European breakdown cover

What is European breakdown cover?

Cover for breakdowns outside the UK: local roadside assistance, recovery to a nearby garage, and — depending on the tier — repatriation of you and the vehicle to the UK if it can't be repaired in time. Breaking down overseas is more stressful than at home: without the right cover you'd pay for repairs and call-outs, and have to arrange everything yourself, possibly in a language you don't understand and under unfamiliar road rules.

What's included

European breakdown cover typically includes:

• Home start — if your car breaks down before you leave.
• Roadside assistance — a recovery vehicle tries to fix your car at the side of the road; when that's not possible, it's taken to a nearby garage for repairs. Check any call-out limits to avoid extra fees.
• 24/7 assistance — access to support and recovery at any time, so you're never stranded overnight.
• Garage labour costs — all or part of the cost of fixing your car at a garage.
• Onward travel — a replacement vehicle while yours is in the garage, reimbursement for public transport, or accommodation costs so you can continue your trip.
• Vehicle repatriation — all or some of the costs of returning your car to the UK if it can't be fixed; some policies also cover you and your passengers' journey home.

Some policies also add:

• Misfuelling cover — damages or repairs if you put diesel in a petrol car or vice versa.
• Lost keys — reimbursement for the replacement cost of keys lost during travel.

Before you buy a policy, check the details to make sure you know what's covered.

What to check before you buy

• Country list — make sure everywhere on your route is covered.
• Trip and duration limits — annual policies cap days per trip and per year (often up to 90 days in total), so check the policy details carefully.
• Repatriation — the expensive scenario; confirm the policy brings the vehicle home.
• Existing cover — make sure you don't already have European cover on your current breakdown policy; providers often let you add it instead of buying separately.

Who it's for

Anyone taking their own car, van, bike or motorhome to the continent, on business or for pleasure. UK-only drivers don't need it — start with car breakdown cover instead.

Read more in our guides to the benefits of European breakdown cover and tips for driving abroad.