AA European Breakdown Assistance
I have for many years taken out Red Pennant when I travel to France with my caravan. I have had to call on them a few times and been pleased with the response. However this year I have a Nationwide Current Account that includes AA European Breakdown Assistance which would cover my car and caravan. I wonder whether to rely on the AA and save myself quite a lot of money as I am going for 6 weeks. Have any fellow travellers had any experience of calling the AA from France and were they satisfied with the service?
Comments
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Can't comment of other services as we have always used RP. What I think you need to check is whether they can deal with the size of your outfit should you need repatriation or would they provide an alternative towcar should your car need to come back to the UK for repair. There seems to be lots of posts on various groups that if a UK car needs a repair (mainly in France) that it can take weeks if you can find a garage willing to do with the work.
David
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We broke down in Germany with the caravan many years ago and were covered by the AA. Like most, if not all, breakdown insurers they link up with local European recovery services for roadside assistance and, if required, separate services for repatriation. Worked well for us but we were helped by having a brilliant BMW garage that we were recovered to and they helped with storing the van, finding a hotel and even giving us a lift there. The AA dealt with all the flights home, taxis etc. and even agreed to our preferred flights. I still remember the transporter turning up at our house with the caravan and car on board about a month later. The car gearbox had failed and the driver agreed to take the car onwards about 10 miles to our usual garage so very pleased with the overall service. Hotel bills fully reimbursed eventually.
Learned some valuable lessons. Make sure you have your policy details (obvious I suppose), make sure your mobile phones are charged and that you can phone the UK. It helps if you can describe where you are as well!
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I have twice needed Red Penant for car problems. It worked very well however I am reviewing what we actually need for this years trip. The car is covered by the manufacturers European wide recovery handled by AA, it is simply the van itself and I am not aware of any stand alone caravan recovery policies.
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We used to have the Nationwide Flexplus policy like yours. At that time the breakdown cover was from Britannia who I've used a few times (in this country only) and been very pleased with the service. However, since the move to AA we've gone to a flexdirect policy with no added "benefits" and taken out a freestanding Britannia breakdown policy. The AA cover offered was significantly poorer than the Britannia and also has some very poor reviews.
We were also unhappy with the extra costs of the NW travel insurance en view of our age (both over 70) and a few existing health conditions so have gone to Red Pennant for this.
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Just as the AA redeploys extra vans and technicians to Devon and and Cornwall in the summer months there have been cases where UK motorists have been surprised to find AA vans and technicians based in France at peak times too.
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Our son broke down at Turenne in the Correze, and called his breakdown insurers - the AA. The mechanic arrived in a yellow AA van and told us that he was based on a campsite near Bordeaux, staying in a mobile home for the whole of the summer, and dealing with breakdowns in South West France. Apparently it was a sought-after job for some of the AA mechanics, and there was fierce competition to be one of the French breakdown services.
The mechanic got the car back on the road without a problem, and went on his way to another call near Martel in the Lot.
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I'm sure the AA cover would be great if your car breaks down to buy what about if the caravan has a problem?
Colin
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I second the comment made at the start of this thread - that is to make sure that your caravan is not too big. The AA strictly enforces the 7 metre rule to include the drawbar, Green Flag and the RAC say it is 7 metres PLUS the drawbar and RP is I understand unlimited. I went with the RAC as an extension to my insurance which gives me a 90 day validity per trip and overs my caravan at 7.34 metres.
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The situation, re Nationwide now using the AA, has been the reason for may people reviewing their assumption that they are covered.
The policy itself is not clear as it seems to suggest that the towing vehicle and caravan must individually comply with the size/weight restrictions and then seems to suggest that any measurement must include whats being towed!
The applicable text, from the policy says;
Weight and size restrictions (including any load carried)
We cover vehicles highlighted in section 1 of these vehicle terms and conditions providing that they comply with the limitations and vehicle type, weight and size restrictions, and other conditions as set out below.
The trailer, caravan and its load must also comply with the size and weight restrictions below, or unfortunately the AA will be unable to recover your property.
• Maximum vehicle weight: 3.5 tonnes (3500kgs) gross vehicle laden weight
• Maximum Vehicle Weight for Motorhomes ONLY: 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight
• Maximum vehicle length: 8m (26.2ft)*
• Maximum vehicle width: 2.55m (8ft 3in)*
*These dimensions will be calculated taking into account anything attached to your vehicle and any trailer or caravan, including but not limited to towing equipment, any carriers or racks (e.g. bike or luggage), or anything else attached to the vehicle or the carriers/racks.0 -
Sorry hit post in error! The answer, as I recall it, is that, in my case towing a caravan, mcr can be up to 8m long and so can my caravan when measured including anything, such as a bike rack, attached to the rear.
We unfortunately had to call on the breakdown service in Spain this year and would stress, as mentioned in the policy document, that you have the appropriate info available-I didn't and accessing it at the side of a foreign motorway being buffeted by passing traffic is quite stressful!
One thing that we learned was that despite knowing exactly where we were-and giving a junction number and heading, the operator insisted on sending us a link to a site to allow them to pinpoint our location-which means that without mobile internet access we would have had problems.
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