The Dutch automobile association (ANWB) says it received about 65,000 telephone calls over the last week from drivers in trouble. Around 16,000 calls came from people experiencing difficulties with their cars abroad.

The warm weather means many had problems with cooling systems or batteries. Calls for help from abroad came mostly from destinations popular with Dutch tourists such as Germany, France and Austria. ANWB branches in Barcelona, Athens, Lyon and Munich were very busy. The number of calls from Dutch drivers outside Europe appears to have fallen by 25 percent compared to last year.

Many of the problems can be sorted out over the phone but, for thousands of people, a local garage or hotel has to be arranged. The ANWB warns that the waiting time for help from local garages abroad can be long at this time of year, especially at the weekend.

Waiting too long in the blazing sunshine in the queue to enter major tunnels seems to be a problem for lots of cars. ANWB’s experts say queuing to enter tunnels such as the Tauern in Austria or the St Gotthard in Switzerland can “kill” cars pulling caravans.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide