I’m spending several months in France each year with my 2004 Mercedes Vito, and I can no longer get European breakdown cover from the UK. Can you buy French breakdown cover for just France? and will they cover UK registered vehicles?
Years ago I got cover from ADAC (I think…), German motoring association, never had to use their services though
I’m wondering what reason they have to NOT offer insurance cover for driving abroad ???
have they said “why”… ???
Hi Philip,
When you say you’re spending several months a year in France do you mean the Vito is staying in France and is only used a couple months a year or do you do the round trip often?
If this is the latter I don’t see why they would refuse you the cover except if you are spending more than a couple months in a row sometimes?
If this is the first option this is much more complex as you are supposed to officially import that vehicle to France accordingly to local regulations so your case would become more particular then 
It’s probably simply the age of the vehicle.
Mmmm… be interesting to know why the refusal… we can make a stab… but who knows.
Brother in Law travels around France in whatever old car he fancies using for that particular visit from UK.
but he does have a “fleet” cover as he has several vehicles ranging from 1930’s and up… and the cover is extremely good… (he is a stickler for such things).
As I say… Peter’s Insurers should surely give a reason… (perhaps Phillip might enlighten us if he ever finds the answer) … 
Stella, I think Philip is talking about breakdown cover not insurance. In the UK you don’t get breakdown cover with your insurance unless you request it and pay extra.
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Absolutely… that is what I am talking about too… BiLaw has the full whammy… if anything causes his car to breakdown… he has repatriation and heaven knows what… wrapping in cotton wool… etc etc… 
When we were in UK… we would bring our 1964 TR to France with international breakdown cover arranged … yes, at an extra cost… but no problem… no one queried it … so I am wondering what has changed.
this tells me that Phillip used to be able to get the European Breakown Insurance Cover … but can no longer… and why ??? who knows.
My van is now more than 15 years old, and they won’t cover it. I have Personal Cover in the UK, so it doesn’t matter what vehicle I’m in, but they won’t do Personal Cover abroad. Unfortunately ADAC won’t take any new British customers, but will let existing British customers renew. If I could get cheap French cover just for France, it would be worth paying twice eg both UK and France. If I google it in UK, I just get UK companies offering European Cover, and I know that’s a dead end. I do go back and forth with the van several times a year, as my wife hasn’t retired yet!
What is ADAC ?
why is it a dead end
German AA/RAC
sorry I thought he had used a UK Insurance in the past… and was now finding they would not cover Breakdown in Europe… ???
It was that Insurance Co I was asking about… as the vehicle is presumably registered in UK… ???
RAC covers vehicles of any age in up to 49 countries…
https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/european-breakdown-cover/annual-trip
15 years old is the limit. They all say the same. Ive been though Compare the Market and Money Supermarket etc and no-one will cover it abroad after the age of 15.
Philip
What are the pros and cons of importing the vehicle?
Philip
15 years old is the limit. They all say the same. Ive been though Compare the Market and Money Supermarket etc and no-one will cover it abroad after the age of 15.
Philip
It’s interesting to hear that nobody in the U.K. will insure a vehicle over 15 years. I did say that it was probably the age that counted so I have probably heard it before. I have two cars over 15 years old and they both have breakdown insurance, on the older one it costs me a whole €14 a year. I’ve also been a member of ADAC since 1987 and although I haven’t used them for a while it’s nice to know that I’ve got that level of cover as well.