Around 32 per cent of Brits believe that fully comprehensive car insurance cover for the UK will also give them the same level of cover for Europe, according to recent research from moneysupermarket.com.
However, a great number of car insurance providers will in reality automatically downgrade a fully comprehensive policy and provide only the minimum level of cover required, usually third party only, for the country that is being driving in. Consequently, holidaymakers driving through several countries may find that the level of car insurance cover varies considerably from country to country.
Peter Harrison of moneysupermarket said: “If you were unfortunate enough to have a crash while abroad and were only covered for third party, you could be left with a hefty bill. If your car insurance policy does automatically downgrade, it is worth checking whether your providers will allow you to upgrade or add on European car insurance as an extra.”
He added that motorists who drive abroad regularly should consider policies that have a comprehensive cover for driving in Europe as standard, or add it on as an extra at the point of purchase.