Don't, you bought him to drive, not to sit on the drive. Seriously, the first trip, getting everything sorted is the most difficult, after that, you'll never want to go near a busy airport ever again.
Do a couple of small trips away, over the next few weeks to get your confidence up and iron out any glitches
find a big hairy man that knows about Vws and has a selection of handy tools and a decent line in conversation ..
I was stupidly nervous going to France for the first time but it was great. My biggest fear was not being able to start the engine to drive off the car deck. But of course it was absolutely fine and it felt brilliant cruising around with the family. I got a windscreen sticker from Halfords reminding me which way to go round roundabouts which was helpful for those first few miles.
As @Lasty said, a rhd panel van will be a nightmare without a co-pilot. Fine here but we drive on the correct side of the road! Other than that, just some spares and breakdown cover as others have said.
I have a lhd van in the UK so I am always driving on the wrong side of the road! The passenger side wing mirror is essential and is impossible to adjust while moving. I find the blind spot mirror very useful, nevertheless there are still bits of the road you can't see. Also distances can be hard to judge. The wing mirror can go out of alignment whenever you slam the door, so always check it before moving off. I try to align it so that I can just see my van. Indicate well before making a maneuver to let others take evasive action. Scariest thing for a while that has happened to me was getting a puncture on the motorway and Motorway Maintenance folk slingshoting me back into a slot between lorries I wouldn't have attempted! Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Make sure you can wind down the passenger window and jump across to pay tolls. Quite a few take credit cards so less need for Euros. Or take the backroads. Slower no tolls more junctions but usually more relaxed. Get a satnav with euro maps and live traffic info. I use Sygic on Android because it still works offline (losing traffic updates but still gets you there)
Fair enough, I thought you had windows for some reason! Not being able to see over your shoulder through the rear windows must make some junctions a pita.
A pair of these are useful, not just when abroad https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circular-M...3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1558361738&sr=1-23 Also, check that your phone contract lets you use your minutes and data abroad (especially if using it for SatNav)
A good tip is when you first get off the ferry try and follow the car in front around roundabouts and junctions just to get the `feel` of how it all works....Obviously not the same car but you`ll get the idea . Just relax and take your time - if you don`t overthink things it`ll become 2nd nature , to the point of getting off the ferry at this side and the first roundabout twists my melon ...... man
There was a website that listed all friendly dub garages and folk that could help out all over the UK and Europe, someone on here might remember it.The roads are good, the motorway stops are way better than ours you will have a ball.
I'm really quite worried about the fact I'm not going with anyone now. I've bought some blind spot mirrors & will attach when they arrive. Is it so bad I need to have some windows cut in?! Like @F_Pantos said, I really didn't buy him for a driveway ornament. But if it's going to be a nightmare to drive abroad, what have I done?!!! I'm depressed now.
It would be awesome to see that. I want a service/once over. I'll have a Google & see if I can find it.
It’s really not that bad. You are worrying over nothing. In a previous life I worked for an exhibition company, which involved driving transit vans all through Europe, and I used to fish a lot in France and always used my work van. It’s absolutely fine, you just need to concentrate a bit more at junctions. But you have a major advantage, everyone loves an old vw, so you’ll get cut loads of slack.
Can I ask why you’d actually choose to have work done in a foreign country, if they screw something up then it’s not like you can take it back is it? Plus I’m assuming perhaps wrongly you won’t be fluent? Edit I’ve just reread your post, you mean a once over of the van, not once over the channel. Lol. I think I might need my specs looking at.