Driving abroad in my own car, what do I need to know?

Lucy,

Countries like Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland (to name a few) have some age restrictions for driving and require that you are at least 18 years old. In some other European countries, you can drive at 17 but need to have a full UK driving licence. You should check what is required of you for driving when visiting another country to be on the safe side.

You can apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in other foreign countries and this permit is recognised throughout the world. This is useful when visiting non-european countries. However there is a fee of £5.50 to obtain this permit and you must be 18 of age as well.

As long as you have your full UK driving licence, you should be fine driving abroad and the number of years of driving experience only matters for insurance purposes, that is, cheaper insurance cover for more years driving experience.