If you are taking your car across the English Channel or underneath it for that matter via Eurotunnel you will need to make sure that your car insurance covers you for any untoward events such as an accident, fire or theft. If you are going to fly overseas and hire a car then you will need to sort out separate car insurance as yours will not cover you. So let’s focus on car insurance if you are taking your own car abroad.
Make sure you have adequate car insurance if you are driving in France
You will need to speak to your existing car insurance provider to find out what your existing insurance covers you for and also read the policy details to confirm what you have been told. Most people prefer to arrange cover for travelling in Europe that is comparable with the cover that they have in the UK.
If not automatically included which it often is for a short period, usually, you can either extend your existing car insurance to cover you for driving your own vehicle in Europe or take out separate European car insurance. If it is your intention to be away for a short period of time – say one to two weeks, it is often more cost effective just to extend the cover on your existing policy as, depending on the type of cover you have and want, you may not even need to pay an extra premium.
Another thing that you may wish to consider is European breakdown cover as you do not want to break down abroad and have no means to get yourself back to the UK. Again, there are a number of options to explore. For instance, you may already have breakdown cover included in your car insurance policy that may be able to be extended to cover you whilst travelling overseas. Alternatively, you could buy the cover through a third party.
The important thing is to be prepared and make sure that cover is sorted out well in advance of making your trip.
