoying the information that would be shared with them.

Ricardo Machado is the president of a Brazilian auto making company and he states, “In Brazil, we recently won the support of the Rio de Janeiro government that will help ensure we break sales records. We expect to create four thousand new jobs and boost Brazil’s economic infrastructure. We hope to parlay this great business plan by bringing on European partners as well.”

Ford parts

Joe Ratzkin is an avid fan of anything automotive. This 34-year old bachelor wanted to be a mechanic when he was a kid but changed his mind and became a freelance writer and researcher instead. He is currently based in Chicago, Illinois.

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Imagine the following scenario. You are feeling great that you’ve found the cheapest company with which to ship your car. You’ve saved some cash, filled out the paperwork, and the car is well on its way across the sea. Of course, you will want to track the car to make sure that it is going to arrive on time. You then find out the company you chose to ship the car does not offer tracking of any sort. You have no way of knowing when your car is going to arrive. When the car does finally arrive, it is late and the car has damage to it. The company you chose did not offer the type of insurance that would cover the damage. Now you have to pay to repair the car, spending more money than you would have if you had only gone with a better shipping company. That is shipping cars to Europe the hard way. At least you will know for the next time.

Now consider shipping cars to Europe the easy way. You find a company that has a great reputation and that has been in the shipping business for several years at a minimum. You ask them how they plan to ship the car, what the estimated date of arrival will be, and how much it will cost. It might be more than one of the lowball companies you’d seen, but the service will be much higher. You can ask all of the representatives all of the questions that you have, and you will be able to track your shipment from the time it leaves to the time it arrives at its destination. That is the easy way to ship cars to Europe, and all it took was a little bit of time and research on your part. Choosing the right way to ship is a no brainer!

LimcoLogistics.com has been providing transcontinental overseas shipping services for nearly a decade. We have experienced agents stationed throughout the world. We can ship your cargo anywhere in the world including shipping cars to Europe, ship cars to Russia and moving cargo overseas.

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Your travel possibilities are virtually endless travelling across Europe in a motorhome. The European motorhome experience is an exciting one and one of the safest, most economical ways to cross a continent.

Over 6,000 campsites

With so many gorgeous and fascinating possibilities it’s hard to narrow down where exactly to visit, especially if short of time. There are over 6,000 official campsites for motorhomes across Western Europe alone, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Here’s one idea. Spend the winter in Spain

If travelling by motorhome through Europe in winter, Spain is without a doubt the most popular destination. Plenty of sunshine there.

Many folks choose to go down the coast, visiting Barcelona and then working across the country to Madrid, enjoying all the hospitality of small Spanish towns along the way, rich in orange groves and folklore. Hard to beat.

From there, it’s a popular route to head over into Portugal and then back up to the point of origin. This is but one winter itinerary but it’s a popular one.

Free camp

In the more isolated countryside of Eastern Europe in particular, many people choose to “free camp”. You’ll save on campsite fees, which could range up to 20 Euros in many places.

Free camping allows you to simply set up camp along the side of the road as long as you are off the main path, out of the way and not obstructing other traffic.

This is perfectly legal in Europe which makes it a quite popular option.

France

In the summertime, France is almost as popular as Spain is in the winter for those on their European motorhome tour.

The favorable weather, abundance of campsites in the South of France and the friendly locals’ welcoming attitude towards motorists makes this a popular choice.

Bonus… food and wine is cheap. Enjoy!

Richard J Gardner operates http://www.motorhomes.com.au where you can buy, sell and hire motorhomes, caravans, campervans and RVs.

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As with Porsche, once taking delivery of your car at the factory, you can tour Europe in your car before flying home. A nice plus with Audi are the 20 different car return stations available across Europe. Rather than returning to Ingolstadt, you can drop your car off at one of these stations. Your car is then prepared and shipped to our local dealership. Nice and convenient.

Mercedes-Benz European Delivery program are similar to the others, with you initiating the purchase and planning of our delivery online. You will pick up your new Mercedes at the factory in Sindelfingen, Germany. From there you can choose from two packages. The first is simply called the Standard Package, the other the Black Forest-Alps Rally Package.

The Standard Package provides one night stay for one or two people at your choice of hotels throughout Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland.

The Black Forest-Alps Rally Package is more geared towards the enthusiast. It combines your one night’s stay with four additional nights. In addition, your directed on a self-guided “rally” that takes you from the factory into the Black Forest. From there it’s off to the Austrian Alps, where the Arlberg Pass will bring you close to Innsbruck and, continuing north, to Munich. Mercedes does ask that you order your new car at least four months prior to traveling.

BMW’s European Delivery program goes beyond what the other manufacturers we’ve discussed currently offer. Why? Three words…Conde Nast Tours.

Yes, BMW takes care of all of the details, from ordering, to insurance, to shipping. But you have the option of enjoying an exclusive driving adventure developed by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Three five-day itineraries are available – Lakeside Luxury, Alpine Getaway and Castles. Once you arrive in Munich, your’re met and escorted to a private chauffeured sedan for a drive to the European Delivery Center. From there, depending on which tour you’ve chosen, you head out on some of Europe’s most scenic roads, with each day ending at a Gold List hotel.

You can tour Europe in your new BMW for up to 6 months after delivery. However, if you’ve financed or leased through BMW Financial Services, you must export your car within 90 days.

One note regarding financing. No matter what vehicle you’ve decided to buy, take the time to investigate all of your financing options. Dealer financing is fine but services such as what Carseek offers gives you buying options with one-stop convenience.

BMW buyers do have something to look forward to in Munich. They has just opened their new delivery center, the BMW Welt. Destined to be not only the place to pick up your new BMW but also a cultural center in Munich. The Welt is so unique that it warrants a future post of its own. Look for it in the near future.

One question to ask is will other car manufacturers follow suit by offering travel packages with new car purchases? And is it an enticement to buy or an extra perk to take advantage of? In our opinion, available travel opportunities are definitely a perk. The makes we have discussed here are brands recognized as expensive and exclusive. Buyers of these brands typically vacation in more exotic locales so purchasing optional travel packages with their new cars is a no-brainer. Our recommendation? If you can, buy the perks! You only live once and you can’t drive your new European sports car or sedan the way it’s meant to be in the States.

Andrew
Editor, Ridestory.com
andy@ridestory.com

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It is not that hard to search for the appropriate carpool service that is capable of providing you the assistance you need when it comes to reaching a specific destination either on a daily basis or occasionally. All you have to do is to search for available autostop carsharing services online or might as well place an ad regarding the service that you need and you will be able to get a response from these companies whom you want to get the services from.

You might be wondering why should you opt to take advantage of ridesharing when you already have your own car, right? Well, the first thing that you may want to look into is the convenience of traveling from your point of pick up to your destination. You have to admit it that driving can be tiring and stressful as well. With you being the passenger, all you will have to worry bout this time is reaching your destination early and thinking of the next activities that you will be working on as you arrive. No more stressful driving day for you.

Another is that you can also make sure that once you get yourself registered with a carsharing service, you will be able to reach your destination at the right time. This is for the reason that you will be traveling with other people and sharing your ride with them, and this means that time is one of the most important things to consider with ridesharing. If this is a case, you will not have to worry about reaching your destination in time because you will be traveling in advance to make sure that there are no delays.

At the same time, you can assure yourself that you will be able to reach your destination safely, traveling in a cost-effective way without having to add up to the pollution that too much volume of cars on the streets cause. This is one great idea of traveling in Europe in a more environment-friendly way.

Carpool – autostop.travel – a site where hitchhikers can go together and travel together anywhere in Europe.

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While preparing for your trip through Europe you must ensure that you have the proper documents with you. These documents include a UK license, which is valid, vehicle registration, and insurance paperwork. You may also need a MOT certificate if your car is more than three years old.

It is important to check with your motor insurance company that you are covered when driving abroad. Most policies will allow you a certain number of days of European motoring as standard, although you should check to be sure. If you plan to visit a country outside the EU then you may need to carry a green card insurance document as well.

You can also hire a vehicle instead of bringing your own. If you are going to hire a vehicle research what countries you are permitted to drive in. You also need an official document that states you are allowed to drive the car.

For vehicles that you take with you there are GB stickers needed at the rear of your vehicle, unless you have a modern Europlate Numberplate. All vehicles will need to have their headlamps readjusted for driving on the right side of the road. This can be completed with beam reflectors on the headlamp lenses for most cars. HID xenon lights come with a switch which manually changes the beam for you without the need for the reflectors.

Legally you must have an emergency kit in your car as you move around Europe. Items in the car kit include a warning triangle, first aid kit, reflective coat, spare bulb kit, and fire extinguisher.

Whilst driving abroad is a good chance to explore the full potential of your car many countries frown on you using radar speed detector devices. When driving through France the Police are particularly hot on this issue and have the power to confiscate such equipment.

Police in Europe can fine you at the spot you were stopped. It is wise to have local currency on you to pay the fines because the other choice is a confiscation of the vehicle until you can reach a cash machine. The UK typically has higher speed limits and blood alcohol levels, which mean you need to be careful of the European country you visit. Pay attention to the speed limit posts and do not drink while on the road.

If you want a magnificent holiday overseas there are certain steps to take in order to prepare for it. The above information will help you learn what you need to know regarding motoring overseas. One last tip for you is to remember that in Europe people drive on the right side of the road. It is an obvious statement, but it can be easy to get confused, especially at roundabouts or crossroads.

If you want to make sure that motoring abroad is not disrupted by the inconvenience of finding replacement Car Bulbs, it can be a good idea to make sure you are prepared. By carrying a Spare Bulbs Kit in your boot or glovebox you can be motoring again in no time.

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