Driving van down to Europe

You can get an MOT at any time, if it's not within a month of it expiring then it just lasts for 12 months from the date it passes, not when the current one expires.

For insurance - most policies only cover 90 days abroad I think so you'd need one with longer European cover.

For insurance – most policies only cover 90 days abroad

Which is enough since Brexit, as you're only allowed 6 month's per year as a tourist, which has to be taken in 2 blocks separated by 3 months.

Unless you've got dual nationality or something.

Got residency in Spain, so will spend most of the time down there.

Should I get an MOT'd before I go then?

Got residency in Spain

Nice!

MOT before you go sounds sensible to me. For the other stuff, there's a site for comparing ferry prices, A Ferry I think it's called, but check the tunnel price too. Driving abroad is no harder than the UK once you get into the swing of being on the other side of the road. If you're going a long way, might be worth getting a payment tag for the French toll motorways.

Driving abroad is no harder than the UK once you get into the swing of being on the other side of the road. If you’re going a long way, might be worth getting a payment tag for the French toll motorways.

I'd suggest driving on the continent (my experience is limited to driving to Switzerland via France few weeks ago!) is a whole lot nicer than driving over here! Apart from a bit of traffic round Colmar on the way back it was a breeze. Coming back up the M25 and the Dartford tunnel on the other hand...

I'd heard tales of hour long ques at the peages but in reality, even at peak holiday time, it was no bother at all. And those with tags still had to stop at the barriers, not cruise through at 30km/h that I'd been lead to believe was the case. I don't know if motorways other than those we used are diffrent.

If you are resident in Spain you can't use a UK registered vehicle for more than 60 days when first moving there or 30 days if you are already resident there (your case). You have a 60/30 day window to register it but you will probably find that problematic. However as a Spanish resident you can drive a Spanish registered vehicle in the UK. For what you want to do there the obvious solution is to sell you UK vehicle and buy a Spanish one.

Google it.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/index_en.htm

Edit: if you haven't already got a Spanish driving licence you'll need to do a test and get one.

Driving abroad is no harder than the UK once you get into the swing of being on the other side of the road. I

Except that in a RHD van you have really quite a significant blind spot because you can't look over your left shoulder at larger roundabouts or on slip roads or any situation where traffic feeds together rather meets at an old-fashioned T Junction. Certain situations can be a compete leap of faith. As part of your rudimentary camper conversion you'll thank yourself if you take the bulkhead out and put a window behind the passenger seat.

I had a similar problem when I took my van with me to Sweden. Needed to switch driving licenses to a Swedish one as I was fully resident there nd either import the van (many changes, much money for a cheap van) or buy a new one.

Ended up, sadly, scrapping Jimmy and getting a Swedish license.

You just learn to approach junctions at unusual angles and shuffle across the passenger seat to have a look if you haven't got a passenger you trust to look for you. I have never ever taken "a complete leap of faith".

Driving a RHD van in Europe is easier than LHD in the UK. You don't have to contend with the deliberately aggressive brake checking, v-signing, fish tailing, horn blowing foreigner haters in Europe. Driving a foreign van limited to 50mph at 50mph on a national speed limit road is particuarly entertaining. At first I thought there was something wrong with my van but then realised that I was getting first hand experince of how many xenophobic dicks there are on the road.

Driving a RHD van in Europe is easier than LHD in the UK.

Very much this, i've driven over a lot of europe in RHD vans of assorted sizes and cars with trailers etc and had no issues at all. Coming back to the UK in anything LHD has been a pain in the neck in comparison. Just had to try and avoid driving in the rush hours.

I also kept my UK licence for 8 or 9 years when i emigrated, no one cared. Even work were perfectly happy for me to take *extremely* expensive competitor vehicles and prototypes home for the weekend with a (technically) invalid licence. Police weren't interested either.

Thanks to brexit, it's now apparently an issue, and people have been fined.

(converting my RHD car to make it legal in a LHD country cost about 600 quid, two brand new headlights and an extra fog light and an hour of labour, if i'd known how the scrapyard system works here, i could have reduced that by 75%)

Except that in a RHD van you have really quite a significant blind spot because you can’t look over your left shoulder

Plenty of junctions with this probelem in the uk. No need for a leap of faith. Two approaches
1. approach the junction at angle
2. Install a window in rear of van in near side diver door.

#2 is preferable as you mentioned, #1 takes more care but you soon get into the habit and with good mirrors there should be no problem

Thanks to brexit, it’s now apparently an issue, and people have been fined.

Yep most definitely an issue now and as you have a residency according to the N332 (useful Facebook page by Spanish motor police who speak English)the law is

Nationals of the United Kingdom who present a *residency permit older than six months, must obtain a Spanish licence in order to continue driving in Spain, since, to date, no exchange agreement has been issued between the two countries*.

Without a residency they are checking passports so if you have stayed over 6 months it’s fines.

They are in the process of finalising a deal to allow a licence swap but that is not in place so you’d have to take a Spanish driving test.(practical in Spanish ,theory in Spanglish) although how quickly depends on the area and the availability of tests.