With 89 millon drivers on the road in Spain this summer, here are some tips to make your Spanish Road trip incident free.

Road Trip Planning in Europe

Don’t let a breakdown spoil your time on the road. It’s important that you take the right steps towards preparing your vehicle for any unwanted problems that crop up. If you’re unsure where to begin, read this pre-trip checklist and get your car road trip ready.

Vehicle Insurance

Making sure you have the right insurance for your trip is important. Theft or damage to the vehicle can really spoil your vacation. Also make sure that you check the policy carefully. If you are travelling over different borders into different countries, make sure that your cover will be valid along the entire route.

Caravan Insurance

If you are travelling with a campervan or motorhome, then you can always compare your caravan insurance with The Insurers as a good starting point. Getting the right insurance policy will give you peace of mind for unexpected happenings on your route. Goats on the road will just be a funny anecdote to share.

Breakdown Cover for your Road Trip

Cars have many different components on them that need maintenance to stay in good working order so, to stop you having a breakdown in Europe, make sure you check all of  these before hitting the road and be sure to read this RAC guide on travelling around Europe before setting off.

Check your tyres

If you look on the inside of your car door jam, you will see the recommended tyre inflation pressure. This will help you when checking tyres for any damage and the correct air pressure. You can also check tyre pressure using an air pressure gauge at a service station.

Make sure you have the right amount of air inside each tyre for safety and to potentially achieve better fuel mileage on your road trip.

Check fluids

Fluids are an absolute necessity for your car to keep it in good working order, which is critical when you’re embarking on a long journey. These are the essential fluids you need to be checking:

• Oil is critical for an engine as it helps move the components such as pistons, crankshaft, camshafts and positions smoothly. You need to be changing your oil
  every three months or around every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Use the dipstick to check your oil condition and level. If the end is black or below minimum get it checked and
  filled up straight away.
• Brake fluid is compressed inside the brake pedal. So when you use the brakes, it forces the brake pads to clamp down on the rotors in order to slow the car. If your pedals feel sponge-like. Your brake fluid maybe contaminated and needing looking into.
• Radiator fluid: The motor of a vehicle emits heat, so the radiator keeps it cool. Coolants and antifreeze also takes heat from your engine and through the radiator. So this fluid is important for good maintenance of cars.
• Transmission fluid: This helps your gears move smoothly. Nothing ruins a drive more than jerky transmission when changing gear. The good thing about transmission
  fluid is that it lasts a long time. Even so, it’s worth getting it checked out ahead of long road trips.

Wash your car

Make sure your car is nice and clean for improved visibility in windows and mirrors. Also so that your number plate is visible. When cleaning your car, remember to check windscreen wash levels. Also take a quick look at front and back windscreen wiper blades so that you can replace them if needed. Be sure there are no cracks in your windscreen too as these can spread, causing damage and limiting visibility. Intense heat can really affect any cracks in the glass the temperatures rise and glass expands.

Brake Pads

Brake pads wear away with lots of use. You notice they are worn as they screech or squeak noise. Getting them replaced will stop the noise and make your trip safer.

Light bulbs

Chances are you’ll be driving in the dark at some point on your road trip so make yourself seen by making sure all your light bulbs are working. Also, having broken lights puts you at risk of being pulled over.

The best way to check is to turn on your car and test all your lights with someone walking around the vehicle checking for you. Car maintenance may seem like hard work, but it is worth it in the long run. This way you ensure your trip isn’t ruined by a problem that was avoidable.

Spain Road Trip – Get your Car Ready

For more Road Trip inspiration take a look at these routes I´ve done so far:

• Almeria Coast Road Trip – My Costa de Almeria guide
• Majorca Road Trip; Palma to Pollensa by Car
• Jerez Spain; White Villages of Cadiz by Rental Car
• The Alpujarra – Remote Andalusian Villages South from Granada