European Vehicle Rescue Services

[mariesnowgoose]

Just started looking into vehicle rescue cover for my trip to Eire in April.

We've currently got Green Flag (MayDay) cover just for the UK (have had for 9 years, used twice, brilliant both times).

However, I cancelled C&MC membership a while back as we just never used it.

Looks like I may have to rejoin (I really don't want to if I can avoid!) as I think their cover for Europe is via Red Pennant and you need to be a club member to be eligible for this EU rescue service?

Any advice or recommendations on EU vehicle rescue options from the well-travelled amongst you would be very welcome right now!

 

[Jo001]

We have the Nationwide Flex Plus account. There's a monthly fee of £18 (so £216 per year) but that gives breakdown cover for any vehicle we are in, travel insurance for both of us, and a few other things like phone insurance.

IIRC the Co-op does something similar.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

We have the Nationwide Flex Plus account. There's a monthly fee of £18 (so £216 per year) but that gives breakdown cover for any vehicle we are in, travel insurance for both of us, and a few other things like phone insurance.

IIRC the Co-op does something similar.

Sounds good - have you ever needed to use their service "in anger"?

Green Flag were brilliant the two times we needed to use them (obviously just in the UK).

For me it's not all about the price you pay, it's how they actually respond when you really need them that's just as important, if not more so.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Reading a bit more about Red Pennant, looks like they only cover trips to Europe that are no longer than 30 days at a time

 

[saxonborg]

I’ve used my Flexplus Breakdown service a couple of times both at home and abroad with no complaints, you also get travel insurance depending on your age.

 

[trevskoda]

Aib cover me anywhere,£90 12 mths.

 

[colinm]

Check if your insurance company will offer breakdown as an add-on.

 

[winks]

I have used the holiday insurance from Nationwide when an injury on the morning we were due to depart sent me to the hospital instead of the e airport. Very straightforward. Only used the breakdown cover at home when the handbrake wouldn’t release. AA turned out for that in forty minutes or so.

Bit steep that £18/ month mind. Used to be £13 but they changed their insurance supplier and our wrinkly supplements for worldwide, multi trip were only £60 for the two of us.

Cheers

H

 

[r4dent]

We've currently got Green Flag (MayDay) cover just for the UK (have had for 9 years, used twice, brilliant both times).

However, I cancelled C&MC membership a while back as we just never used it.

We've got the Camping & Caravan Club / RAC equivalent (Arrival) including EU.

We'e used them a couple of times in EU when we had a problem with our towed motorbike,
The first time was for a puncture and they picked the bike and us up and took us to a garage that fixed it,

The second time the bike just ceased to work !
They collected the bike and took it to a garage.
Then they phoned and offered to put us in a hotel but I explained we had the motorhome and didn't need one. They said we were entitled to a hotel and meals but offered to pay the site fees instead.
Then they offered us a hire car, which we accepted.
They arranged and paid for a taxi to take us to collect the car, and when the bike was fixed arranged and paid for a taxi from the hire car depot to the bike garage.

 

[alcam]

Sounds good - have you ever needed to use their service "in anger"?

Green Flag were brilliant the two times we needed to use them (obviously just in the UK).

For me it's not all about the price you pay, it's how they actually respond when you really need them that's just as important, if not more so.

Very true . I have a co-op bank account which costs £15 p.m. This provides me with health insurance at a very reasonable price . Did contact them once after having a wee funny turn [feel free] .
Ultimately all was ok but getting me , van and dog home was going to be taken care of .
Proof of the pudding etc but was impressed how they dealt with my problem

 

[TJBi]

You sound very pleased with the service from Green Flag, so any reason for not using them? https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/european

 

[mariesnowgoose]

You sound very pleased with the service from Green Flag, so any reason for not using them? https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/european

@Tezza33 has just replied over on Motorhomer - seems Green Flag don't offer EU recovery for vehicles over 16 years old? Ours is 2003

Pleased I've found that out - I looked at their online EU recovery application forms and it seem to accept all my details (I didn't go as far as completing and paying). I was going to wait until nearer my travel dates and take out a new and separate recovery with them. If Terry is correct, this vehicle age restriction would rule them out. Wish the guy I spoke to this morning had explained all of that - or maybe he just didn't know about the vehicle age restrictions?! I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

Everything is like walking through treacle these days.

 

[barge1914]

I’ve used my Flexplus Breakdown service a couple of times both at home and abroad with no complaints, you also get travel insurance depending on your age.

We’ve used them a few times, service on call outs has been very good, both abroad and UK. They use AA in UK now. But we’re also good in Croatia and Italy. They always keep in touch to make sure everything is going ok

 

[colinm]

We've got the Camping & Caravan Club / RAC equivalent (Arrival) including EU.

We'e used them a couple of times in EU when we had a problem with our towed motorbike,
The first time was for a puncture and they picked the bike and us up and took us to a garage that fixed it,

The second time the bike just ceased to work !
They collected the bike and took it to a garage.
Then they phoned and offered to put us in a hotel but I explained we had the motorhome and didn't need one. They said we were entitled to a hotel and meals but offered to pay the site fees instead.
Then they offered us a hire car, which we accepted.
They arranged and paid for a taxi to take us to collect the car, and when the bike was fixed arranged and paid for a taxi from the hire car depot to the bike garage.

Had something similar after the 'attack of the killer mouse', they couldn't understand that we were perfectly happy in the yard at back of garage, kept phoning and asking if we wanted to go to a hotel, but that was over 10 years ago, RAC UK doesn't get high ratings now, not sure about overseas.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Had something similar after the 'attack of the killer mouse', they couldn't understand that we were perfectly happy in the yard at back of garage, kept phoning and asking if we wanted to go to a hotel, but that was over 10 years ago, RAC UK doesn't get high ratings now, not sure about overseas.

I'm sure I've briefly read some recent horror stories about vehicle recovery from Europe, may have been RAC(?), not sure where I saw them - could have been here, or motorhomer, or *rsebook social meedja? Finding them again - at least on *rsebook! - would be like looking for a needle in a haystack!!!

 

[Jo001]

have you ever needed to use their service "in anger"

I see others have replied, but we almost had to use them. It's a bit of a story ...

We hadn't had the van long, and we were in Peniscola over Christmas and heading to a new place for New Year. We left Peniscola and stopped at the supermarket before hitting the motorway. But as we left the supermarket, the van wouldn't go over 20 mph. Obviously we couldn't do that on the motorway so we limped back to Peniscola and were fortunate to be able to get back on to the site we had just left. I contacted Nationwide who were very helpful, but said they couldn't get anyone out for several days because it was almost the weekend, then New Years etc. Perfectly reasonable and we weren't stressing because we had everything we needed.

The next day, we got up and Mr 001 said "I've been thinking about this". That's always a worrying statement. He went on, "What does that button do?"

I said, "that's the speed limiter, it's like cruise control but instead of maintaining a steady speed, it stops you from going over one - oh, for goodness sake, you haven't touched it have you?" There may have been a few other words in there too ...

He took the van for a quick run round the block, then called Nationwide to tell them he'd 'fixed' the problem.

 

[RichardHelen262]

I was with green flag for over 15 years and only needed their services once when I broke down on a German Autobahn,
After many phone calls and people not getting back to me after 18 hours I ended up having to sort out and pay for my own recovery back home.
Then unbelievably when I didn’t renew they had the cheek to phone me up asking why I hadn’t renewed, at that point the air turned blue

 

[jann]

Reading a bit more about Red Pennant, looks like they only cover trips to Europe that are no longer than 30 days at a time

We had red pennant cover for 66 days last year.
We have had to use it several years ago, very efficient, they paid everything for us.

 

[RoaminRog]

We still use CCC/ RAC Arrival.
Possibly not the cheapest, but very good service and happy in the knowledge that they will sort out whatever the problem is.

 

[TJBi]

@Tezza33 has just replied over on Motorhomer - seems Green Flag don't offer EU recovery for vehicles over 16 years old? Ours is 2003

Pleased I've found that out - I looked at their online EU recovery application forms and it seem to accept all my details (I didn't go as far as completing and paying). I was going to wait until nearer my travel dates and take out a new and separate recovery with them. If Terry is correct, this vehicle age restriction would rule them out. Wish the guy I spoke to this morning had explained all of that - or maybe he just didn't know about the vehicle age restrictions?! I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

Everything is like walking through treacle these days.

Yes, the web page to which I linked specifies that maximum age, but at that point the van's age had not been specified.