European car insurance

With many people in uncertain financial situations, the family holiday struggles to hold its place in the list of yearly priorities. While the holiday itself may remain on the list, holiday goers are now searching for any and every way of cutting the trip’s cost to ensure that the family still gets to go away together every year. One of the best cheap holidays can be had by choosing to drive instead of fly to your destination.

Driving may take longer than flying, but by choosing the right route and the right destination, the trip itself can become part of the trip. Whether it’s a scenic drive through the south of France or a cultural tour of The Netherlands, all you need is European car insurance and then you can pack up the car and off you go. Here is a look at what European car insurance is, what it means and how you can get it.

What is it?

European car insurance means that you can legally drive your car on the continent for a certain number of days which will be specified by each provider.

Do you need it?

Many UK insurance companies include European driving as standard on their policies but you should not only make sure whether your company offers this at all, but also what sort of cover is provided. Most companies will only offer the most basic form of insurance, typically third party only and therefore will not cover your own car at all. Given most European countries drive on the opposite side and the fact that as many as one in 10 drivers incur some sort of damage while driving on the continent, obtaining a more comprehensive policy is much more advisable.

What will it cover?

Although you should always check the terms, a good comprehensive policy for European travel should provide you with the same peace of mind and benefits as driving in the UK would. However, where you are travelling is more likely to be an issue as many policies will be limited to countries within the European Union.

Breakdown cover is also another uncertain area as even though your domestic policy may include a 24-hour recovery service, it is unlikely that your European car insurance does. It is definitely worth purchasing this as an optional extra as getting stranded on a foreign roadside will be enough to ruin anyone’s holiday.

How to get the cover

As with all insurance policies, research, comparison and consideration is always the best way of finding the best deal: research your options, compare different companies and consider what you are getting for your money. By going online and using car insurance comparison sites, you can quickly narrow down your criteria to the features you want or need and then filter out any companies that cannot provide you with these. Make sure you consider as many quotes as possible and that you are covered for every eventuality, with the proper research and time spent, it can be easy to secure not only the right cover, but a great discount as well.