Car insurance for countries outside of the EU
I have noted with interest the reports from the Bailey trip from Bristol to the Bosphorus. We had planned to join an organised trip from Hungary through the Balkans but had to pull out as were unable to get insurance for the car pulling a caravan, from Camping and Caravan Club, Caravan and Motorhome Club or any insurance company I could think of. No cover could be found for Bosnia, Montenegro or Slovakia. Just wondered how the team managed it or anyone else.
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My own Saga insurance policy includes Slovakia and says a Green Card is not required for that country. I am sure there will be other insurance companies including cover fo Slovakia. . For Bosnia and Montenegro it is possible to buy third party insurance on arrival at the major crossing points, and those major border posts are listed on line, but just googling Green Card for each of those countries will tell you whether you can buy a Green Card in the UK in advance. Google will also point you to blogs and travel diaries from people who have been that way and how they have bought insurance and the well known Magbaztravels.com website will have information too. Does that help?
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Thanks for that. We were aware that you can buy insurance at borders but were not happy with only third party insurance. We are now travelling on our own through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia so we don't have the same problem. We would like to go to Dubrovnik while in Croatia which involves 20km of Bosnia Herzogovina but apparently insurance is not obtainable at the Neum border crossing. We will probably need public transport or leave it to another occasion and fly direct. I just wonder how others have done it. I have tried Google and only 3rd party is available. I have not found a UK insurance company which provides green cards for non EU countries.
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Herts Insurance, a firm of insurance brokers in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, say on their website that they can help you - but I have no personal knowledge of them.
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I think this is in the wrong section? But...
Have read reports that "insurance at the border" (not Neum, the main crossing with lanes for traffic transiting through to Croatia) is fraught with problems due to language, difficulty and possibly outright fraud, we dismissed that idea.
ACSI (who I normally highly respect) don't mention this on their organised tour documents and for us it would be a major issue.
As said, our UK insurers don't cover Bosnia, nor did breakdown so there must be good reason?
Decided to go as far South as Split and make the best of it.
Would be interested to know how the Bailey team did it as I found their confusing and intermittent blog/website/Facebook very disappointing and fragmented for what should have been a detailed and comprehensive story.
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Hi everyone,
I've just spoken to our insurance team at the Club and the Club's Car and Motorhome policies, as offered through Devitt Insurance, cover Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands (and any sea journeys between these places) plus any other country which is currently a member of the European Union.
If a customer wishes to travel to non-EU countries, they can secure cover under a ‘Green Card’ which can be arranged by calling our insurance brokers, Devitt & Co, on 0345 300 4290. An extra fee or premium may apply.
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Thank you for your replies. I did phone the Caravan and Motorhome Insurance as we have our car insured through them with Liverpool and Victoria. I was told they would not provide Green Card for Bosnia Herzogovina and that no other insurance company could help me as you can only insure your car with one company. This was in spite of my original enquiry much earlier explaining i wanted to cover countries outside EU.
I must also point out that bizarrely the Club's Red Pennant motor insurance does cover Bosnia Herzogovina which makes it even more puzzling that you can't get a Green Card. I will make a phone call today.
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Well I have once again phoned Devitt and Co on Rowena's advice but they still have come back with the same answer. I can only have a Green Card from my current insurer but they won't agree one for Bosnia Herzegovina. so it's back to plan B. We will travel to Croatia but will not be able to drive ourselves to Dubrovnik. I wonder what will happen after Brexit. What European countries will our insurance cover then?
Looks like we will be joining DougS in Split! We leave home in two weeks time, travel through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia to Croatia. Don't know when we will get there but sometime in June. Can't wait.
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Unless it has stopped this year there is a car ferry. Google ferry from Ploce. The details and timetable are there. It goes from Ploce to Trpanj - both those unpronounceable places are in Croatia and the ferry by passes the Bosnia bit.
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Every one I know who has been to Croatia and Dubrovnik my self included just drives that part of the route without bothering with insurance for the very reasons you are having problems .I doubt that you will realise you are on that small stretch of road . Just do it there is no border check point.
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Although I plead guilty like freddie, this site would appear to indicate that you can get a Green Card for travelling through Bosnia.
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Hi Ontheroad, I'm so sorry for the confusion and that your still having problems getting your Green Card. Not sure what is happening here. I have spoken to the Manager in insurance at the Club and he would like to give you a call to discuss. Can you please email communitymanager@camc.com. Many thanks.
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Ontheroad,
When I was researching (3 years ago) a trip to Croatia, I remember reading a story from one of the members (ChasnCath or RoynSharon, I think) and they too had the same problem as you.
If my memory serves me right, They jumped on a car ferry from PLOČE - TRPANJ (Pelješac) and then drove to Dubrovnik, thus avoiding Bosnia.
The ferry details :
Hope this helps
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Continued....(got timed out)
Ferry company:
https://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/sailing-schedule/local-lines-2018
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We have now returned from our holiday and had a really good trip visiting 7 countries in 7 weeks and staying at over 25 camp sites. We drove the length of Croatia, crossed through Bosnia to get to Dubrovnik. We had only 3rd party coverage for Bosnia but risked things for the short journey and were fortunate to do so without an incident. I wouldn't want to travel extensively without full cover though. It cost us dear but we felt it worthwhile. We had a truly amazing time, visiting Strasbourg, Vienna, the Black forest, Budapest, Plitvice Lakes, the whole coastline of Croatia, Venice, Ljubliana and the caves nearby, Lake Bled. We had all sorts of weather from heatwave to thunderstorms and hail. Can't wait for another trip.
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Sorry to write this, but your comment is mis-leading and, unless things have changed very recently, untrue.
When we visited there were clear borders with check points and road signs were in a different language so it was obvious that it was a different country!
We were stopped at the Croatian and Bosnian check points both going to Dubrovnik and returning. On entering Bosnia our documents including "green card" were examined. The same was happening with other vehicles.
Incidentally, we had no problems obtaining the minimum cover through our CCC motorhome insurance. The cost was just over £30 and the cover was for a month.
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