This is our first year in an IVA. We have booked a cheap camping holiday in the Netherlands and plan to drive there. I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice about travelling without the security of a credit card behind them. I was thinking of asking my parents if they could add me onto their credit card as an additional card holder just in case of an emergency but I'm not sure if this is allowed under the terms of the IVA.
im tempted to suggest a pre-paid card, although this may not be of benefit to you if you are asking because you want a fall back if you run out of funds
You may find if your parents did agree, that on your return this could perhaps put you under some financial pressure if you used, as i certainly know my £50 contingency allowance got swallowed up each month; what im saying is that you may struggle to pay your parents back and then find yourself under pressure
Last payment made April 2012
Certificate received 1st Nov 2012
I think it's a good idea if your parents will do this for you. I guess it's like a security blanket and won't be used unless anything happens (unplanned).
Enjoy your holiday x
IVA final payment left the bank on the 26th January 2013...looking forward to a debt free future.
1. European Breakdown Cover essential preferably a good one that offers repatriation of at least you and passengers.
2. Family Travel Insurance - EHIC is not good enough.
3. Fill the car up when at halfway mark. Especially if travelling on a Sunday. Belgium/France (not sure about Holland) are generally closed on a Sunday so Fuel stations away from Motorways generally only accept cards. Note that a lot of Fuel stations are unmanned as well.
4. Be careful when using the above. You can select an amount to pay and your card will be debited that amount even if you don't put it all in. You will get it refunded some days later (as I found out once).
5. Some sort of pre-paid card loaded with some cash would be a good idea if you have access to no other credit card.
6. Depending how you are driving there (ie through France) hi-vis jackets (one for each person) must be carried inside the passenger compartment + triangle. Breathalyser kits are manadatory in France.
Last Payment - November 2011 - Completion Certificate received 2 weeks after last payment, Removed from Insolvency Register within 4 weeks after last payment.
Correct Foggy, the kit I bought came with 2 in it so as you say , if you use one you still have another.
Last Payment - November 2011 - Completion Certificate received 2 weeks after last payment, Removed from Insolvency Register within 4 weeks after last payment.
Don't worry about the breathalisers, the new law was postponed to Nov 2012, then to 1st March 2013 and has now been postponed indefinately.
One reason was that the EU has told them it was illegal as they were specifying only approved makes would be accepted and only two companies made the approved ones, one of the companies being headed by a bloke who had advised the French President, at the time, that this law was needed (his company had been in financial difficulty at the time).
We got a cheapy deal (caravan) to France last year and free tickets for Disney Paris (via Sky). Luckily our car did not break down until a couple of months later so did not spoil the holiday but we had breakdown cover in place anyway.
One thing to note on this though is read the T&C's of the breakdown cover, as some of them say they will repatriate the car back to the UK/ Home up to the value of your car, although how this works in practice I don't know.
Last Payment - November 2011 - Completion Certificate received 2 weeks after last payment, Removed from Insolvency Register within 4 weeks after last payment.
It is one of those "French Laws" that is there but not enforced at the moment. It seems they have left it in the "Rule Books" until after a decision has been made by the current Government/ EU.
Below is the infomation received from the ACF (Automobile Club de France):
From the 1st July 2012 a new sanction was enforced, in France, obliging every driver to carry an unused breathalyser kit in their vehicles.
Drivers that fail to comply are liable to a 11 Euro fine.
The enforcement of this sanction was postponed until 1st November 2012 to allow time for drivers to equip themselves.
Furthermore, a decree was issued on the 29th October 2013 to further delay enforcement, possibly until 1st March 2013, due to a shortage in supply of breathalysers.
A few days ago, Manuel Valls announced that the obligation was to be postponed indefinitely (sine die) awaiting the conclusions of the French National Counsel for Road Safety (Conseil national de la sécurité routière) expected in February.
For now the text obliging drivers to possess a breathalyser still appears in the ‘Code de la Route’ (highway code) and has not been revoked.
Currently the text is as follows:
Breathalyser obligatory: Yes / regulation: no, not before the 1st March 2013.
We are paying close attention to the Government’s decisions and to the repeal of the texts which will take place if the requirement for a breathalyser is eventually renounced.
We shall not fail to keep you informed.
So, the legal requirement to carry a breathalyzer is still in the highway code, but you cannot be fined for not carrying one. It is unlikely the fine is ever going to be implemented, but at the moment it IS still a legal requirement!
