burlington Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Just a thought. Apart from last year, when my vehicle was covered by the manufacturer, I have always taken out breakdown insurance. Costs a bit too. What do other PALS do? Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 My old bus is getting a bit long in the tooth - but has never let me down. I think the £15 or £20 is good value as a back up , especially if shared between a group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Always. But I buy an annual policy which is much better value. Then whenever one feels a visit to mainland Europe coming on, wherever the destination, it's already sorted. Same for personal insurance. Having said that, I have had the experience of driving an aging car extremely high up in the Savoie Alps, knowing that the last inhabited point was 30 miles behind and the next was 27 miles ahead, and the mobile phone was out of network, and hadn't seen another vehicle for over two hours. Don't suppose any breakdown insurance would have been any use then. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 I never go without it and have found myself in need of it twice. The most serious occasion was when a cyclinder-head gasket blew in Belgium. My car was taken away for repair. I got a replacement car within an hour and was able to carry on with my visit. The insurance company switched my ferry return ticket from a car plus passengers to foot-passenger tickets (ringing me on my mobile to tell me they had done so and also to tell me where to find another car which would be waiting for me when I arrived in Dover. I was able to leave it in a local depot when I got home.) Finally the company would have paid for me to go to Belgium to collect the car, although I didn't need this as I was out there again a week or so later and a friend and Forum Member gave me a lift to the garage. Think about all this and then consider how you would manage with no breakdown cover. Doesn't bear thinking about. Like Dragon I have this cover as an annual addition to my policy. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 I'm with Gwyn and Tom on this. My car let me down about 4 years ago and the Breakdown Insurance proved invaluable. Rental car and a repair job all for the price of a spare part. I will never again travel without the cover and, as with Gwyn, I find that an annual policy pays off. Most years I reckon to do at least three trips. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin O'Marah Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Martin, I opened an "Additions Plus" account with my bank and for £12 a month it covers myself and Linda's car for unlimited Europea and uk travel, and also covers our holiday insurance whilst abroad and accidental death in uk. But as yet have not require their use and with the later part not for a fair while, I hope. See you at "Tommy's" Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 I didn't used to bother with breakdown cover, and one year my car exhaust nearly fell off in Ypres. Luckily the hotel I was at was very helpful, and a local garage managed to weld it up to get me home (and only 10 Euros as well!) - but since then I do take it - as previously mentioned I have an annual policy which is cheaper if you make several trips. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 13 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Thanks everyone. I now know that I am not wasting scarce cash. The only time when I have ever needed help was in central France many years ago. Boiling hot, 3 kids in car etc etc. Stone broke windscreen, local garage did temp. repair with a plastic Citroen screen tied on with an elastic band made of an inner tube, transport of family to and from stricken car. Cost- NIL. Amazing and very very generous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret_uk Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Sorry for my ignorence but do i get this cover from my car insurers? and is it based on the time your abroad i.e. between 2 given dates of travel?. Cheers Mick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 13 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 April , 2005 Sorry for my ignorence but do i get this cover from my car insurers? and is it based on the time your abroad i.e. between 2 given dates of travel?. Cheers Mick. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I suppose you can do but I use the AA. Unless you buy an annual policy then the cover is between specific dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 13 April , 2005 Share Posted 13 April , 2005 I got it from the AA (of which I'm a member). One-off visit cover = £31. Cheap at twice the price if you break down. Mick - when I rang my insurers to extend the cover, they tried to persuade me to use their own breakdown service. If I'd taken them up on it, it would also include annual European cover. But I didnt have time to suss out whether I wanted to switch - they seemed very vague about exactly who the breakdown service was with! Anyone out there with More Than and can comment on their service? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 I rented a car back in '01 on my Western Front junket.. first time doing so on a European vacation. I never got additional insurance, and didn't need it, maybe I was lucky. On the other hand getting used to the car was difficult... especially the Reverse functionality. I've driven a stick almost all my life so that wasn't an issue, I just couldn't get the gear shift into reverse. I had to park on hills all the time inorder to back out of a parking space. Do you realize how hard this is in Flanders!! What should have been reverse was clearly marked as hard over to the left and up, but try as I might I couldn't get it. Finally I parked at gas station determined not to leave until I figured it out, then just by accident I lifted the 'ring' around the gear shaft and 'pop' it just fell in! I was so releaved.. and a little embarassed at the simplcity which I couldn't initially grasp. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philary Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Hello I used the RAC, cost about £30, between specific dates and that gave us return home cover as well! We got a very helpful travel pack with it and I did it by phone, the on-line for some reason wouldn't accept the car! (Mind you it was a Morgan). No problems over the phone and all sorted within 5 minutes! Hilary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret_uk Posted 21 April , 2005 Share Posted 21 April , 2005 Ok, thanks for the advice, now done via the AA for £33. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 Think about all this and then consider how you would manage with no breakdown cover. Doesn't bear thinking about. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And as another cautionary tale, my car failed to start last Monday [a Bank Holiday] at the Eurotunnel Terminal at Folkestone after being called for boarding There followed enough delay and hassle to last me a long time, even with every form of insurance known to man. The moral of the story - he who travels on a Bank Holiday needs all the help he can get - the uninsured should stay in bed! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 7 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 7 May , 2005 SHE as well surely!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter A Barnes Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 With most comprehensive insurance policies you can get breakdown cover including mainland Europe at a small extra cost. Mine cost around £48 and it is provided by the RAC or their agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 All I can add is the AA have a call centre in Lyon staffed mostly by Irish persons who are extrememly helpful. Even newish cars can get problems!! Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 SHE as well surely!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This 'she' will avoid travelling early on a BH in future! Malcolm Mine is even newer than yours [just a comment, not bragging ]. And I certainly found everyone very helpful - Eurotunnel, Europ Assistance, More Than, the AA and Eclipse Recovery of Dover, who moved and returned my own car home very quickly. There was just a dearth of hire cars to take to France at extremely short notice at that time. Advertising not intended - just worth a MID Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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