992 C4GTS Euro Trip essentials: UPDATE!

[911dbx]

Hi All

Planning a 2wk Euro (ferry to Spain - tour some of Northern Spain then into France and home via the tunnel) trip later this year for around 10-12 days. Just getting the list of things i need and need to carry just in case.

I already have:
- toll tags for Spain and France
- air quality certificates
- uk stickers
- high vis jackets , triangles etc (spare bulb kit no longer needed i think)
- torches etc
- spare washer fluid bottle (Porsche stuff is good as bottle is small)
- Michelin maps
- proof of insurance
- V5
- driving licence

Planning to add
- spare litre of oil
- plug tyre kit x 2 (recommendations welcome)
- small air compressor (recommendations welcome)
- couple bottles of of spare emergency slime (recommendations welcome)
- spare coolant??

Dilemma items

Car has the centre locking wheel nuts. Looked at the options to carry torque multiplier, torque wrench, paste but then think will also need a breaker bar and jack (Is that correct?). Just wondering if this is overkill or practical?

I’m hoping i don’t need them but wondering if the easiest answer is Porsche recovery and let an approved centre sort it out. Wheel removal at the side of the road is pointless but just in case nearby garages don’t have the required equipment??

Appreciate others views and experiences on most pragmatic options, oh and any other useful things i should add top the list !
thanks

 

[TonyJW]

We went To France in June (see photo in the 992 gallery of the Carmine Red C2S under what looks like, but wasn’t, stormy skies in the Champagne region) and are off again tomorrow, this time to Germany. Your list looks comprehensive. I would add a copy of the European Accident report form, a note of speed restrictions e.g. France varies depending on whether it is raining or not and am sure you have it, but a fire extinguisher. For the tyres I have a Safety Seal tubeless tyre repair kit. Whatever you choose I recommend trying it out on an old tyre. I did and was surprised at how much force was required to push the rope seal into the tyre.

 

[GrahamW]

Credit card?

 

[911dbx]

Credit card?

 

[911dbx]

We went To France in June (see photo in the 992 gallery of the Carmine Red C2S under what looks like, but wasn’t, stormy skies in the Champagne region) and are off again tomorrow, this time to Germany. Your list looks comprehensive. I would add a copy of the European Accident report form, a note of speed restrictions e.g. France varies depending on whether it is raining or not and am sure you have it, but a fire extinguisher. For the tyres I have a Safety Seal tubeless tyre repair kit. Whatever you choose I recommend trying it out on an old tyre. I did and was surprised at how much force was required to push the rope seal into the tyre.

Thanks for the response (i was originally hoping to do France and Germany but I’m not travelling until late Oct so got worried about the weather prospects in Germany).
Hope you have a grea trip.

 

[FHW233D]

Thank you for posting this 911dbx!
It is very timely since we are taking our Cayman over to Santander in a couple of weeks to Northern Spain for 10 days. Your list looks very comprehensive, only thing I can’t see on it is headlight converters? Also I am assuming the air quality is only needed for France.

On air compressor, this is what I got about 18 months ago (a Bonaire TC12CUK off Amazon for IIRC about £40-50) and it works very well. It needs to be plugged into the lighter socket in the centre not the passenger footwell because it will blow the fuse.


The dimensions in the carry bag are 25x23x15 centimetres. On the Cayman it fits very easily in the front boot in the space where a CD player would go. I also have the bottle of tyre sealant in there and there is still space for a few other bits.

 

[911dbx]

Thank you for posting this 911dbx!
It is very timely since we are taking our Cayman over to Santander in a couple of weeks to Northern Spain for 10 days. Your list looks very comprehensive, only thing I can’t see on it is headlight converters? Also I am assuming the air quality is only needed for France.

On air compressor, this is what I got about 18 months ago (a Bonaire TC12CUK off Amazon for IIRC about £40-50) and it works very well. It needs to be plugged into the lighter socket in the centre not the passenger footwell because it will blow the fuse.
View attachment 2322

The dimensions in the carry bag are 25x23x15 centimetres. On the Cayman it fits very easily in the front boot in the space where a CD player would go. I also have the bottle of tyre sealant in there and there is still space for a few other bits.

Thanks for this (I don’t think the 992 has a centre lighter socket?) so not sure if it will work Without blowing a fuse?

On the list, Yes, France only needs the air certificates (in Spain, I think it’s only Spanish cars that need one).

On the lights, i had the matrix led headlights and think i can invert them from the menu? At least I think that’s what invert on the menu means! (You can also change the speedo to read kph from mph).

Enjoy the trip - what route are you taking?!

 

[TonyJW]

When we went in June our headlights on the 992 changed automatically on disembarking. Then every time we started the car there was a message to say the headlights had been changed! Did need to convert speedo to km/hr though. As for compressor I am relying on the one supplied. In my earlier message I also meant to include the automatic tag for French (and Spanish) autoroutes. If you plan to use the tolled motorways it makes life much easier.

 

[malarcy]

Take your spare key with you.

 

[911dbx]

When we went in June our headlights on the 992 changed automatically on disembarking. Then every time we started the car there was a message to say the headlights had been changed! Did need to convert speedo to km/hr though. As for compressor I am relying on the one supplied. In my earlier message I also meant to include the automatic tag for French (and Spanish) autoroutes. If you plan to use the tolled motorways it makes life much easier.

Thanks - good to know on the lights.

Tags have already arrived!

 

[911dbx]

Take your spare key with you.

Good shout!

 

[FHW233D]

Enjoy the trip - what route are you taking?!

Thank you. At the moment it is just to/from the ferry port with the first two nights in a Parador that my BIL stayed at last year (they are bringing their car with us on the trip - German but not a Porsche). Parador is inland in one of the wine regions he knows. After that we will see depending on the weather. Possibly San Sebastian going east or into the Picos de Europa mountains going west (where we went with our children 20something years ago). It will be an unusual holiday for us, since we usually have everything planned out and hotels booked in advance. We’ll see how well it works!

 

[FHW233D]

PS Forgot to ask, who are you using for breakdown insurance?

 

[911dbx]

PS Forgot to ask, who are you using for breakdown insurance?

So i am relying on Porsche Assist (car is 6mnths old). Is that a bad idea?

 

[911dbx]

Thank you. At the moment it is just to/from the ferry port with the first two nights in a Parador that my BIL stayed at last year (they are bringing their car with us on the trip - German but not a Porsche). Parador is inland in one of the wine regions he knows. After that we will see depending on the weather. Possibly San Sebastian going east or into the Picos de Europa mountains going west (where we went with our children 20something years ago). It will be an unusual holiday for us, since we usually have everything planned out and hotels booked in advance. We’ll see how well it works!

I will have a look at those places!
I was planning Plymouth to Santander, over to Ribadesella down the N625 via Boca across to Le Rioja (haven’t decided exactly where in Rioja) and then up to San Sebastián and then onto Bordeaux and the either NW France or across to Reims and the tunnel home. Hoping for 10-12 days.

 

[malarcy]

So i am relying on Porsche Assist (car is 6mnths old). Is that a bad idea?

I have used Porsche assist in the uk. Fronted by the AA here Got brilliant service.

Have a friend who used it in France, again was happy with the result (he had a flat tyre. Porsche assist found somewhere 15 mins from where he was with both the tyre and the required centre lock stuff ) and he was sorted in less than an hour.

Based on that I would say “all good”’

 

[911dbx]

I have used Porsche assist in the uk. Fronted by the AA here Got brilliant service.

Have a friend who used it in France, again was happy with the result (he had a flat tyre. Porsche assist found somewhere 15 mins from where he was with both the tyre and the required centre lock stuff ) and he was sorted in less than an hour.

Based on that I would say “all good”’

Good to hear - the GTS has the centre locking wheel nuts so hopefully Porsche can deal with it should the worse happen.

I have used AA in the past and taken the parts and labour option as if it’s not under warranty it can help with the bills for repair.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

I also carry a replacement battery for the tracker fob/key, a lesson learnt when the key battery went on the blink in the high Pyrenees last year! (Without the usual low battery warning on the PCM).

 

[911dbx]

Does anyone know if plugging the compressor into the 12v socket in the footwell still blows the fuse? (Have bought some spare fuses now too lol)

 

[FHW233D]

I also carry a replacement battery for the tracker fob/key, a lesson learnt when the key battery went on the blink in the high Pyrenees last year! (Without the usual low battery warning on the PCM).

Good idea. We always carry both keys on a long journey, but this time I will add spare batteries too. Belt and braces and all that!