When you buy a car very often the place where you buy it may offer you what seems like a good deal on breakdown cover. You should read all the small print and find out just what breakdown cover actually means as some policies provide more cover than others. Even if you are happy with the breakdown cover that you have you could still find that you are in trouble if you plan on travelling abroad. In the United States breakdown cover is usually on home soil and you would need either a totally separate policy or find yourself an insurer who is happy to provide you with international auto insurance.

In the UK, breakdown cover can vary enormously from one provider to another. Some policies include limited European breakdown cover and if you need full coverage then you might want to up your premium payments. There are a number of UK insurance companies, (you should be able to get a list from the consumer council or do some research online to find out which) that refuse to give drivers European breakdown cover. It is really important that you check your position with whoever is providing your breakdown cover if you plan to do any driving in Europe.

At the other end of the spectrum you may be lucky enough to have a breakdown policy that includes cover in Europe. Generally speaking such cover would normally include call out, removal of vehicle and return to Europe. Your policy should also cover transport back to your accommodation and even paid for overnight accommodation if you are a long way from your rented apartment or hotel and it’s late at night. The moral is that if you plan on driving anywhere other than the US or the UK you should check your insurance and your breakdown cover before you travel.