Comprehensive insurance for European holiday

josip · 26-01-2015 4:57pm #1

What companies can provide comprehensive cover for a European trip of less than 30 days? I don't mind paying extra.
The few companies I've checked with only do 3rd party or "minimum legal requirement" for each country.

Also found out that to insure a new car worth €26,000 was €60 cheaper than a 10 year old car worth €4,000 :eek:
The rep said that it wasn't to do with safety, it was that people who drive new cars tend to be more careful driving them.

D16TURBO · 26-01-2015 5:02pm

josip wrote: »

What companies can provide comprehensive cover for a European trip of less than 30 days? I don't mind paying extra.
The few companies I've checked with only do 3rd party or "minimum legal requirement" for each country.

Also found out that to insure a new car worth €26,000 was €60 cheaper than a 10 year old car worth €4,000 :eek:
The rep said that it wasn't to do with safety, it was that people who drive new cars tend to be more careful driving them.

As far as i'm aware Fbd cover this in their normal policy. And I believe it's up to 90 days cover at a time.
Are you looking at an extra insurance on top of your current one or is it a new policy?

josip · 26-01-2015 5:05pm

D16TURBO wrote: »

As far as i'm aware Fbd cover this in their normal policy. And I believe it's up to 90 days cover at a time.
Are you looking at an extra insurance on top of your current one or is it a new policy?

Tx, our current policy is for comprehensive in Ireland.
We'd like to have the same cover for the EU.
Wouldn't like to have the car stolen somewhere on holidays and find out it wasn't covered.
Or to be at fault in a crash (more likely in another unfamilar country for me) and have to pay for my own repairs

whomitconcerns · 26-01-2015 5:23pm

im with AA/AXA and pretty sure fully comp covered for up to 30 days in Europe. Check with your own company maybe? There is no standalone company if thats what you are looking for,

josip · 26-01-2015 5:26pm

whomitconcerns wrote: »

im with AA/AXA and pretty sure fully comp covered for up to 30 days in Europe. Check with your own company maybe? There is no standalone company if thats what you are looking for,

I'm not looking for a standalone company.
Our insurance is due for renewal soon and I'd like to renew with a company that gives us the option of comprehensive cover for our European drive this summer.

whomitconcerns · 26-01-2015 5:28pm

josip wrote: »

I'm not looking for a standalone company.
Our insurance is due for renewal soon and I'd like to renew with a company that gives us the option of comprehensive cover for our European drive this summer.

thinking back to my last renewal (its an important fact for me also) that nearly all of them do it with fully comp. Certainly the only diff I noted was 30 days/60 days

CiniO · 26-01-2015 5:36pm

josip wrote: »

I'm not looking for a standalone company.
Our insurance is due for renewal soon and I'd like to renew with a company that gives us the option of comprehensive cover for our European drive this summer.

I though all insurers in Ireland provided full cover in the EU at least for 30 days.
Which insurer are you with at the moment?

Only thing which is normally not covered abroad is breakdown assistance. You might need to buy that separately, as from my experience, no Irish insurer offers this for the whole Europe as part of car insurance.

CiniO · 26-01-2015 5:37pm

D16TURBO wrote: »

As far as i'm aware Fbd cover this in their normal policy. And I believe it's up to 90 days cover at a time.

No such limit with FBD.
I think their policy provides full EU cover for the whole period of policy.
Most other insurers provide cover for 30/60/90 days - depending on insurer. Also some allow to extend it, some don't.
But OP's requirements (up to 30 days) doesn't seem to be to uncommon, and I though all insurers offer this as standard, that's why I'm surprised current OP's insurer doesn't/

maximoose · 26-01-2015 5:38pm

Contact your insurer

I'm with AXA and it's included as said above, but I had to ring them to 'activate' it before travel

josip · 26-01-2015 5:49pm

Currently doing the ring arounds, RSA via 123.ie won't do it, even with paying an extra amount.

CiniO · 26-01-2015 6:05pm

josip wrote: »

Currently doing the ring arounds, RSA via 123.ie won't do it, even with paying an extra amount.

Their policy document says they do.

Section 6
Using Your Car Abroad
European Union Cover -
We provide the minimum cover necessary to comply with the laws of any State which is a
member of the European Union whilst Your Car is being used in that country. If the minimum
cover in the Republic of Ireland is greater than the minimum required in the Member State in
which Your Car is being used, the higher level of cover shall apply.
We also provide the minimum legal cover necessary to use Your Car in any other country
where arrangements have been made or are made during the validity of this Policy to follow
European Union Directives on Insurance of Civil Liabilities arising from motor vehicles which
have been or will be approved by the Council of the European Union. Such countries are party
to the “Green Card” system and include all EU and many other bordering countries. A full list of
countries that participate in the system is available online at
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Motorinsurance
Please take Your Certificate of Motor Insurance with You as evidence that Your Policy meets
the minimum European Union requirements.
This does not mean, however, that full Policy cover applies in these countries.
Full Policy Cover – European Travel
For visits abroad You are advised to obtain the equivalent cover of this Policy by asking Us to
issue a Territorial Extension (Endorsement 28). We may grant You such cover for the countries
specified in Endorsement 28 if You ask Us to issue a Territorial Extension and pay Us any
additional premium required. This Extension includes cover for Your Car while in transit
between the Republic of Ireland and any of the countries specified on the Extension.
Full Policy cover will not be operative unless You obtain a Territorial Extension (Endorsement
28) for visits beyond the Republic of Ireland and the Territorial limits specified in the
introduction to this Policy

And here is Endorsement 28

28. Territorial Extension - Insurance Cover in other Countries
Subject to Your giving Us notification we will extend this insurance to cover You in the
countries specified in the Schedule under the heading Special Terms/Notes by the relevant
Country Code below. Cover will only apply during the Period of Validity as indicated.
COUNTRY CODES
01 EU Member States and Switzerland, Norway and Slovak Republic.
02 Iceland 07 Romania 10 Iraq 13 Turkey 04 Bulgaria 08 Israel 11 Morocco
14 Croatia 06 Poland 12 Tunisia 16 Albania

However it looks like it brings extra cost, so definitely better off finding another insurer who offers it for free.

josip · 26-01-2015 6:16pm

Thanks Cinio, I'll check again with 123, but I've already asked 3 times with the same answer, albeit the same guy.

COUNTRY CODES
01 EU Member States and Switzerland, Norway and Slovak Republic.
02 Iceland 07 Romania 10 Iraq 13 Turkey 04 Bulgaria 08 Israel 11 Morocco
14 Croatia 06 Poland 12 Tunisia 16 Albania

Is that an up to date policy doc you've quoted from?
It's strange that Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Poland are listed in addition to EU member states.

CiniO · 26-01-2015 6:23pm

josip wrote: »

Thanks Cinio, I'll check again with 123, but I've already asked 3 times with the same answer, albeit the same guy.

Well it's always like that with insurers.
You talk to another person and he will tell you something 100% opposite.
And then 3rd person tells you yet something else.
I had a fun few times ringing insurers 3 times withing an hour, talking to 3 different representatives, and getting 3 different answers to the same questions.

Is that an up to date policy doc you've quoted from?
It's strange that Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Poland are listed in addition to EU member states.

Well I found that policy from link from their website so I suppose it should be up to date.
But with insurers you never know

Maybe they just don't know what EU is.

In general even if they offer it, from policy document it seems to be that you'd need to pay for it extra.
No point then - just renew your policy with different insurer where such cover is included.
I'm with Allianz and they provide cover abroad no problem, however limited to 60 days with no option to extend.
FBD offers unlimited cover abroad AFAIK.
Aviva I think it's 30 days with option to extend (possibly for extra premium).
Just shop around.

vienne86 · 26-01-2015 7:43pm

I'm with Aviva. I have full cover for 31 days in the EU, excluding driving other cars and excluding breakdown cover.

Comprehensive insurance for European holiday

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