What national recovery adds
With roadside-only cover the provider's obligation ends at the nearest garage. National recovery extends that to a single destination of your choice anywhere in the UK mainland: your home, the garage you trust, or the place you were driving to. The vehicle, the driver and a stated number of passengers (usually up to seven or eight) travel together in the recovery truck.
Some providers add a "relay" element where the car is handed between operators across long distances, which is why the AA still calls the product Relay. Others arrange a single long tow. The outcome for you is the same.
Common conditions
- Recovery is to one destination only. You cannot be dropped at home and the car taken to a garage 50 miles away.
- The vehicle must be legal and roadworthy before the breakdown, and within weight and length limits (often 3.5 tonnes and about 5.5 metres, plus a caravan or trailer limit).
- Recovery usually has to be arranged immediately; you cannot leave the car and ask for recovery two days later.
- Mainland UK only in most wordings. The Channel Islands, Isle of Man and ferry crossings are often excluded or limited.
Onward journey cover
A separate tier, usually called onward travel, pays for a hire car, a night's accommodation or public transport so that your trip can continue while the vehicle is repaired. It is bundled with recovery by some providers and sold separately by others. If you take long journeys with children, or your work depends on arriving, it is worth having; if most of your driving is local it rarely pays for itself.
Is recovery worth the extra?
A single long-distance recovery bought on the day typically costs several hundred pounds; the difference between roadside-only and recovery cover is a fraction of that. If there is any chance you will break down more than an hour from home, recovery is the sensible default. It is also the level most caravan and trailer owners need, because the nearest garage is rarely equipped to deal with a tow.