ins and breakdown cover for europe

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champstar

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I will now need to get eurpoean insurance and decent breakdown cover for a long european trip. I am currently with caravanguard and will need to renew in the next couple of months. I have never been abroad before and wondered if anyone had any suggestions which ins company would be good to cover me?

cheers
 
I'm currently insured with Safeguard which automatically includes UK and European breakdown cover. (I'm still awaiting policy documents so haven't read the small print re the details or any exclusions.)
 
I'm with NFU for insurance, I have RAC Arrival for the breakdown cover.
 
kangooroo said:
I'm currently insured with Safeguard which automatically includes UK and European breakdown cover. (I'm still awaiting policy documents so haven't read the small print re the details or any exclusions.)
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:yeahthat:365 days eoropean cover too,,,,,,,the policy is restricted to sdp only


high season en france as an aside; the aa have english patrols in english vans as far south as fréjus
channa
 
We have always used Europe Assist for breakdown cover and can highly recommend them.:bow::bow::bow:
 
channa said:
:yeahthat:365 days eoropean cover too,,,,,,,the policy is restricted to sdp only


high season en france as an aside; the aa have english patrols in english vans as far south as fréjus
channa
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Channa,
I am awaiting my new Safeguard policy. Sorry if its a stupid question but what does sdp mean?:confused:
 
RAC European breakdown cover

Went to France last year in our VW Van. After a couple of days touring around the gearbox seized. No problem I thought, I had bought RAC European breakdown cover with "24/7 access to English speaking call centres". I phoned them to be told that, as I had broken down on the motorway (I'd scraped into the services) I had to phone the police. "But I don't speak French" I said "I thought that's what I'd paid you for"

I won't go into the rest of the story, I'd be typing for about 3 hours, however it took a week to get us home and another 5 weeks to get the van back.

Suffice it to say I wouldn't go anywhere near RAC European breakdown cover again.

Oh, travelling as a foot passenger on P&O ferries... don't get me started on that one.:mad:

Congratulations to AVIS Rent a car who not only opened up their Dover office especially for us (we were late because the ferry was late leaving Calais) but also upgraded the hire car to a very luxurious Vauxhall Insignia for free.:bow:
 
We are planning a 3 week Euro trip in the summer, myself (only van driver), wife (has a car, but won't drive the van) and daughter.

For those that have joined Adac, which cover plan is it best to take out? Is it;

ADAC PartnerPlusPackage membership (primary and partner member), will this cover myself driving a LWB Citroen Relay hightop and my wife for driving her car at home?
Or is there a different package I have to cover the van?

Thanks in advance.
 
We have ADAC Plus - covers both of us (same address) for any vehicle plus personal benefits - 79.50 euros per year. I'm not sure what the 'Partner' bit offers over and above this.

Used it a couple of weeks ago - alternator belt on car shredded just a couple of miles from home. After calling Germany, a very nice man from the AA made running repair, followed me to my local garage (about 5 miles) and then took me home!
 
OwnedbyCollies said:
We have ADAC Plus - covers both of us (same address) for any vehicle plus personal benefits - 79.50 euros per year. I'm not sure what the 'Partner' bit offers over and above this.

Used it a couple of weeks ago - alternator belt on car shredded just a couple of miles from home. After calling Germany, a very nice man from the AA made running repair, followed me to my local garage (about 5 miles) and then took me home!
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you don't need to call Germany, 08000289018 is the UK number if I am not mistaken.

Partner cover is a discounted membership for your wife, adds Eur19 IIRC. Without it only YOU are covered.
And you get a discount if you are disabled.

http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/#ank84037
 
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Hi Teutone

You are correct that there is a direct number for the AA - however you cannot call that number from a mobile. I discovered this the hard way a few months ago when my lights failed and I needed rescuing - I had to find a landline contact number for the AA (thank god for 3G!). The AA then insisted that they needed confirmation from ADAC of membership so transferred me to Lyon (AA international office) who then transferred me to ADAC in Germany. I did finally get logged with the AA but it was a very long process! (I was then 'rescued' by my other half and we cancelled the call out before they arrived!!).

When I broke down a couple of weeks ago I just called straight away to Germany and was sorted immediately!

We have ADACPlus and both my partner and I are covered as I indicated earlier. We were advised that this cover was all that was required for our needs (we wanted breakdown for all our vehicles - 2 cars, the MH and 3 bikes and get lots of bonus extras including repatriation for the dogs if necessary). The policy is in HIS name and we BOTH have membership cards and I suppose the proof is in the pudding in that it was ME who was rescued recently!

I have consulted my policy booklet and quote the following information -
"Family cover - in Germany and abroad. ADAC plus membership covers all the classic benefits of ADAC membership + additional ADACPlus benefits and services for yourself, your partner and under-age children. Assistance in Germany, Europe and worldwide. 79.50 euros"

"All round cover - ADACPlus partner package. All the classic benefits for yourself and your partner + all ADACPlus benefits and services for yourself, your partner and under-age children. Your added advantage: ADAC en-route cover for the whole family with accident emergency assistance, travel contract legal expenses cover and international travel liability cover. Assistance in Germany, Europe and worldwide. 98.70 euros"
 
The Red Pennant service from the Caravan Club still remains the "gold standard" for Continental recovery but it's expensive.

For lesser mortals, thank goodness, there's ADAC
 
Euopean Cover

Hi I am with Safegaurd. Last year had a major breakdown with my rear suspension. Two torsion bars broke on our motorhomes Alko chassis. I cannot praise our AA cover enough. The only thing I had to sort out was getting the replacement bars from Alko in the uk. THis was a simple phone call. The day after they arrived the bars were fitted and we was all sorted.The AA got us hire car, offered us accomadation if we need it, which we didnt as we were on site, they even paid for the the extra time we were on site with the reakdown. As it was classed as a roadside breackdown they even paid for the loabour charges from the garage to the job of refitting the bars (1100 euros). The way was treated was 100%, and would reccomend them.
 
I know someone who hadn't put the handbrake on MH tight enough, went in the office to pay site fees. Same time his wife went to loo. When he came out he couldn't see his van. Looked around and saw it had travelled off into the woods and smashed into a tree. He made one call to SafeGuard and they did all the rest. They put him up in a hotel for 2 nights, arranged to have his Motorhome transported from Spain back to the UK, sorted out his return flight. They got home followed shortly by the motorhome which went straight to the garage for insurance repairs. Needless to say they were highly impressed by this service and on hearing this I changed my policy to CaravanGuard and also saved £200 in the process.
 
Talbot said:
I know someone who hadn't put the handbrake on MH tight enough, went in the office to pay site fees. Same time his wife went to loo. When he came out he couldn't see his van. Looked around and saw it had travelled off into the woods and smashed into a tree. He made one call to CaravanGuard and they did all the rest. They put him up in a hotel for 2 nights, arranged to have his Motorhome transported from Spain back to the UK, sorted out his return flight. They got home followed shortly by the motorhome which went straight to the garage for insurance repairs. Needless to say they were highly impressed by this service and on hearing this I changed my policy to CaravanGuard and also saved £200 in the process.
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Sorry for the confusion. He was insured with CaravanGuard
 
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