Tour WhatsApp group — request to join now, and we’ll open the group once everyone’s in.
Your Alpine Tour Companion
Before We Drive
Everything you need before we hit the road.
In just a few weeks we’ll be setting off on one of Europe’s greatest driving adventures.
Download the complete guide
A printable checklist version of this guide — tick things off as you go, and keep a copy in the car.
This guide contains everything you’ll need before departure, along with a few tips we’ve picked up from running these tours. Spend ten minutes reading it now and you’ll arrive at Folkestone feeling completely prepared.
If you have any questions before we leave, just get in touch. We’re always happy to help.
Just a few things before we leave
A little preparation now means a completely relaxed start on the morning itself.
Four things to tick off
- Check your passport is valid for the trip
- Order your German emissions sticker (Umweltplakette) — delivery takes 2–3 weeks, so order by late August
- Download Google Maps offline
- Check your European breakdown cover & travel insurance
See you at Folkestone
- Meet us at Eurotunnel between 06:45 – 07:30
- Your crossing departs at 08:46*
*The standard tour crossing — unless you’ve chosen a different time on your booking.
Where to go: Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal, Ashford Road, Folkestone CT18 8XX — leave the M20 at Junction 11A, which brings you straight to check-in. In your sat nav, search “Eurotunnel Terminal Building” rather than the postcode, which can misroute you.
We’ll be there to welcome everyone before the adventure begins.
Your essential documents
Eight things to have with you in the car. We’d also recommend saving digital copies of everything on your phone.
One passport rule worth knowing: for the EU it must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid for at least three months after we return.
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Vehicle registration document (V5C)
- Vehicle insurance certificate
- European breakdown cover details
- Travel insurance
- Eurotunnel booking confirmation
- Hotel confirmations
Three countries, three sets of rules
Nothing complicated — just a few local customs worth knowing before you cross.
Germany
- You’ll need a Green Umweltplakette — the green group-4 emissions sticker — for this tour, as we’ll be driving through several environmental zones. Virtually all modern petrol and diesel cars qualify.
- Order yours online here with a photo of your V5C. The sticker is registered to your number plate and never expires. Standard delivery to the UK takes around 2–3 weeks (1–3 days’ processing plus 10–14 days’ postage), so order by the end of August — express options are available if you’re cutting it fine.
- Some sections of the Autobahn have unrestricted speed limits, but many don’t. Speed limits change regularly, so keep an eye on the overhead signs.
- If traffic comes to a complete stop, drivers create an emergency corridor (“Rettungsgasse”) between lanes to allow emergency vehicles through.
- Undertaking on the motorway isn’t permitted.
- The Rossfeld Panorama Road has its own toll — €9.50 per car including everyone on board, payable at the toll station.
France
- Our route includes a few stretches of French motorway, mainly as we head out from Calais and home again.
- Some of these are toll roads. Most booths accept contactless cards, but carrying a physical bank card and a small amount of cash is worthwhile just in case.
Austria
- Austria requires a motorway vignette. The easiest option is the digital vignette, bought online from ASFINAG’s official shop — it’s linked to your number plate, so there’s nothing to stick on the windscreen.
- For our dates the 10-day vignette is the one you’ll want, and it’s valid immediately when bought online. Steer clear of the 2-month and annual digital vignettes — consumer-protection rules mean those only become valid 18 days after purchase. We’ll confirm everything before departure.
- The Grossglockner High Alpine Road has its own toll — €46.50 per car for a day ticket (2026 price). It isn’t covered by the vignette. You can buy your ticket online in advance — recommended, so you’re not queueing at the booths.
- Speed limits are well enforced, so it’s worth keeping an eye on your speed as you leave the motorways.
Five things the law says
must be in your car
European driving kits containing all of these are widely available online.
- UK identifier (on your number plate or separate sticker)
- Warning triangle
- High-visibility vest for every occupant
- First aid kit
- Headlamp deflectors (if required)
Never miss a turn
We’ll send Google Maps links and QR codes for every driving day before departure.
We’d strongly recommend downloading offline maps before leaving the UK, so you’ll still have navigation if mobile signal disappears in the mountains.
- Connect to wi-fi and open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner, then choose “Offline maps”.
- Tap “Select your own map”, frame the area you want, and press Download.
- Repeat for each day’s driving area — we’ll remind you exactly which areas to save when we send your route links.
Offline maps expire if they’re not refreshed, so it’s best to download them in the final week before we leave. Full instructions are in Google’s official guide.
Prefer to watch? This short video shows exactly how it’s done.
If you prefer using Garmin or another sat nav, GPX files are also available — just let us know.
“One thing guests often tell us is how relaxed our tours feel. That’s exactly how we want them to be.”
Drive at a pace you’re comfortable with. Take photographs. Stop for coffee. Enjoy the scenery.
We’ll regroup regularly throughout each day, so there’s never any pressure to keep up or worry about getting left behind.
This is about enjoying some of Europe’s greatest roads — not racing to the next hotel.
We’re only ever a call away
If anything comes up before departure — or while we’re away — please get in touch.
You can request to join the tour WhatsApp group now — we’ll open the group once everyone’s in, so nobody misses anything. During the tour it’s the easiest way to reach us.
See you at Folkestone
Thank you for choosing to travel with Road Trip Club.
We can’t wait to share these incredible roads with you.
Safe travels — and we’ll see you on the 16th September.