European Breakdown Cover

jac2 replied on 31/05/2018 21:14

Posted on 31/05/2018 21:14

Use Green Flag as breakdown cover  

 We use Green Flag for Breakdown Cover because we caravan and the other providers are not caravan friendly. This year we have decided to go to France without the van, renting apartments, so we can travel more easily. I contacted Green Flag to see if I could extend the Breakdown Cover to travel in France and was informed this was not possible as Green Flag only provide cover in the UK and I should contact Red Pennant. This I did and was told that they were not really for car only travel and the cost would be the same as if I was taking the van, £115 for one trip cover. This to me seems problematic for anyone with Green Flag who wishes to travel broad without the van (when in the AA I was able to extend cover to Europe for a small supplement)  penalising members who want to. I wondered if anyone else has encountered this problem.

Moderator Comment - Post edited to remove excessive spacing

 

eurortraveller replied on 31/05/2018 23:03

Posted on 31/05/2018 23:03

Jac, your post was puzzling because of the long gap in the middle, but perhaps the mods can improve the layout of that.

The Green Flag  company sells breakdown policies to the general public - and they  can either be for the UK  only, or can combine UK + Europe. I have one. Anyone can buy them, they are nothing to do with this Club. They are cheap. 

This Club sells Mayday policies for the UK only, and Red Pennant policies  for Europe only.  Nothing you or I can do or say will persuade them to merge the two. They are quite different from the policies the Green Flag company  sells  - and they are both expensive. 

 For your visit to France without the caravan you now need a short term single trip breakdown policy and a short term single trip personal medical policy - they can come from almost any insurance company.

Good wishes. Safe journey. 

replied on 01/06/2018 03:06

Posted on 01/06/2018 03:06

The user and all related content has been deleted

young thomas replied on 07/06/2018 08:13

Posted on 07/06/2018 08:13

just had a similar issue....

currently have saga European MH breakdown (attached to saga MH insurance) and saga UK breakdown (attached to saga car insurance).

we are going to France next week with other family members (not including my son) but taking my sons car (Audi Avant) as its larger than our Fiat 500 (what isn't.....?).

so, can either of my breakdown policies be tweaked to give me european cover on my sons car which I am insured to drive?

no....

so, I was faced with a one off policy....older car meant around £100 for 10 days or so travel.....

i then phoned the RAC about being a personal member....my car insurance is due soon and I would change the breakdown if I could get the Audi covered as a personal (any car) holder.

they said yes, they could do this and quoted a price of around £100, which in itself would have been OK as I would have maintained cover (for same price) on the Fiat and got the Audi included....seemed good.

i would then need a European 'add on'.....again around £100..

i queried the price (we you have to these days) and the personal plan price was immediately cut in half.

i then asked about our MH and they said that, as long as the vehicle was 6.4m or less (ours is) it would be covered on the same policy.

i then told them that my OH would need to be a personal member as she would not be covered when driving on her own.....this was then thrown in for free....

so, I previously had two breakdown policies each at £100 and would have needed another to cover the French trip again at £100...total £300.

I now have personal cover, me and OH, UK and Europe, any vehicle including our MH for £150...

saga even refunded me the pro rata element of my MH breakdown policy and gave me £60 back....

replied on 07/06/2018 20:13

Posted on 07/06/2018 08:13 by young thomas

just had a similar issue....

currently have saga European MH breakdown (attached to saga MH insurance) and saga UK breakdown (attached to saga car insurance).

we are going to France next week with other family members (not including my son) but taking my sons car (Audi Avant) as its larger than our Fiat 500 (what isn't.....?).

so, can either of my breakdown policies be tweaked to give me european cover on my sons car which I am insured to drive?

no....

so, I was faced with a one off policy....older car meant around £100 for 10 days or so travel.....

i then phoned the RAC about being a personal member....my car insurance is due soon and I would change the breakdown if I could get the Audi covered as a personal (any car) holder.

they said yes, they could do this and quoted a price of around £100, which in itself would have been OK as I would have maintained cover (for same price) on the Fiat and got the Audi included....seemed good.

i would then need a European 'add on'.....again around £100..

i queried the price (we you have to these days) and the personal plan price was immediately cut in half.

i then asked about our MH and they said that, as long as the vehicle was 6.4m or less (ours is) it would be covered on the same policy.

i then told them that my OH would need to be a personal member as she would not be covered when driving on her own.....this was then thrown in for free....

so, I previously had two breakdown policies each at £100 and would have needed another to cover the French trip again at £100...total £300.

I now have personal cover, me and OH, UK and Europe, any vehicle including our MH for £150...

saga even refunded me the pro rata element of my MH breakdown policy and gave me £60 back....

Posted on 07/06/2018 20:13

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

eurortraveller replied on 07/06/2018 21:03

Posted on 07/06/2018 21:03

BB. My daughter and small family are going over to Brittany again this year for a holiday without a caravan. They could take their own car over but won't.

They will fly out from Gatwick to Nantes and pick up a hire car which has breakdown insurance included - cheaper, easier and quicker for them than taking their own car, paying for overseas breakdown cover, continental car insurance, ferry fares,  cabins and meals on board. 

young thomas replied on 07/06/2018 22:02

Posted on 07/06/2018 22:02

ET, my in laws don't fly any more....

as it happens, the breakdown cover was a net gain, the ferry costs are split by four, as is the cost of the accommodation and fuel...no hanging around airports and a nice ferry ride into the bargain...

its actually a cheap holiday for them....

hitchglitch replied on 08/06/2018 16:54

Posted on 08/06/2018 16:54

Sounds a minefield, particularly as if you have a motorhome you can include European breakdown cover either for free or at minimal cost. Seems that one off trips are a rip off.

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