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
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.
More British drivers now take their cars with them when they travel to other European countries such as France of Spain. In France your British third party is not enough and the only way that you can be sure that you are covered in case of road accident or breakdown is to go online and find a provider of French insurance. French auto insurers are noted for the fact that their services are varied and cover a wide range of things. French car insurance is progressing and may soon overtake the UK system of car insurance.
In France there is a growing British ex pat community, many of whom drive cars and are constantly on the look out for the best insurance rates for driving in France. If you live in France and you own a car then it is very important that you understand car insurance in France. What we in the UK call third party insurance, the French call Auto Liability Insurance for any damages or injuries that you may cause to another person when you are driving your car
The only problem if you plan to drive your car in France is that your current insurance will probably not cover you for a lot of things in France. Many insurers now say that if you plan on driving in a European country then you should first find out the rules and the limitations of that country’s insurance regulations
The Association of British Insurers say that when British drivers take their car abroad they are more than likely to be underinsured for driving in France. Many people tend to assume that as both France and the UK are members of the European Union that they are covered in other European countries by the same insurance that they have at home.
If you’ve never driven abroad before but plan on taking your car with you to France, then you need to be aware that it is very different to driving in the UK – mad you will need extra insurance cover. Unfortunately Britain is one of the few places where people drive on the left hand side of the road. Throughout Europe, and that includes France, people drive on the right hand side of the road.
If you plan on driving through France and you live in the United Kingdom or other European country then you should check just what insurance cover you have. If you only have third party fire and theft then a collision could be a disaster, especially if you are driving a rental car. Most rental car companies do not insure the driver if there is a collision, this means that the other driver’s costs are covered but yours are not. A collision, without the proper insurance, could mean that you have to pay for a replacement car as well as your medical expenses if you are injured.
If you are wondering as to the best way to proceed to insure you car for Europe, there is no need to worry as this can be easily and affordably arranged online or via a specialist provider. The only caveat is to be wary as to the extent of your cover. An insurance policy that is valid in one European country, may not be acceptable in any other EU state you wish to drive through.
If you plan on traveling to Europe this year and driving your own car while you are there then you should have European breakdown cover. Many people think that because they are covered in the event of breakdowns at home, that this will be enough when they are in Europe, but this is not the case. If you think it’s a problem breaking down in your own country just imagine the problems it could cause if your were in Europe and without European breakdown cover.
