short term insurance

firefly08

I moved to the US last September and now I'm coming back to Ireland for 2 weeks in July. I'll need a car. Now my old car is still there and is not being used but it runs fine. The insurance lapsed in April - does anyone know of anywhere that would insure me for 2 weeks or a month, something like that?

I was considering renting a car, but the cheapest I can find is going to be about 40 or 50 euros a day for a car smaller than mine. I could nearly re-insure my own car for another year at that price but I was hoping for something cheaper!

Bonito

What age are you? Get a friend/spouse/brother/sister/parent to put open drive on their policy. Wont cost too much. You'll be on their policy so long as you've a full license. I have it on my car for anyone over 25. Cost an extra €140 for the year. Over 21 was a bit dearer.

Failling that then just rent a car? See what's cheaper.

firefly08

Cheers that's a good idea. I'm 28 and have a full license so there should be no trouble getting put on someone else's policy. The only thing is, I would then be limited to their car, right? I was hoping I could drive mine, since it's sitting there.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the person who puts me on their insurance could give me their car and take mine themselves, because no-one is insured as a main driver on my car. Is that right?

Bonito

Yep you'd be limited to their car and their policy but while you're using their car I think they'll still have their cover to drive any other car. i.e. yours, with 3rd party cover only while driving it.

firefly08

Right, I always thought that in their position, i.e. driving someone else's car on your own policy, that other person's car has to be insured separately, with someone else as the main driver, in order to stop young people from, say, insuring themselves on a Micra and then driving an otherwise uninsured BMW M3 or whatever.

But I'll check into it, even if I have to share someone else's car it's better than nothing. The cheapest hire car I can find is going to be about 600 euro for 2 weeks so I think that's out of the question.

Bonito

Not at all! I'll give you an example. Take my policy. I am fully covered in my own vehicle. If I were to use someone elses car I am covered, but only get third party cover and not full cover as it's not my car, I'm juts taking a lend of it.

With my open drive for over 25's anyone with a full license over 25 can drive my car under my policy with the full cover, because it's my car. A downfall being if they caused an accident, it's my no claims and insurance that gets the blunt of it.

So, if they upgrade their policy to open drive for over 25's. You should be able to drive their car under their full cover and they can drive your car under 3rd party cover. I think that's the jist of it.

Del2005

You'll have to check the other persons policy allows them to drive an uninsured car. Some do some don't.

Do all insurance companies allow open drive? That could be an issue also.

OP is your car taxed and NCT'd? Wouldn't be nice for someone to put you on their policy and then get your car lifted at a checkpoint leaving them stranded.