European Breakdown Cover: A Serious Consideration

It’s much easier nowadays to take you car to Europe from the UK. We have the channel tunnel or "Chunnel" as some like to call it. We have an abundance of ferries to take us to the French, Belgium, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Irish coastlines that I know of and with competition being so high, prices are more affordable. You only have to see the amount of British number plates throughout Portugal, France and Spain to see the quantity of cars that depart our shores. But what about the car we are driving, will it get you and your family to where you want to go, or are you taking risks like you would back at home?

There are fundamental differences about taking your car to the continent and driving back at home in the UK. First of all is the language barrier, if you breakdown what guarantees do you have that any help will speak English? The makes and models of cars differ form country to country so what is the likelihood of a good spares resource. Knowing where you are and who to ask for breakdown assistance could also be an issue. A final consideration but very serious should you have a major breakdown, how much would it cost you to get you, your family and your car back home should the worst happen?

We are all-familiar with breakdown cover here back in the UK, but anyone visiting Europe and intends to drive this kind of distance should think of European breakdown cover as a serious consideration. Most policies will get you going should you breakdown, will have English speaking operators and in serious situations get you car home saving you thousands of pounds. Of course there is a cost associated with any insurance policy and the decision to buy is usually based on the risk factor, what are the chances of breaking down? The truth is though, that most drivers very rarely undertake long journeys, like from the UK down to Spain and those who do this regularly are the drivers most likely to have already purchased European Breakdown Cover.

It will only take one breakdown within a strange area. Not knowing who to ring and then when you do find someone, the language barriers will not give you confidence of a cheap repair. There are even more serious issues to consider and that is of crime. With reported crimes of cars being pulled over and robbed of its contents within normal situations, how much more vulnerable are you going to be if you are sitting next to a broken down car in a strange European destination. An uncomfortable thought, but a real threat in certain areas of Europe. We Brits travel to Europe and expect to get our English breakfast our normal newspaper and English speaking hotels and restaurants. But this is not the case when it comes to garages and repair options. These will be local mechanics offering a service that they would to the locals in their own time and in their own way.

If you are considering the long drive to Europe, then being prepared with European Breakdown cover, should be something you pack with your passport.

European Breakdown Cover
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