Breakdown/insurance - towing in France/Switzerland
Hi, I currently have caravan club's insurance (Super caravan club 5Cs), and I'm planning my first trip down to Switzerland. I just got a rather hefty quotation for "Overseas holiday insurance" through caravan club. Does anybody recommend this overseas insurance or will I end-up over insured (my car is already covered, my caravan is covered)? My main worry/requirement is having breakdown cover for my car and caravan whilst abroad. I'm considering taking out RAC + travel insurance separately instead - has anybody else gone down this route and had problems. Thank you in advance for your comments.
Comments
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Your car and caravan aren’t likely to be covered for breakdowns and recovery abroad unless you’ve taken out a policy such as Red Pennant. I can’t see how you will be over insured from what you have said.
Beware of breakdown policies which will only cover the towing vehicle and not cover breakdown of the caravan.
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This is often mentioned and my summary is:
You need car insurance to cover damage to car whilst on the move (plus third party damage caused by car or caravan)
You need caravan insurance to cover damage to caravan plus third party damage whilst on site.
You need breakdown cover, ideally caravan based to cover car or caravan and ideally when they are connected or not so that you will have repairs done to either (at your cost but some of the costs will be covered and someone will come to help you) or travellers/car and caravan will be repatriated in the event of serious problems that require you to be brought home. The final solution will be decided between you and breakdown company but should be suitable for you and they will always try to minimise their costs. if you want to have a replacement tow car RP may be your only option (at a premium price)
You need travel/medical insurance to cover any travel or medical problems suffered by members of your party.
Need to avoid duplication and cover you don't need or want, which is why Red Pennant needs to be checked carefully as it mixes travel/breakdown etc aspects and only covers Europe (plus travel to ferry from home)?
I will make my usual recommendation of Safeguard insurance (if it meets your caravan cover needs) plus their bolt on UK and Europe CARAVAN BASED breakdown cover for £65 extra but you can only get this on renewal so it is a target price. Depends on insurance renewal date and best deal for you.
Watch for caravan length restriction on breakdown cover and is it BODY length or OVERALL length.
Then pick your travel insurance cover declaring all pre-existing conditions.
Obviously my opinion only, ask everyone, decide for yourself.
For Switzerland you need two vignettes for their roads - one for car, one for caravan - but a bit like an entry fee for Disneyland (eat your dinner off the excellent roads!) can get them in advance at www.tolltickets.com.
For France, consider Sanef tag via Club or otherwise for motorway tolls (depends if you avoid or use).
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Can I suggest switching bank accounts to nationwide they have an account that has health insurance plus car break down including Europe plus many other benefits if revered by existing member they get £100 so do you win win
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Red Pennant insurance isn't cheap but you only find out how good it is if you need it. Last winter in Spain our car broke down five hundred yards from the next site and we managed to limp to the site. A phone call to RP was all that was needed. After that they dealt with everything and rang us regularly to see if we were ok. As we were on a bus route into Granada we chose not to have a hire car for the first week and they reinbursed us for all bus fares and taxies. The next week they arranged a hire car and a taxi to take us to collect it. I could not fault the service in any way. For me though the biggest thing I am paying for it peace of mind. I can't tow and the knowledge that if anything happened to my husband they would not only get us home, but send someone out to bring the caravan back is worth every penny.
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That's a good post and I go along with it these days.
When I was younger I simply had an annual M&S Premium motor insurance policy which included UK and Europe breakdown /recovery within the package. It didn't cover quite all the things just mentioned, but I was content to be taken to a garage to get mechanical problems problem fixed, or have the car taken home if necessary. Medical matters were covered by an annual personal travel policy every year which covered all our non caravan travelling as well.
But now I am older, not so fit and healthy but better off, I go with Red Pennant just as LTC has described.
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I have never heard an adverse comment regarding the Britannia breakdown cover (in our case provided by the Nationwide as mentioned above by thomamg). I've only had to use it a couple of times, and both in the UK, but both occasions they were fine.
I await a flood of negative experiences!
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We have always 40 plus years been with Brittania. On the odd occasion we'd made use of them, couldn't fault them. Recently had to use them via Nationwide current account cover, again brilliant. Home start on a Saturday for flat battery, Halfords had one but declined to fit as under the passenger seat - claimed not covered by insurance 😲. Enough umph to restart car and get home including a run to aid. Flat again on the Monday called them out again no issue as hadn't been able to get one fitted. ATS supplied and fitted, employers discount and less than the battery without fitting at Halfords 😆. Sadly a couple of weeks later went to use it and clunking on turned front wheel 😲😲, thanks to a pothole broken spring, flatbed truck lift to repairers of our choice.
No complaints from us.
Ps checked with Nationwide breakdown that our motor was covered, as it was when we paid for it. It is and thankfully haven't had test that 😉 fingers crossed we don't need it.
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If people want a one stop option for medical and breakdown insurance then Red Pennant is attractive. Those that are more willing to have separate policies will no doubt be able to save money by doing so. It is often the medical side that sends premiums higher and those of us that have several (managed) conditions often find that the way that Red Pennant approach the evaluation of such conditions tends to make it a better option than those insurers who add extra premium for every condition.
David
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