Thank you
Well that could work - but it doesn’t sound ideal. As your vehicle is of French origin, I suspect that a local garage would probably be able to fix you up with a suitable alternator.
and… lets get one thing clear… I’m still on the wagon… so it’s my two fingers and a thumb which have been pressing the wrong keys… 
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Not ideal bit maybe only option the garage that brought me here said they called for parts and cane find mind u ininky seen them.call.one place to be honest they got there money for recover which tbeybiver charged me and now don’t seem to be interested its getting to a decent garage is a problem.
What a pickle… ghastly for you.
perhaps this is something to discuss with your insurance company… you should have cover to get you to a decent garage… surely ???
Yes trying to stay positive should of been on ferry today and seeing the grandchildren I certain to have a word with them and make sure I get the right cover. Crazy the things u miss in small print it says if u break down on motor way we will pay up to £60 when it’s cost £170 what kind of break down cover is that… I may have to go with the generator connected to battery charger going to the cab battery maningbdure funds can get out van. Not ideal but may work as it chrsge the battery.
Its the same as a Citroen C25 so same alternator should fit. Its only the mountings and output that really matter. Problem is french get stuck and cant think lateraly around a problem so will spemd hours trying to find a Talbot one whilst the Citroen one could hit them on the head and they still wouldnt make the connection. Its a std Bosch alternator so should be easy enough.
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Obviously the British are able to, really !!
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They used to much more but I do see the decline in some. Sadly “the computer says no” generation are well entrenched these days.
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Well it is not that simple really,
We were told that we were covered but for assistance up to 500 euros in total. No figures were
mentioned when we took out the policy. As I have mentioned there were no garages in the breakdown
location who could look at the car for 4 weeks. My 500 was spent on the car being escorted back here
to Dordogne by a garage local to me. There were many other exspenses which we paid for. But the biggest
problem was the lack of support and clarity. You could say it is a language problem but I will say that this is all about how you are assisted and taking the time make matters as simple as possible.
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Sadly, most people simply buy the cheapest insurance and recovery package they can find without reading the terms and conditions. They then complain when they discover that there are limits on their claims. Take the time to research the full package and read the terms and conditions - it really pays off.
This is a general comment and not directed at the original poster
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Actually I went with Pacifica which is related to my bank and I thought that all would be explained to me at all times. But this no longer seems to happen.
I have the greatest sympathy for @welshspencer, there is little worse than being stranded far from home in a foreign country, and can add nothing to all the excellent advice already given but, just to answer that specific question, it is the driver who pays the approved recovery which would be ordered by the gendarmarie. And that is not cheap.
Once when my gearbox started making horrible noises and I pulled onto the shoulder to ring my mechanic, the first thing he said was ‘if it will drive at all in 1st gear, get it off the autoroute’. He then advised driving it back if at all slowly and gently, which is what I did.
On another occasion, the gear lever linkage snapped while in a traffic jam. The insurance could not recover me, it was the gendarmes who ordered the contracted recovery wagon. It took me and the car to their parking area and as they were not repairers, fixed it in first gear for me to drive slowly down the road the next morning a short way to a dealer where it was repaired.
All that was expensive but my French insurer provided me with a free hire car to get me home and another one to get me back when it was repaired. But that was within France.
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I am also with Pacifica and experienced the same lack of clarity.
After numerous emails, I finally received the following:
"Yes with your policy you are entitled to a hire car for 12 days provided your car is in the garage for more than 48 hours.
Your car is normally towed to the closest garage to you but this option will depend on where you are when you break down - you can speak to the tow truck driver in relation to this.
Yes your cover is valid in Europe and the UK.
All the contact numbers should be on the copy that came with your green slip that goes in the front of the car but 0800810812 is the number to call from France otherwise it is 01.41.85.97.97 from outside."
The breakdown / recovery aspect of the policy is barely adequate for an issue occurring in France - and virtually completely useless abroad.
Unfortunately I cannot find any breakdown insurance policy that one can purchase in France to cover a specific period abroad (e.g. a 2 week visit to the UK) which would provide repatriation of the car and occupants.
No our car was not towed tp a garage and the driver gave me no paperwork at all.
Paperwork is out of fashion and communication is heading that way,
@welshspencer - any luck finding an alternator? I think an old-fashioned garage (rather than a glitzy main dealer) should be able to sort you out.
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Ok, the assistance clause of a French insurance policy doesn’t work exactly the same as in the UK. You have to call the assistance number first, no matter if you’re in France or abroad. This is an important understanding you need to have otherwise you’ll always be disappointed with French assistance or insurance. That being said, it’s also important to understand that the goal of a French assistance policy (which is a subcontract of the French vehicle insurance) is to get you back on the road, not repatriate you or “arrange you” (unfortunately). Because of all that, if you breakdown abroad, you first need to call the assistance of your French policy (number on the greenslip) and they’ll explain the process or steps depending on where you are. Most of the time (when abroad) they simply dispatch a tow truck (the assistance, not you - they’ll tell you if you need to arrange this yourself but that’s almost never the case - arranging this yourself may result in the claim not being refunded), then tow the vehicle to a nearest garage so that it can be repaired and if the repairs are going to take “a while” (depends on the insurance company, usually that’s when the vehicle has to stay overnight but pacifica asks for 2+ days in your example) they’ll then lend you a vehicle until the repairs can be done (max 15 days on most policies). That’s why the assistance alone may not be sufficient when traveling abroad and you may need travel insurance to top it up as you may be stuck abroad until the repairs can be done so rebooking the ferry for example or other arrangements like this may have to be considered (and these are the kind of things that fall under the travel insurance basket not the vehicle insurance - at least in France). Sorry for the long explanation but hopefully it sheds some light on the matter?
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Yes a little too much noise on this thread at the moment, can the cover coments wait a little until the breakdown alternator is sorted?
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I would love to know which insurance companies make it totally clear about what they offer.
It is not just about the costs it is about clarity. Not every one can grasp the details and the do the
insurancecompanies make everything clear? Nine certainly did not.