Hello!
We are travelling in our old van to Scotland via Ireland and would like to have additional insurance that would cover repatriation of the van and us in the case of a total breakdown. Our French insurance covers breakdown to a nearest garage in UK but NOT bringing the van and us back to France if required. Has anyone done this ? Looking for recommendations of French assurance companies thst would do this. Many thanks, Julie.
Someone who might know and might be able to help is @fabien
Yes, not uncommon, but you will need to ask your insurer to give you a quote as such insurance is based on the individual situation - I say this because there are loads of caveats, such as number of occupants and importantly the value of the car. The latter in your case might be an issue for you due to the adjective âoldâ you describe your van⌠Where the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle, then the insurance will scrap the vehicle. If your van is vintage, classic, or has some other value, then you should approach via a recognised car club who will vouch as necessary
Googleâ Netvoxâ and you should get pages on the subject - or just ask your present insurer. Bon chance!
Thank-you.
Thank-you
Hi Julie, this is basically not possible on French insurance policies. The only âthingâ that can be repatriated back to France is âpeopleâ in that case the insured people on the van insurance policy (and like Adam was saying there is a limit as well as to the number of people, usually the named drivers and sometimes an extra passenger). Everything else is only âto the nearest garageâ this is the norm in France. If the vehicle is not repairable in the local garage then they will cover extra repatriation costs into another garage but thatâs about it unfortunately. If the repair time takes longer than your trip then they often insure the price of a return ticket to go get the repaired vehicle back once itâs fixed. Unfortunately this is how it works in France, the only solution to get what you want would be to seek a UK policy instead. Hope that helps?
mmm. Maybe it has changed since Brexit, but I have twice taken my Lotus Europa outside France with vehicle repatriation - yes it was a special additional policy and not cheap.
Youâre right, some insurers did withdraw from the EU (including France) post-Brexit. However, Iâm confident this type of coverage isnât standard in France and wonât be included in typical policies.
While niche additional policies may exist, the French market for vehicle repatriation coverage from abroad (even UK/Ireland) is extremely limited. Hereâs why: anyone willing to pay the significant premium for comprehensive repatriation coverage on top of their existing vehicle insurance can likely afford to pay out-of-pocket for repatriation if needed, especially for a one-off trip.
Premium automotive brands (Porsche, Ferrari, etc.) often include this in their manufacturer assistance programs, but for the average traveler, the cost-benefit analysis doesnât add up. This is why thereâs no standard âout-of-the-boxâ option in France for regular vehicles (especially for a van which is a lot harder to transport).
While niche products may exist, they rarely make economic sense, especially since most standard car insurance policies already cover travel expenses to return to France, and then a subsequent trip back to the UK (or wherever) to collect your vehicle once itâs repaired.
Aha! This is the nub! I actually told a lie - I insured for one trip thinking I was smart until I realised that the top up premium was not far off the cost of a truck back to France! The second time, I âself-insuredâ myselfâŚ
Julie, this is something that you might consider - especially if the van is French registered. The added benefit would be that you would not have a policy unwittingly cancelled due to uncertainty of parts and/or labour costs.
Now, here is something I have learnt today! I did not realise this!
Thank-you all for taking the time to reply. Weâll likely wing it and cross any bridges if and/ or when we get to them!