How do I insure my car to drive in Europe?

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Insuring your car to drive in Europe

What do I need to do if I want to drive my car in Europe? Every car insurance policy in the UK will provide you with the minimum level of cover that is needed by law to drive in all of mainland Europe. No matter where you are going in Europe, you will be covered - including non-EC countries such as Switzerland and Norway.

Before you leave to go on your journey abroad, make sure you have called your insurance company. You will need to tell them where you are going and how long you are going for. Your insurance company will then tell you what kind of cover you will get for free, and they may offer you better cover if you pay a small amount extra.

Different countries will require different cover. You should always make sure you have breakdown cover, as the costs of recovering and servicing your vehicle in another country can be prohibitive, especially if there are no garages which can service your car nearby. Remember too that parts for European cars can be different to those in the UK, due to the fact that all other countries (apart from Ireland) drive on the right. The bill for returning your car to a UK garage could run to £1000 or more.

You will also need a green card to drive in Europe. You will be able to get this from you insurance company. If the local police stop you, the green card means that you meet that country's minimum insurance requirements. The green card is internationally recognised as proof of your insurance.

Two weeks before you leave, make sure you have the car serviced.  You should remember you are going to be doing a lot more driving then you would normally do, so it is a good idea to make sure the car is at its best. You will need to tell the garage that you are going into Europe, so they can adjust your headlights.

When heading for the ferry terminal, try and keep your tank as low as possible (without running out of course!), as fuel is cheaper in all European countries (although there is not much difference in the Netherlands), and ferry companies may not let you on with a full tank. This is due to the fire risk. For the return journey, fill up around 100 miles before the ferry terminal to ensure that you benefit from cheaper fuel prices, without running the risk of having to empty your tank to get onboard.

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