Get covered for the continent

With schools breaking up as early as the end of June anyone heading to Europe on a motoring holiday should check more than just their headlights before setting off.

Research for M&S Money reveals that last year only a third of drivers were sure that their insurance covered them for driving in the EU, and 42% had no idea if they were insured for Europe.

Only one in five had European breakdown cover, compared to four out of five with breakdown cover in the UK.

Many drivers didn’t even realise that they should take their insurance documents with them (41%), and a staggering one third wouldn’t think to take their driving licence.

M&S Money recommends that drivers taking their cars abroad check whether their car insurance includes full policy cover in the EU. Even with comprehensive insurance at home, they may need to top up their cover for Europe, and a quarter of policies on the market charge extra for this. M&S Car Insurance includes full policy cover in the EU as standard.

Some car insurance also includes breakdown cover but this may not extend to Europe. Only 10% of policies include European breakdown cover and 24% offer as an option at extra cost. M&S Car Insurance includes this cover as standard for both UK and Europe.

Commenting on the findings of the research, Steve Price, M&S Insurance Manager, said; “It’s important to be aware of what’s required for driving in Europe as you may be caught out quite easily. For example, you can be fined for not having your driving licence and insurance documents with you. Just as important is making sure you’re covered, which is why we designed M&S Car Insurance to enable people to carry on with their holiday or get home safely if there’s a problem with their car”.