Breakdown Guides

European breakdown cover single trip

By Garnet Roach

If you're taking your car abroad, taking out European breakdown cover can save you a lot of time, money and hassle if anything goes wrong. (17/02/10)

Breaking down abroad can be costly; getting your car back to the UK can set you back around £1,000 alone.

European Breakdown Cover single trip

If you only need your car for one trip abroad, then single trip insurance is the most economic way to make sure you're covered. You can get single trip cover for a set number of days, or for a single trip of any length - depending on your policy.

• English speaking assistance
• What’s covered?
• Excess
• Exclusions
• Are you already covered?
• Avoiding breakdowns

English speaking assistance

As well as the financial security of having breakdown cover when you're abroad, it also guarantees that you'll have access to 24-hour, English speaking telephone assistance.

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What’s covered?

The breakdown assistance that you receive will vary depending on the level of cover you choose.

Different providers offer different policies; for example, the AA’s single trip cover offers roadside assistance, emergency repairs or tow to the nearest repairer and up to £2,000 of cover per trip - as well as other benefits such as emergency accommodation if you have to wait for repairs.

On the other hand, while the RAC offers a comprehensive option, it also has a stripped down Basic plan that offers five days’ cover, with roadside assistance or a tow to the nearest garage and help getting you and your vehicle back to the UK - but without any garage repair costs.

Depending on the policy you choose, you might also get alternative transport so that you can complete your journey or get home, a replacement driver if you fall ill or even legal cover.

If you're travelling in a large group, you might have to take out specific group breakdown cover while abroad.

To know exactly what’s covered by your single trip European breakdown cover, you'll need to check the small print and the specific wording of your policy.

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Excess

Excess is the amount that you have to pay towards each claim you make. For example, if you're covered for repairs, have an excess of £150 and your car breaks down, costing £400 to fix, you will have to pay £150 and your breakdown company will pay the remaining £250.

Some breakdown companies offer excess-free cover, so you won’t have to pay anything towards recovery costs, so look into this if you don’t want to have to fork out cash upfront for repairs.

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Exclusions

As well as looking at what’s included in your cover, you also need to think about what’s excluded. Some policies will only provide roadside assistance or tow you to the nearest garage - where you'll have to pay for the repairs yourself.

Others might cover you for local repairs, but only up to a certain amount, such as £150, or cover you for the cost of the work but not any parts that are needed.

On some European motorways and autoroutes, in France for example, the emergency telephone will be answered by the police who will send a local recovery agent to help you. Very few of these local agents have links to UK motoring organisations - so you will have to pay them yourself. Make sure you know whether or not you will be reimbursed for this cost under your breakdown cover.

Make sure you're aware of any exclusions before you set off.

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Are you already covered?

Before you sign up for European breakdown cover, double check that you're not already covered through your car insurance - some policies include as much as 90 days cover in Europe.

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Avoiding breakdowns

Even if you have fully comprehensive European breakdown cover, you'll still want to avoid breaking down, which adds stress and delays to your journey.

Make sure that you’ve given your car a thorough once-over before you set off, checking tyre pressure, oil and water. Plan your route and make sure that you have a good road atlas for the countries you're visiting - even if you're using sat nav.

Always carry your full driving licence and vehicle registration documents when driving abroad.