Multitrip Travel Insurance Blog

We have all seen or personally experienced the devastating floods of recent weeks across the UK. Looking at the flooded streets and submerged cars, it is difficult to imagine what effected families are going through as they face another week without their homes, cars or even running water. For most people, however, insurance policies will cover at least the material losses, if not the emotional distress. But how far do you consider your insurance cover if you are driving abroad? Faced with a similar flooding situation while on your summer vacation might get you a celebrity shot on ‘Holidays from Hell’, but if you were to look out from your villa balcony to see your car bobbing in the storm waters, you may feel far happier just knowing you’d carefully organised your car insurance, in advance.

While many of us take pains to choose the right insurance for our homes and vehicles in the UK, there is far more confusion as to what happens when we travel abroad. Packing your car and driving into the sunset for, say, a road trip around Europe, may sound like an adventure of a lifetime. And there’s no reason it shouldn’t be – just ensure you check your insurance cover ahead of your trip. Like many drivers, you may assume, for example, that a UK car insurance policy will provide the same level of cover if you take your car abroad. In most cases, however, existing policies will only cover for basic road traffic accidents (RTAs) or at best, third party cover for overseas trips. This means you would not be covered for theft, fire or damage. Nor would you be covered for legal matters following a car accident. (more…)