Vacation by car: 11 tips

adminonMarch 28, 2022February 11, 2022Leave a Comment

In addition, we explain which special features you need to be aware of abroad and give you a checklist with the most important documents for your car trip.

Stowing luggage correctly
Pack the right provisions
avoid time pressure
Pack entertainment
Breaks& plan for overnight accommodations
Use apps for assistance
plan alternative routes
Refuel before departure
Avoid rush hour
Avoid traffic jams
Program the navigation system correctly

special features abroad

Toll and vignette
European countries with tolls for freeways
European countries with vignette obligation

1. Stow luggage properly

Heavy luggage down: stow heavy suitcases in the trunk first. So they can’t fly forward and lighter luggage won’t be crushed.
Adjusting tire pressure: your car will be heavier than usual with all the luggage and the tires will be more stressed. The optimum tire pressure is specified by the car manufacturer. You can find the information in the owner’s manual and on the driver’s door, the inside of the gas cap, in the glove compartment or in the tire manufacturer’s tire pressure chart.
Observe the permitted vehicle weight: if you want to take a lot of luggage with you, make sure your car is not too heavy. How heavy it may be in total, is written in the vehicle registration document. This also applies if you also mount a roof box on the car or take sports equipment with you.
Secure luggage if it overhangs the back of the seat: if you stack your luggage higher than the backrest of the rear seat, you must secure your suitcases and bags. So they can not fly forward. This can be done, for example, with a luggage net. You can get this online or at a car accessory store.

Tip: stow large or bulky luggage in a roof box. There you are safe and won’t hurt anyone during the ride.

Important: if the weight of the car changes, so does its handling. For example, if your car is heavier, your braking distance will be longer, the vehicle will accelerate slower, and it will swerve more easily on curves.

2. Pack the right provisions

Avoid fatty foods and pack only light provisions a. It is not heavy in the stomach and you do not feel uncomfortable during the drive. Eat for the reason also rather several small meals as a great.

Vegetable snacks (sliced peppers, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, cocktail tomatoes)
Fruit snacks (apple, banana, grapes)
Whole-grain rolls with salad, low-fat cheese or sausage and cucumber slices
Nuts to snack on

Also think about enough drinks! They should be sufficient even during long traffic jams.

Tip: to keep your provisions fresh even on hot summer days, it’s best to store them in a cooler bag at.

3. avoid time pressure

Plan the Generous driving time. This is especially true if you have a fixed arrival time, for example, if you have booked a ferry. This way, you won’t get stressed if you have to take a long break or get stuck in a traffic jam.

4. pack entertainment

long car rides can get boring. Especially as a passenger you can take entertainment with you into the car.

books (if you don’t get sick on the drive)
Puzzle books
audio books
Music
Games for your smartphone that you can play offline
games for adults (true or false, guessing movies or music titles)

But not only adults need entertainment. Children in particular want to be kept busy on long car journeys. You can find out how to do this in our guide "Car journeys with children: 6 tips".

5. take breaks& plan for overnight accommodations

If you have a very long route ahead of you, plan to stop where to stay overnight a. Find out in advance where there are hotels along the route. A spontaneous search can be stressful.

Even short rest stops at the rest area often offer little recreation. Check in advance whether there are any traffic jams on the route, for example sights or swimming lakes check. There you can recover from the journey extensively.

6. Use apps for support

"aroundme": the app shows gas stations, restaurants or bank branches in your neighborhood. This will save you a time-consuming and stressful search.
"ADAC fuel prices": gas stations directly on the highway are often more expensive. In the ADAC app, you can see whether there is a gas station near the highway, for example cheap gas station gives. In addition, the app will notify you of traffic jams on your route.
"flush": the app points you to the nearest public toilet. This is not only helpful while driving, but also during excursions.

7. Plan alternative routes

Plan before departure alternative routes. because many traffic jams can be predicted. Especially at rush hour or during road works you should expect a high traffic volume. The probability that you get lost or have to look for the way is then smaller.

8. Fill up before departure

fill up your car before departure full. It saves time, because you do not have to leave the highway, wait for a long time or look for a gas station. Gas stations off the highway are also usually cheaper.

9. Avoid rush hour

vacation start and end
weekends
Rush hour traffic
Events such as marathons in cities

When vacationing by car, also note the following vacation periods in other federal states and in your vacation country.

10. avoid traffic jams

use navigation system: it shows you traffic jams and alternative routes in time.
adjust the start of your trip: travel outside vacation periods or start during the week if possible. Good days to travel by car are tuesday and wednesday.
Plan your route: bypass current congestion junctions. You can find these under the ADAC traffic situation.

11. Correctly program the navigator

"the shortest route is also the fastest route": this is not always true. Often routes run with few kilometers off the highway and take much longer.

In your navigation system, you can also set if you want to use toll roads or want to avoid. If you don’t have time stress, you can save your vacation money in this way. But remember that you are not allowed to drive on the freeway and plan more time.

A navigation system helps avoid traffic jams. © gettyimages.Com/querbeet

Special features abroad

Other countries have different traffic rules that you should follow when traveling by car: in addition to clear differences such as the left-hand driving rule in Great Britain, there are many other guidelines. ADAC has summarized the most important differences in the countries of austria, belgium, france, italy, poland, switzerland and spain. The information ranges from the correct number of warning vests to the right of way at traffic circles.

toll and vignette

In some countries there are costs for road use. Here is distinguished between toll and vignette.

The toll is a fee for the use of certain traffic structures, mostly freeways. At joining the freeway do you have to buy a ticket from a vending machine?. You pay the ticket at a counter when leaving the freeway.

Costs: they depend on the number of kilometers and your vehicle class. For a car you pay on average about 0,07 euro toll per kilometer. High-maintenance routes, such as mountain highways with many tunnels and bridges, can be more expensive.

Notice: it can also special toll are required for bridges, tunnels or passes. This is the case in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Denmark and Sweden.

In countries with vignette you pay the toll for a specific time period. as a proof you get a sticker, which you have to stick on the inside of your windshield. With an electronic vignette, your license plate number is stored in the system. Depending on the country, you can buy weekly, monthly or annual vignettes.

European countries with tolls for freeways

bosnia-herzegovina
France
Greece
Great Britain
Ireland
Italy
Croatia
Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Serbia
Spain
Turkey
Belarus

European countries with compulsory vignettes

Bulgaria
Austria
Romania
Switzerland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Hungary

Checklist: you must not forget

Vehicle registration document (registration confirmation part 1)
european accident report
documents for the trip abroad (identity card, passport, international driver’s license)
Spare key (best kept in the accommodation)
Telephone number of the breakdown service or the insurance company of your cover letter (caution: don’t forget the country code)!)
road map of the respective country (in case your smartphone has no reception or battery left)

Relax on vacation without a car breakdown

We hope, with our tips for your vacation with the car you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

To make sure that nothing gets in the way of a relaxing trip, we recommend that you have a vacation check carried out on your car before you go on vacation. Various car parts are checked so that you don’t have an unexpected breakdown and your car gets you safely to your vacation destination.

Your allianz direct team wishes you a relaxing vacation!

Calculate car insurance

It pays to switch: get the low-cost allianz direct car insurance now.

In germany there are about seven million car changes from different vehicles. To ensure that buyers and sellers can achieve a fair price, a vehicle valuation must be carried out beforehand. A used car valuation can be used by the schwacke-list take place.

a vehicle valuation by schwacke is based on average values.

The car valuation by schwacke is done by a analysis of purchase and sales prices of the respective vehicle determined. Meanwhile, the list from schwacke provides information on the value of 70.000 models.

Schwacke’s vehicle valuation is not limited to cars, but also includes motorcycles, caravans and boats, for example.

It is more or less a manual that car dealers can use to read off the residual value of vehicles.

Yes, a vehicle valuation by schwacke is also possible for private individuals. How to do it, you can read here.

deutsche automobil treuhand also offers a vehicle valuation service. In addition, there is the possibility of having a value appraisal prepared.

The schwacke list can generally be viewed by anyone, but is intended for dealers. Schwacke is however not free of charge. how the schwacke car valuation is done, when and how this company was founded and what alternatives there are to the list, you will find out in the following guidebook.

Have your car valued!

The origin of the schwacke list

the frankfurt car dealer hanns W. Schwacke brought 1957 the first schwacke list out. At that time it comprised 40 car models. schwacke got the idea from a U.S. soldier. This person wanted to trade in his car at schwacke and had no idea how much the car was worth. The soldier then consulted the "blue book" of the u.s. car dealers’ association. In the book was a table with residual values different vehicle types contain.

Schwacke took up the idea, the schwacke list was born. Today’s publisher is the company eurotaxschwacke gmbh based in hesse (therefore sometimes referred to as eurotax-liste). Since the 1990s, the list has also included available online.

In addition to creating the list, the company is also active in other areas. It operates as a service provider in the automotive industry and offers software solutions for determining residual value at. Also for the areas residual value management and damage calculations software solutions are offered by eurotaxschwacke gmbh.

Vehicle evaluation by schwacke – the procedure

From the Schwacke list, values of different vehicles can be read

the schwacke list shows the values of various vehicles.

The values determined by schwacke are not determined randomly. Around 700 employees evaluate different data to determine the vehicle value. The collection of the data takes the biggest amount of work.

Supply and demand form the basis for the analysis of individual vehicles. The employees collect data from daily and trade press, the car trade and the internet. classified ads, commercial advertisements, internal price lists and company car portals of manufacturers specifically serve as data suppliers for vehicle evaluation.

Around 700.000 displays are made in this way monthly registered. In addition statistical data evaluated for new registrations, standing times, stock numbers and ownership transcriptions. The price and value information of the individual vehicles is entered into a large database and compared per computer evaluated. He thus calculates an average value for each vehicle type.

In the next step, these specifications must be matched with reality become. This is intended to better cover regional differences. A VW model, for example, is not worth that much in wolfsburg, where there is an oversupply of cars.

the evaluation by schwacke always involves average values of average models. Individual vehicle data (mileage, special equipment, date of the next main inspection, etc.) can be found on the schwacke list.) are not taken into account.

To make up for this difference there is correction tables. Here you can calculate percentage surcharges and deductions. In the overview you will find the mileage, the date of first registration, special equipment and the like.

As mentioned at the beginning, the schwacke list is not only available to dealers. Theoretically, a private person can also schwacke subscription contract. Included in the subscription is a monthly overview of the residual values of various vehicles. However, this subscription is very expensive, so that it is not worthwhile for a one-time car sale.

For vehicle owners who need a used car appraisal, schwacke offers online vehicle valuation to. There you enter the data of your vehicle into a system and receive a comprehensive evaluation of your vehicle as a PDF file based on your data. This service costs 7,90 euro.

The schwacke list is not accessible free of charge. You can take out a subscription and receive the list every month. For a one-time individual car valuation by schwacke you pay 7,90 euro.

Further offers from schwacke

schwacke offers other services in addition to a vehicle valuation.

In addition to the monthly list and the individual vehicle valuation, schwacke also offers other services. In this way schwacke can provide a residual value forecast for your car be handed in. For 4,90 euro the expected residual value of your car, with a total holding period of six years and 200.000 km mileage, determined. However, this forecast is no security and is based on statistics. You cannot rely on this information, it is not binding.

Another service "key date valuation". Here you can calculate the value of your vehicle at a certain point in time. The data goes back to the january 1980. This service can be important for the settlement of an accident claim. The service costs 40 euros, the result will be sent to you by mail.

For the past 13 years, auto bild and schwacke have chosen the annual "wertmeister". The 39 models with the highest residual value in 13 vehicle classes are awarded a prize. For the winning model, the highest remaining residual value is assumed for the next three years.

Alternatives to the vehicle valuation by schwacke

Online there are numerous alternatives to vehicle valuation by schwacke. Also a value appraisal by the TuV or DEKRA is possible. In the following you will find three alternatives listed:

Car valuation onlinemany portals offer the service of schwacke free of charge. Here, too, you enter your vehicle data and the residual value is calculated. However, this information is not as reliable as the information in the schwacke list. Not so many different data are evaluated.
The German Automobile Trust (DAT): DAT is a market researcher in the automotive sector. The analysis of the vehicle value is done on the basis of ca. 70.000 purchase and sales values of the dealers are made. It is therefore a statistical evaluation that is not individually tailored to your vehicle. The car valuation by DAT is free of charge.
Have a value appraisal drawn upTuV, DEKRA, ADAC and also private providers can provide you with an individual valuation for your vehicle. All relevant data for the vehicle are analyzed and evaluated. The appraisal can be made at a branch of the provider or at the vehicle location. The price varies between 125-200 euro per appraisal.

Determining the value of a car through the schwacke-list can be an important support to define your price expectations. However, always to decide in each individual case, which method of valuation do you choose?. All mentioned variants offer advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the day, it all depends on the expected residual value of your car.

4 thoughts on " the schwacke list – dealer’s guide to vehicle prices "

I would like to buy a used car, but I do not have
idea of what the many offers are worth.
Can you buy a list to look it up?
Of course I pay for it.

Hello rudi,
the schwacke list contains information on the values of used cars. However, this is only available to entrepreneurs. Alternatively, you will find many suppliers online who will provide a used car evaluation. Keep in mind, however, that some of these offers come at a cost.

Leasing is a modern and contemporary method of financing a vehicle, which has enjoyed increasing popularity for years. True to the motto "use instead of buy" the aspect of use is in the foreground–äsimilar to what you know from netflix and other subscription and rental models. leasing offers from traditional dealers are often not transparent and can only be compared with a lot of effort on your part. This is where the digital solution from VEHICULUM comes into play. We find the best and cheapest leasing offers from all over germany for you and present them well comparable and completely transparent– and that for all major brands and models. This is how leasing becomes child’s play. But how does thatüwork at all??

How does car leasing work??

Leasing worksäsimilarly to renting, but with some differences. With car leasingüberlässt a lessor, also leasing company or leasing bank called, a person or a company, the lessee, a vehicle für a limited period for use. The lessee or the lessee company pays a pre-determined, constant amount: the leasing rate. This monthly rate compensates for the loss in value of the car during the contract period.

The vehicle remains in the possession of the leasing company. As a lessee, you benefit from the advantages of the "use instead of own" principle. The leasing period is usually between twenty-five and forty-eight months. Buying a car is not usually the aim of car leasing, but it is possible depending on how the contract is structured. At the end of the term, the lessee returns the vehicle and can lease a new car. For the resale kümmert the leasing company.

Leasing– differences to financing

Since leasing– unlike car financing– does not involve a purchase at the end of the term, the monthly installments are often cheaper than with financing. Plus, you donüt have to worry about a resale, which can come at a high loss if you finance it. Also expensive maintenance and repair costs, which occur withäolder cars after a certain period of time, are much less of a concern for you with leasing due to the limited terms. At VEHICULUM you can always lease the latest state of the art new cars from the manufacturers. You donüt have to make a long-term commitment to a vehicle, as you would with financing. This is particularly worthwhile in view of the volatile development in the field of electromobilityät.

Why you should lease digitally and online

If you want to lease a car, you should definitely compare leasing offers first. The prices depend on the car dealer, the leasing company and the manufacturer itself. Other factors such as interest rates, regional offers, premiums or subsidies also have a major influence on the leasing rate. Different equipment options, discounts on certain model series and optional extras are also included in the leasing rate.

That’s why there’s not only an almost infinite number of leasing offers– there are also major price differences. Even for a single model, the price difference between leasing offers can amount to several thousand euros over the entire leasing period. The hunt for the most suitable and cheapest offer quickly becomes a search for the famous needle in the haystack.

For this you have to invest a lot of time, visit a number of dealers and compare countless offers. And even then, the composition of the leasing rates remains mostly intransparent. It is even more difficult to assess whether a leasing offer is a good one. This is only possible if you visit all car dealers in your area and compare the prices manually. But what if the best price can be found at a dealer on the other side of the country?? You will never know.

Digital new car leasing with VEHICULUM

Finding the best leasing rate available on the market for a car is almost impossible. The traditional path to a leased vehicle is therefore not only complex, time-consuming and ineffective– it also usually does not lead to the best possible leasing agreement. VEHICULUM makes leasing simple and transparent. Thanks to the digitalization of the entire process up to the leasing request, you will receive an attractive offer in just a few seconds and your individual leasing request in just a few minutes.
We present all rates transparent and easy to compare. With the VEHICULUM price-performance score, you can quickly and easily find the best leasing rates. the leasing offers on our platform come from various large and small dealer groups throughout germany and are updated daily so that we can always show you the most attractive leasing rates. VEHICULUM guarantees that you will find the right leasing offer for your needs.

Wide range of leasing offers

VEHICULUM leasing offers are not limited to a few brands or models. You will find offers for new cars and stock cars of all major brands and you can easily compare the leasing conditions. These include offers for vehicles from German manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Opel, Porsche and VW. Also other european premium brands like alfa romeo, fiat, jaguar, SEAT or volvofind them on our platform. In addition there are big asian brands like KIA, hyundai and mazda. The variety of brands and models is extensive and is constantly being expanded.

Leasing für all– business and private leasing at VEHICULUM

Whether you want to lease a car for private or business purposes– VEHICULUM has the right leasing offer for everyone. Since 2015, we have been specializing in company car leasing for self-employed persons and small and medium-sized companies. Since 2019 VEHICULUM offers also private leasing. The website is clearly divided into a section for private customers and a section for business customers. So you donÜt lose track of what you are looking for.

The easy way to a leased car

The process of requesting a leasing contract with VEHICULUM is fast, uncomplicated and digital. With our leasing calculator, you can find the best offers for the model that suits your personal requirements and your budget. On our page for special leasing offers, you will also find the latest leasing deals at the best conditions. Benefit from short-term discounts and limited special offers from dealers and manufacturers.

You also have the choice between freely configurable and quickly available leasing vehicles. Freely configurable models that you can customize and personalize according to your wishes. the vehicle is then ordered from the manufacturer and produced for you. Quickly available models are already produced new cars that can be picked up directly from the dealer. This has the advantage that the delivery time for these vehicles is only a few weeks.

Once you have found the car you want, you can start your leasing request and complete it in just a few steps. In addition, you can easily and quickly book attractive additional services such as service packages or car insurance. Your leasing request will then be forwarded to a car dealer and processed there. The final leasing rate is displayed transparently and in real time.

Benefit from numerous advantages when leasing with VEHICULUM

With VEHICULUM you save valuable time and money on the way to the leasing contract. You benefit from a nationwide comparison of offers and find numerous models at attractive leasing rates. With our service-oriented service, we accompany you on the way from the comparison of offersüto the first leasing inquiry to the delivery of your leased vehicle. This sets us apart from other providers who merely broker individual offers from dealers and sell their data as leads. enjoy complete price transparency.

On our offer pages and during the leasing inquiry you can see exactly how the leasing rate is made up. A priceächange due to an adjustment of the configuration, the runtime or the mileage is displayed in real time. This way, you can design your leasing contract according to your wishes and do not have to wait for the dealer’s Rück message. You can also compare prices of many different models in just a few minutes. Without digital processes, it would take months to obtain this large number of leasing offers from dealers.

Leasing without down payment at VEHICULUM

With VEHICULUM, all leasing offers are available without a down payment. This offers the advantage that no large one-time payment is necessary to lease a car. Instead, once the leasing contract has been signed, the first leasing installment is not due until the vehicle is delivered. Also a high final rate belongsört so to the past. On request, leasing with down payment is also possible. You can use this, for example, to reduce your monthly leasing rate. The decision whether you want to lease a car with or without a down payment is entirely up to you.

Mileage leasing without residual value risk

You have concerns about car leasing because of the so-called residual value risk? You fear a high payment on the lease return if the car has a higher depreciation than assumed when the contract was signed? This risk fälls away with leasing at VEHICULUM. The reason for this is that we only offer consumer friendly mileage leasing. In your leasing contract, the term and the mileage are specified very concretely. So the costs remain constant and predictable during the leasing period. The residual value risk is borne by the leasing company in the case of mileage leasing, so you do not have to worry about the loss in value of your leased vehicle.