Planning ahead for driving this summer with the essentials you need for your lease car

Leasing your car takes a lot of the hassle out of driving. Depreciation is not your issue, you can end up driving something much newer and nicer than if you were a cash buyer, and if you’re sensible and opt for a maintained contract there are no surprise servicing costs to worry about. You may not be the “owner”, but essentially the car is yours to use however you like, including taking it on holiday.

But before you start packing your bags for the summer there’s a few things to bear in mind. Regardless of your destination, it’s absolutely essential that you plan properly and make sure everything is in order before you head off on your latest adventure.

Channel-hopping over to Europe for a couple of weeks is a very popular way to holiday. Taking your own car makes it simple and gives you the freedom to explore whichever location you’ve chosen for this year’s sun.

Just as long as you’re properly equipped, that is.

Alongside the usual array of equipment required for driving in Europe - high-viz vests, warning triangle, first aid kit, spare bulbs, fire extinguisher, and some of those DIY breathalyser kits just in case a nice police officer ever asks – you'll also need the correct documentation.

The single most important document you’ll need if you lease your car is a VE103 vehicle on hire certificate. The VE103 must be produced on demand to prove that the driver has permission from the vehicle owner to be in possession of the vehicle. It is the only legal alternative to the vehicle log book (V5C) which you won’t have as a lease customer. Worst case scenario, you could be fined and your car impounded until you can prove you have the legal right to drive it outside the UK.

As far as the important documents are concerned, for driving in Europe you will need to carry:

• Full, valid driving licence and national insurance number
• Proof of vehicle insurance
• Passport
• V5C certificate (VE103 if leasing)
• Travel insurance documents
• European Breakdown Cover policy number and documents

Even if you’re not planning on leaving these shores, any kind of long-range summer excursion still requires some thought, even if it doesn’t require the previously mentioned folders of paperwork. As well as packing the bags and sorting the kids out, you might want to take a minute or two to ensure your car is up to the journey as well as its driver.

Fluid levels need to be checked to make sure everything is properly lubricated, pressured, and ready for the journey ahead. Make sure you include your washer bottle too – did you know that driving with an empty washer bottle could potentially lead to a fine and penalty points, or even careless driving charges? You’ll probably want to make sure you’ve got a top-up of oil tucked away somewhere, and maybe a spare fuel can as well, just in case.

Depending on the size of the kitchen sink you’ve loaded into the back, you might also want to check your tyre pressures before setting off. It should go without saying that you should be checking tyre pressure and tread depth regularly anyway, but if you’re used to travelling light it’s probably worth consulting the little door label to make sure you’ve got the correct tyre pressure to deal with the additional load.

For those of you who have already made the switch to an EV, you might consider taking a little extra time planning your route to make sure you can reach any necessary charging stops without that panicked feeling of seeing your range drop into single figures. Make use of your satnav’s EV route planning if your car has the feature. If not, you can always refer to one of the many online route planners that offer the same function for EV drivers.

After that, the rest of the planning and packing is up to you: plenty of drinks and snacks, entertainment for the kids, inflatables for the pool, the entire contents of the wardrobe because you can’t decide what to wear, or anything else you might find useful.

As long as your car is properly maintained and you’ve got all the correct documentation you’ll then be able to concentrate on the important job of enjoying your holiday.