Many Britons drive through Europe thinking that the breakdown cover that they have at home will suffice while they are driving through Italy, but this is not the case. Unless you have European breakdown cover then recovery charges can really set you back, especially if the breakdown vehicle has to drive a long way to get you. Sometimes cars break down totally and have to be shipped home, which could cost you hundreds of pounds.

Long before you set off on your holiday you should make sure that you are properly insured to drive through a number of European countries. Your insurance provider will probably tell you that any existing breakdown cover that you have will not be applicable in Italy.

You will feel much happier about driving abroad if you have fully comprehensive insurance. Whether you are driving through the cities or trying your best to get up one of the narrow mountain roads without going over the edge, you’ll feel more confident if you know that you are fully covered

Some car rental agencies will provide drivers with full cover insurance when they are driving through Italy but you should read the rental agreement’s small print before you sign. Rental agencies sometimes provide third party fire and theft insurance only. If you do happen to have a mishap and don’t have full comp insurance then you could find that the insurance will only pay for damage to the other car and the other driver’s medical expenses.

One thing that you really do need to check up on before heading off to the continent is whether you have adequate insurance cover. There is nothing worse than to accidentally bump the back of another vehicle and then find that you are only covered for damage to the other person’s vehicle and not to your own.