Car Insurance for European Holidays

It’s that time of year when everybody starts planning for their summer holidays and you might be thinking about taking your family on a European car touring trip in 2012. With the restrictions on the amount of luggage you can take with some of the cheaper airlines now, it can seem better to journey across the water using other methods of transport. In addition, taking your car means that you can make several stops along the way so you can experience more, take your time and plan your itinerary closely.

If you are looking for this type of freedom, make sure you plan early and check that you have the correct type of car insurance.

You may already have car insurance that covers you in the UK and legally this often means that you can take your car to many European destinations including those outside of the EU like Switzerland. Usually only the minimum legal level of cover is offered if this is the case, but the good news is that you don’t necessarily need a green card or International Certificate of Motor Insurance.

Investing in European car insurance can be a worthwhile task, depending upon factors such as how long you are going away for – many providers will only cover a certain number of days during the policy year. Temporary European insurance generally covers between one and 28 days so if you are planning one fairly short trip away during the summer holidays for example, this may prove a good way to save some money.

It is vital to choose your route and the places you wish to visit first as there are several insurers that are only valid for the EU. So whether you want to venture onto the channel tunnel to France or you are going by boat to Holland or Germany, there are numerous factors to consider regarding your vehicle.