Driving from UK to France. Which Documents are needed?

If this is your first time driving on "the continent" I suggest you read the AA's info pages, very helpful: https://www.theaa.com/european-breakdown-cover/driving-in-europe

A provisional licence+pass certificate is not valid in other countries, you need a full licence. And, in France and most other countries, unlike the UK, you need your licence with you if stopped by the police. You do not have the option of showing it later at a police station. Not having your licence with you risks is a big risk if stopped by the police.
You also need your other car documents with you (registration, insurance and MOT), as you will not be able to go home for them.

Licence and other documents are not checked at the border (ferry port or Channel Tunnel), only passports are checked.

Thank you for your reply, Chris. That seems like too much if a risk. I guess I'll need to leave the car behind or delay my return to France.

Cheers

What Chris says.

In my experience what you need arriving at Eurotunnel is reservation code, same person who made the reservation, API previous, same credit card as made the reservation, and the same car which is on the reservation.

Ferries, dunno, but probably similar.

On arrival in France you need the original insurance certificate (green card no longer needed), a full UK Driving Licence with counterpart, a GB plate on the car, the French required safety articles including the hi-vis which must be in the passenger compartment, extra lights, triangle, fire extinguisher in boot, alcohol breath testing kit x2 if you want to obey the law, don't bother if not as breath kit enforcement has been not implemented, and a big smile.

As Chris said, you must actually have the documentation with you, no turning up in a week at the police with them. French police fine on the spot and confiscate vehicles.

All very helpful. Thank you very much!

Nigel you do not need to carry insurance paperwork. I have been told that all of the Eu police has access to a data base.

British police have access to the DVLA database which contains the insurance and MOT details for all British registered vehicles. It has never contained details of any vehicles registered in another country (well it didn't last time I conducted a vehicle check which was some time ago since I was last in uniform). As far as I'm aware there is no intra-European database containing such details.

Wonderful, you must have better and newer information than my British insurance company. They are quite clear on my responsibilities and spell it out clearly on the policy documents. They were reissued in February so undoubtedly your information is more current.

I'll still take it though.

If Tay is from Scotland there is an off chance that the insurance that Tay has on the car is British.

I have just reviewed all my insurance cover documents on both of my cars (different insurance companies - both exceedingly British) and neither imposes any restriction on how long the car can be on a foreign journey.

If Tay is from Scotland there is an off chance that the insurance that Tay has on the car is British.

hahahahaha

Also - Nigel, how many times over the past few years have you driven from the UK to the continent for holiday? Quite a few if your past posts serve as a guide, right? I.E. I would bet a million dollars that you're speaking from experience.

Kim,

Most years in the last 20 are usually 4 to 8 visits from UK to Europe, most of which are driving (always tunnel, haven't used a ferry for cross-channel for over a decade, although in the past I've been hovercraft, hydrofoil, jet ferry and conventional), some Eurostar to Paris, Lille or Brussels in both Standard Premier and Standard, and very occasionally fly with EasyJet.

In other words . . .a "bit" of first-hand experience with driving cars from the UK to the continent!!!