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Hi Philip,

Petrol is better for shorter trips, period. Apart from the extra cost of buying a diesel car (which as you correctly point out, narrows a bit with some models), there's the question of maintenance - doing short hops is just bad for a diesel engine as it won't warm through properly and you could develop problems with the particulate filter and other engine components.

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Hi Rob,

No, it sounds like you're covering all the legal bases there. Highly conscientious in fact. 

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Hi Jennifer,

You could try a Skoda Superb Combi, but I think that many big dogs would overwhelm even that car’s massive boot. Perhaps you need to go down the road of a van-based MPV. Maybe try a Citroen Berlingo or Volkswagen Caddy Life? Seats for the kids and (hopefully) enough space for the dogs, plus their tailgates aren’t too high off the ground so the older dogs shouldn’t have too much trouble getting in and out.

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Hi Mary,

Have you considered a Ford Focus? I’m not sure what the situation is in your area with dealers etc, but a Focus has terrific steering – firmly weighted, direct and full of feedback and feel, and it’s also comfortable and well made (although, as a bad-back sufferer myself I would always suggest as lengthy a test drive as possible to make sure you find the seats a good shape). Quality and reliability are also good, if not quite up to Toyota levels. Your budget should get you into a year-old, maybe 18-month-old model and the 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine should make for an ideal option for you.

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Hi David,

It's difficult to assess such problems from afar, but it certainly sounds like your power steering system has an issue and you really should bring it to good mechanic sooner rather than later to have it looked at and rectified. If the power steering fails while you are driving it could become very heavy, making the car difficult to control.

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Hi Dan,

Right, I'm going to give you a couple of really safe options: Mazda6 or Toyota Avensis. That budget should see you into a 2008 model, and both are roomy, very reliable and pretty good (Toyota) or really good (Mazda) to drive. 

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Hi Marie,

Theoretically, as you're moving house and you've had the car taxed and insured at your previous address there should be only an administrative fee to pay. But I'm guessing it wasn't your name on the logbook while it was in the UK, which may put a spanner in the works (unless you and your dad have the same name of course...). I think your only option is to talk to someone on the Revenue help desk (and they really are very friendly and helpful) and explain your situation. There might be a loophole through which you can slip. 

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Hi Sebastian,

OK, you have a few choices here. I’d say with that mileage you’re on the cusp of needing to buy a diesel to maximise your fuel economy, but your budget is a bit tight for most diesel saloons of that age. So, how about a BMW 318i? It’s petrol but the good news is that it’s quite economical (you should get 40mpg easily enough) and more reliable than the diesel 3 Series. Or you could try a Honda Civic IMA Hybrid saloon. There are quite a few of those around in your price range and if most of your miles are done in town, it would be ideal.

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Hi Martin,

Sounds like a lovely trip you have planned. First thing I suggest is check out the AA website and have a look at the items you are required to have in your car for each country. If you have a satnav system capable of displaying speed camera locations, then you must at least disable camera alerts.

Paris and Milan have low emission zones and road charging schemes in place and these apply to foreign registered vehicles too. So make sure you know your car's emissions rating and if you have to register your car to pay a congestion charge. All this info can be found on www.UrbanAccessRegulations.eu. But, to be honest, it is much better to park and ride into the big cities as parking can be a hard to find and the parking rules and regulations difficult to interpret, and we won't even mention the cost.

Also, you will have to pay toll charges in France and Italy, and you can usually pay for these with a credit card or sometimes cash, but not all tolls accept cash. Check out the tolls in France on the ASFA website and the Italian tolls on autostrade.it. Tolls are also charged in Switzerland, but you buy a sticker at the border that costs 40 Swiss Francs. Yes, Francs! Make sure you have Swiss Francs as they don't take Euros.

Apart from that, remember to always give way to the right and try to adapt your driving style to that of the locals, as scary as that may seem, especially if you drive in Paris!

Get satnav and make sure the maps are up to date and also buy a good road map. It is a great backup, especially if something happens to the satnav.

Also, try get off the motorways and drive on smaller, more scenic roads. There are some terrific driving routes in France, Italy and Switzerland. Make sure you find them and enjoy them and take lots of breaks to take photos and enjoy the surrounds. Bon voyage.

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Hi Karina,

You are, if I may say, a smart cookie. Yes, the Insignia is decently solid and pretty reliable, but the fact is that they do get issues with their electrics and, as we all know, ain’t nothing more reliable than a Toyota. Well, almost – have a good look at the Mazda6 estate too, as it's handsome, really good to drive and hugely reliable. A good foil to the Toyota.