Conference terri::cars_uk

The RAC have started to cover Europe as a addition to their normal cover,
this (if I remember correctly) includes recovery.

I don't have the details, but you could ask any RAC salesman.

...there is always AA 5* as well.

	I cannot recommend the AA ***** cover more highly.  It's around 40
	pounds and covers multiple trips.  Any problem at all, they'll cover
	all sorts of extra costs (hotel, hire care, garage labour...).  They'll	
	even ship the wreck home if things are really bad...

	Dave

    Bill -
    		Go for 'Europe Assitance' they are really good. When living
    in France I heard nothing but compliments. We even knew of someone
    who'd broken a leg skiing so was flown home and his car was transported 
    back later.
    
    	As I recall within Europe they have a flat rate, Africa,
    continental USA and the Far East are treated seperately. Much better
    than the AA!
    
    Ian

Do all these organisations allow for extended visits? My daughter is going to
be working in France for 6 months or so, and would like the comfort factor of
breakdown insurance whilst there. From what I've read from AA and RAC brochures
they seem to be aimed at specific (shorter-term) periods.

Thanks for any advice.....

Mike

I seem to recall last year I could only get a Green Card for 
3 months max in any insurance year.  Which makes me think my
UK insurance covers me for up to 3 months in Europe and thus 
you may need French car insurance for longer stays.
(Very expensive :-( )

Steve

�I seem to recall last year I could only get a Green Card for 
�3 months max in any insurance year.  Which makes me think my
�UK insurance covers me for up to 3 months in Europe and thus 
�you may need French car insurance for longer stays.
    
    I think Nigel Guest has entered various notes on this subject.
    
    Any pointers (note numbers) out there ?
    
    J.R.

    It used to be that only GRE and Norwich Union gave out 1 year Green
    Cards, at a price..... However, GRE now say that since 1.1.91 a green
    card is no longer required to ensure home country cover whilst in the
    EC.
    
    Laurie.

>    Cards, at a price..... However, GRE now say that since 1.1.91 a green
>    card is no longer required to ensure home country cover whilst in the
>    EC.

Is that exactly what they said ? It may have changed this year, but prior to
that, driving abroad with valid UK insurance but no green card meant you were
granted the legal minimum insurance for the country you were driving in. The
catch is that this might not be very much and you can get burnt very nastily.
(EEC Countries only)

M.

    RE: -1
    
    That's perfectly true, but they said what I said they said. I have
    requested it in writing. The bit I find odd is, the green card I have
    at the moment costs about �400 extra pa. taken out last November. They
    say that it's built into the premiums for all UK drivers now, and full
    home country cover comes with the policy, whilst in the EC.
    
    No, I didn't believe it either.
    
    Laurie.

    Bill,
    
    Are you going to "do" the pass at Stelvio, or is there some other event
    going on ?
    
    I've always found AA % Star to be good when abroad - the Italian
    equivalent to the AA were very prompt and helpful when I broke down
    there.
    
    John

    
    Interested to see the GRE answer a few back.
    
    I gave a broker a ring 3 weeks ago, and the Green Card certainly wasn't
    going to be included without a certain amount of Dosh changing hands.
    
    Norwich Union now do full year green cards ( and have been doing so for
    12-18 months).  However, they will only normally issue them for
    existing business (ie you are currently insured with them).  They do not 
    seem to issue them for new customers (and didn't even give me a quote).
    
    
    Nigel

    RE: European Insurance:
    
    When i came out here i could not get a green card once they learned 
    i was working here for 6 months + so I could only get  a quote from 
    the AA Insurance  for European cover, so i went the full hog. I got 
    them to include every European country apart from the Eastern Block 
    countries (which cost extra), and they  even provided a 'bail bond' 
    for Spain.
    
    Since being over here, i have found that French Insurance is *much*
    cheaper then UK Insurance. You can  insure an english car for up to
    6 months in  France. SO ideally  you should get a 2 week green card
    from the UK (�15 i think) and  then get  a separate insurance for 6
    months when here. That  way you can claim on your  French Insurance
    (heaven forbid ;-)) and when you  go back to the UK, can still have 
    earned any NCB's.
    
    Regards,
    
    				Lewis.

    
    UK,GY,FR + three other countries now have an agreement that they
    will honour your insurance policy (not just TP) in each other's
    countries.
    I'm sure Fleet sent out a mail about this, and I've read about
    it in the papers.
    
    R. (Brokers of course, won't be keen to tell you as its money to
    them).

Well, so far I've been told that I need an Overseas Policy by one company and 
that I can get a 12 month Green Card by another (both of which of course
mean higher premiums!)

Is it actually possible to insure a British-registered vehicle in France 
without re-registering it there?

I think I'll contact our Insurance Dept to find out more about the reciprocal
agreements sur le continont...

thanks for your suggestions.


Mike


(We seem to have drifted off the Title topic. Maybe Mr. Moderator could move 
these last few replies to a more appropriate topic?)

    re .14	insuring in France without re-registering ?
    
    no problem, as long as they sell the car in France, that is.... :-(
    
    
    
    Nigel
    

    Yes you can insure a UK car in France - like i said for a maximum
    of 6 months... well i suppose you could change insurance brokers
    every 6 months ;-)
    
    Obviously you need a french address... something like a
    phone/electricity bill should do...
    
    RE: -1 Nigel... teach you to have a 'DR2' then wont it ;-)
    
    Regards,
    
    				Lewis.

    Returning to the 'is a green card required or not' (Laurie and
    A.N.other a few back), i've just given my sister a ring, and the story
    from her is :-
    
    With most insurance companies, you don't need a green card to travel
    abroad to keep your fully comprehensive cover.  This came in about a
    year ago.  Unfortunately, it will normally only run for upto 35 days in
    a year.  You will also probably need to inform the insurance company
    that you are overseas.  (so you can't just happen to be overseas on
    holiday when the accident occurs).
    
    For longer periods, ie a year, it's back to the chequebook and pen :-(
    
    Unless, of course, you know differently.....
    
    
    Nigel

There's a bit of mis-understanding going on here, I think.

A green card used to be used for proving you had Insurance when travelling
abroad and was required by all countries to prove you had this insurance. They
didn't care what cover you had as long as you satisfied the minimun requirements
in their country and logically insurance companies gave people the same cover
abroad as they had at home. Initially this was the same for all countries. Then
some bright spark thought of the EEC. One of the things that came out of this
was that Insurance Companies belonging to member countries agreed with the
authorities that the Home Country Certificate wuld be valid in all the EEC
countries with the law applied as it was in the home country.

A certificate of insurance in this country grants you no more than the minimum
cover required by this country. This is therefore what the same certificate of
insurance means in all EEC Countires. What differs is the legal minimum in the
various countries. However, the green card still existed. It's use had now
changed. It retained it's previous purpose for all non-EEC countries, but became
largely irrelevant in member countries. It was used as a way of proving to the
world that you had advised your insurance company you were wandering around the
EEC and that your cover at home applied in that country. It was, however, your
normal certificate of insurance that gave you the legal cover required in that
country.

Soooo, you don't "need" a green card for an EEC country and haven't "needed" one
for some years. However, you will need it for non-EEC countries. When you are
travelling in EEC countries, you will have the legal minimum insurance cover
provided that you have it at home. The green card is a convenient method of you
and your insurance company agreeing that you have more than that.

A further difficulty is that this isn't understood very well by various police
forces and they can either mislead you or hold you up while they check you're
correct. So, it's a good idea to carry it.

The 35 days mentioned by the previous note, is just the period of time that that
particular insurance company will cover you for more than the legal minimum
whilst abroad without charging you exatra. The only thing that changes beyond
that perioud is that they charge you.

Without going ito it, 'cos I've gone on enoughm, you should not see travelling
under a particular country's legal minimum insurance as a viable option since in
some countries, Spain for example, you run the risk of them impounding your car
in the event of an accident util they decide who has got to pay. Then we come on
to Bail Bonds, but if you think this was boring, they're mind boggling.

M.

    Chaps,
    
    If you have a second car for which you need UK breakdown insurance and
    take your company car abroad for holidays etc. here's a way that might
    say you money.
    
    Under the National Breakdown 'Green Flag' service you get full cover
    (home start, recovery, legal expenses) and free European cover for �84.
    This is for a nominated car, driven by anyone.
    
    You can add to this �10.50 (NB Freephone quote) or �17.50 (brochure
    price) and extend this to any car driven by yourself or partner in the
    UK (only).
    
    I wanted to get full cover for my wife's car, but also cover for my
    company car when we take it abroad. We don't take my wife's car abroad.
    
    NB suggested that I nominate the company car as my first vehicle.
    
    This gives me unlimited trips abroad and covers me of wife driving
    wife's (or other) car.
    
    Hence I'm only paying �17.50 for unlimited use of company car on
    continent.
    
    Smiling today.
    
    Peter