UK drivers taking their car abroad told ‘make quick check in advance’ | Europe | Travel
An insurance firm has shared a checklist for motorists gearing up for a European adventure. With summer approaching, families and holidaymakers are making arrangements for road trips and holidays. Green Flag recommends that anyone intending to drive their vehicle in Europe should complete five checks before setting off.
Offering guidance to drivers online, Green Flag said: “It’s worth taking a few minutes to make sure everything is properly arranged before you head off on your European travels. A quick check, a few weeks before you go, means you’ll have time to address anything that’s not already in place. Take a few minutes and check:
- Whether any existing breakdown cover includes European travel
- Which countries are covered under the policy
- You have your vehicle insurance documents
- Your driving licence and passport are valid
- Any local driving requirements, such as safety equipment rules and items you’re expected to have in your car.”
Green Flag said insurance could help drivers if their car develops a fault or breaks down during a trip outside of the UK but within Europe. If drivers don’t take out insurance and then experience difficulties, it could prove costly.
Green Flag explained: “If you don’t have European breakdown cover and your car develops an issue while travelling abroad, you’d need to call up a breakdown and rescue service that operates in the country you’re in.
“This usually means contacting a local recovery operator and paying for roadside help and towing directly. Costs vary depending on the country, time of day and distance involved.
“In many cases, payment is required upfront, and getting English-speaking help may be difficult depending on where you are.” Green Flag added that you might also need to arrange accommodation and pay the costs to return your car to the UK if it can’t be repaired locally.
However, not everyone will want to take out additional breakdown cover, reports the Mirror. The advice said: “Whether it’s worth getting breakdown cover for your trip to Europe depends on how much of a risk you consider breaking down abroad to be.
“If you’re happy to figure things out should they happen, then maybe European breakdown cover isn’t for you. But if you’d rather set off knowing you’re covered should your car break down, then you’ll probably want to consider getting European breakdown cover.”
Green Flag noted that the level of support can vary between policies, so drivers with cover should still check the details before starting travel. For instance, some cover will include help organising onward travel when needed.
