Insurance for France Holiday

[MikeInWimbledon]

Really? I was with Hastings a few years ago and found out I was not covered in Europe, enquired how much extra to go to France for 10 days and was quoted £88, I told them I was going a second time later in the year and was told it would be £88 each time.

I've just double checked it now. Slightly complicated because of the outstanding life of my policy.

It's £99.12 to add 12 months worth of foreign cover AND European breakdown and recovery. (For the E500 although it won't be very different for other cars)

As I said, I switch whole period cover on, and then switch it off when I come back, so it nets out at less than £50 for six months actual time in the EU for those years that I'm actually there that long.

Why is it cheaper than a single trip cover? Mainly because it's like annual medical insurance for being abroad. An annual policy for multiple trips isn't very expensive, but a short-term (2-4 week) policy can be dear. It's all about the admin cost of setting the policy up - and perceived riskiness.

 

[Darrell]

Just noticed this, France, August?
The whole country shuts down in August and they all head for the m/ways and toll roads, be ready for long queues everywhere.

We drove to my mums in La Rochelle the middle Saturday in August 2016. No long queues anywhere.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It has.....

Until BREXIT All UK vehicle insurance legally had to provide cover to drive in: the EU (including Ireland) Andorra. Bosnia and Herzegovina.....the only issue is that some reduced that cover to Third Party for European travel.

Nope. Figment of your imagination.

The legal requirement WAS for all UK insurance policies to provide a minimum of third party cover when driving in the EU. They did not provide full comprehensive cover when travelling across the EU. BUT some policies covered short-term trips - typically "up to four days" - the typical long weekend or booze run. You definitely had to pay for additional cover to take a vehicle over for a week or two.

Nothing's ever "free." The risk is picked up in your insurance premium. The "sprouts" in Belgium didn't give anyone free insurance cover.

Just the same as the medical cover and mobile phone roaming. Lots of bullsheet threats that weren't put into action - mainly because the EU had a bigger vested interest in travel to the UK than we did in travelling to the EU.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

We drove to my mums in La Rochelle the middle Saturday in August 2016. No long queues anywhere.

You've got it sussed.

The issue is only around key dates / times / and high traffic locations.

Route du Soleil: first or last weekend: a nightmare. Big French tourist locations, like the Riviera or the South West: tough to get a restaurant table. La Rochelle: not so much.

And as for those idiot Brits who drive to France for half term or as soon as Schools' out for Summer? They deserve the deliberate kicking they get.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

 

[Darrell]

And as for those idiot Brits who go abroad for half term or as soon as Schools' out for Summer? They deserve the deliberate kicking they get.

I did some editing.

 

[rf065]

We drove to my mums in La Rochelle the middle Saturday in August 2016. No long queues anywhere.

OK, go up the other side of the country and tell me how many days it takes you!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

OK, go up the other side of the country and tell me how many days it takes you!

To be fair it’s all about “blocked arteries” as Paris rushes South.

Much as I love Mulhouse, the Schlumpf museum and the Cite du train, the French aren’t rushing towards the East in July / August.

The French are weird, they all run to the South, mainly on the same weekends. But, TBF, we would if we had that weather…. And hated foreign countries as much as they do.

 

[rf065]

To be fair it’s all about “blocked arteries” as Paris rushes South.

Much as I love Mulhouse, the Schlumpf museum and the Cite du train, the French aren’t rushing towards the East in July / August.

The French are weird, they all run to the South, mainly on the same weekends. But, TBF, we would if we had that weather…. And hated foreign countries as much as they do.

Having travelled over the Millau Viaduct numerous times, I can only imagine the traffic jams in August before it was built and all traffic had to go down into the valley at Millau and back up the other side.

​

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

 

[rf065]

View attachment 141761

What an experience to cross that! Higher than the Eiffel Tower!

 

[AnnasMerc83]

You've got it sussed.

The issue is only around key dates / times / and high traffic locations.

Route du Soleil: first or last weekend: a nightmare. Big French tourist locations, like the Riviera or the South West: tough to get a restaurant table. La Rochelle: not so much.

And as for those idiot Brits who drive to France for half term or as soon as Schools' out for Summer? They deserve the deliberate kicking they get.

Drove last year on 12th august to just east of Paris, then down to Montpelier, then onward to Barcelona then back to the eurotunnel for the 31st. Not a single traffic jam all trip (apart from in the town of Uzès, but that was some French-tourist central!).

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Drove last year on 12th august to just east of Paris, then down to Montpelier, then onward to Barcelona then back to the eurotunnel for the 31st. Not a single traffic jam all trip (apart from in the town of Uzès, but that was some French-tourist central!).

Ah, but what a glorious French tourist central....

Like Ile de Re, a little French pleasure...

 

[fabes]

Remember it's a UK not a GB sticker now aswell iirc

 

[AnnasMerc83]

Ah, but what a glorious French tourist central....

Like Ile de Re, a little French pleasure...



View attachment 141762

Indeed!

Also drove along all the gorges in the national parks….absolutely stunning scenery! And still zero traffic jams!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Indeed!

Also drove along all the gorges in the national parks….absolutely stunning scenery! And still zero traffic jams!

Exactly. The August weekend jams are at the toll booths and service areas on the arteries, traditional congestion hot spots like Lyon, and when the inevitable collisions tail back.

Just bigger, transcontinental versions of the nonsense we see on the M5 M6, M1 and routes into Cornwall in August.

 

[Fastcar155]

Struggling to understand what's being said here.
I'm with Aviva multi-car, adding foreign cover when a trip's coming up, and removing it when that trip is over.
That's car collision insurance as well as repair / recovery while in Europe. (I use AA for UK cover the rest of the time)
In a normal year I spend 4-5 months in the EU during 2-3 trips.

Extra cost: definitely no more than £100 a year. And I've been doing this for years. But then I don't have collisions or claims.

European cover, including repair and recovery hasn't been "expensive" for a long time. (More than a couple of decades?)

Hi , very sorry if I did not make my comment clear , it did not. My car is covered by LV and again so is my travel insurance.

My 12 month travel policy has increased as above but not sure what my car insurance quote will be this year.

What really annoyed me is the way they told me about the premium increase with the take it or leave approach. I have a feeling LV travel company has been acquired by Cornhill , not sure about the car policy.