European Car Cover

[Higgy]

I’ve always taken as read that if you opt for comprehensive car insurance that’s what you get, so was horrified having just changed insurer I though I’d read thru the insurance documents sent after the policy was taken out to find that comprehensive only applies to the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

For Europe it states:

 

Different cover applies in different countries

You also have the minimum cover you need by law to drive in any country within the Green Card Free Circulation Area. This applies as long as your car is registered in the UK and is not abroad for more than

90 days, in any single policy year. However, should you require more than the 90 days you’ll need to

contact us. Any extension of cover will need to be agreed by us and you’ll be required to pay an additional premium. Just go to Your Account.

Please be aware that you will only have the minimum car insurance required by the countries in the Green Card Free Circulation Area which is usually equivalent to third-party only cover. So, you’ll be insured for damage to other people’s cars and property but not your own.

So any European trips the policy only offers third part insurance. There was simply no mention of this reduced cover in all the information prior to buying, and I’m wondering what others experience / knowledge  is. Is this 3^rd party in Europe standard practice for all car policies?

[Jon61]

I'd say that that was fairly standard - in fact almost universal until fairly recently. Nowadays, some motor insurers will include comprehensive cover for a certain period in the price quoted, but they usually make a point of saying so, particularly because it's not standard. And that's only been fairly common in the last 10-15 years anyway.

I don't remember the details on this, but I'm fairly sure that if you go back say 30-40 years, UK motor insurance didn't automatically provide any cover outside the UK, and you always had to pay for an extension ("get a green card"), and in some cases get special documents (eg a bail bond if you were driving in Spain, as the police there tended to impound your car if you were involved in an accident until they'd investigated it). Then something (premumably EU-related) changed and third part cover was automatically included, but usually no more. The reasoning was that driving abroad (unfamiliar road rules, especially driving on the right) meant extra risks that it wasn't fair to spread over everybody's premiums when relatively few people incurred the risk. As it's become more common for Brits to take their cars abroad, some but not all companies have built the cover into their standard policies.

If you intend driving your car abroad , it's worth comparing the costs and terms for doing so when you buy your insurance - it may be OK paying the extra per trip with your current insurer, but you may well find it's better to select one that automatically includes comprehensive cover in the basic premium as it can work out cheaper. But also take note of the way it works which can vary between companies - some say you're covered for x days in a year and don't need to tell them when you go (good for spontaneous last-minute trips), but others want to be informed of dates each time you travel (to tally the days you've used presumably) otherwise you won't be covered even though it's included in your premium.

[Quinten]

1 hour ago, Higgy said:

Is this 3^rd party in Europe standard practice for all car policies?

In my experience, yes.  But it may be because I am always trying to get the cheapest car insurance, which is probably cheap for a reason.

[BrianJ]

Varies by insurer. LV give same as in UK for up to 180 days, so if you pay for comprehensive in UK, you get comprehensive in Europe (specific countries are listed in policy). Lots of people don't bother checking and are blissfully unaware.

[½cwt]

SAGA give 90 days total cover at policy level in any policy year and then basic cover over 90 days, but you have to notify them if going over 90 days.

[Boxer boy]

On 4/9/2023 at 1:50 PM, ½cwt said:

SAGA give 90 days total cover at policy level in any policy year and then basic cover over 90 days, but you have to notify them if going over 90 days.

Spooked by this as we spend 6 /12 abroad in one car or another .Or occasionally take the Ferrari for EU classic tours as well as a piece of pork .Dumping the F car at one of our holiday homes .
 

Our SAGA covers all year , “ unlimited “ full comp for our pork in the EU + others in Europe ( the smaller Indy states ) 

Just checked .

£179 for the box and £430 for a Macca ( diff values btw )

 

Further more there are it seems 3 levels of cover offered on the saga website.

1- Standard

2- Select

3- Plus .

The “ standard “  is the 90 day rule ,the other two “ unlimited cover exactly the same full comp level as if in U.K.  This applies to “ SAGA “ “select and plus “

I did not see anything about only 3 P only even for the std / basic , just time a limit of 90 days in a policy yr. 

[½cwt]

I'm sure it said after 90 days you get the minimum legal cover relative to each country.  However all insurers will give you more for a higher price.  Just don't expect unlimited pan European cover without checking that is what you are buying.

[Menoporsche]

And check if they only offer to fix the car locally or fully bring it home. We had someone stung by (something like) that, it made a cheap trip very expensive. 

[Araf]

On 4/7/2023 at 2:07 PM, Higgy said:

I’ve always taken as read that if you opt for comprehensive car insurance that’s what you get, so was horrified having just changed insurer I though I’d read thru the insurance documents sent after the policy was taken out to find that comprehensive only applies to the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

For Europe it states:

 

Different cover applies in different countries

You also have the minimum cover you need by law to drive in any country within the Green Card Free Circulation Area. This applies as long as your car is registered in the UK and is not abroad for more than

90 days, in any single policy year. However, should you require more than the 90 days you’ll need to

contact us. Any extension of cover will need to be agreed by us and you’ll be required to pay an additional premium. Just go to Your Account.

Please be aware that you will only have the minimum car insurance required by the countries in the Green Card Free Circulation Area which is usually equivalent to third-party only cover. So, you’ll be insured for damage to other people’s cars and property but not your own.

So any European trips the policy only offers third part insurance. There was simply no mention of this reduced cover in all the information prior to buying, and I’m wondering what others experience / knowledge  is. Is this 3^rd party in Europe standard practice for all car policies?

I think that's always been the case, which is why I've always told my insurance company when I'm going and for how long, so they can upgrade the continental cover to fully comp. while I'm away.