Choosing the Right Holiday Loan

Car Insurance, Christmas Holidays, and You

Author: Musa Aliyubr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Christmas is usually a time for both spiritual reflection and festivities. Since it comes at the end of the year, it may also be regarded as a time for people to look back at the year and count their blessings one by one. This does not mean that people who cannot point at any tangible achievement in the year should not reflect on events and move towards making amends where necessary. What it does mean is that as you count your blessings, you also look at your failures and plan ahead for the coming year.

Checking your insurance cover before driving abroad

But to many people the most important thing about Christmas is that it brings with it opportunity for holidays. Holidays at a time of a major global financial crisis of the standing of the credit crunch could be very challenging. Yet many people cannot afford not to have one. Come what may, theyll have a holiday and may even proceed abroad to make it remarkable.

One of the numerous fallouts of the credit crisis is that increasing number of people opt to travel abroad by driving all the way in their car. This means each family that decides to drive to a holiday destinations must check to be sure that a number of things are in place to make their journey hitch-free.

At the time of Easter earlier in the year one of the issues raised was the question of car insurance. Car insurance products on the market are several and of varying level of coverage. The most essential is the comprehensive car insurance policy which often guarantees drivers wider and adequate coverage. But when travelling abroad the situation could differ considerably. Whereas in the UK comprehensive car insurance could, to a very large extent, take care of drivers needs, in other countries, even within the European Union, the policy is automatically devalued to a third party cover.

In addition drivers would need to have with them other documentations like driving licence and evidence of car registration. In the past many drivers from the UK were found to have left these documents behind and headed abroad on holiday.

Importance of breakdown cover

Of relevance is breakdown insurance cover, which could save motorists a lot of money – home or abroad. But nearly two-thirds of UK drivers dont take with them details of their breakdown policies when travelling abroad, a study revealed recently.

Highlighting the importance of breakdown cover this week, reports quoted the AA insurance company as saying that two million drivers in the country without the policy collectively lost ?120 million last year. This amount was arrived at based on what each driver paid whenever roadside assistance was called for in the event of a sudden breakdown. The figures further revealed that motorists without basic breakdown insurance risk paying, as call-out charges, three times as much as they would pay if they had the cover.

It might seem tempting to save a few quid now and gamble that your car will carry you through the downturn without crunching to a halt – but driving without breakdown cover is like roadside roulette, AA spokesman Andy Taylor explained the enormity of the risk in a sentence.

In as much as its fun driving your car abroad its highly recommended that drivers do all that is necessary to make their holidays worthwhile. Perhaps shopping around, early as possible, for the most suitable deals on the market could be one way to begin such preparations.

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Car Insurance For Driving Holidays

Author: Alex Gregory
Source: ezinearticles.com

Many of us are scrapping our flights abroad this summer and are instead opting for driving holidays on home turf in a bid to save cash. However, do we have the car insurance cover in place for these trips?

Research from Saga shows that many Brits are not prepared for long distance journeys. Around three quarters do not pack any kind of emergency equipment or even take details of their breakdown policy; while more than a quarter forget to check their tyre pressures; and a third do not check oil levels before departing.

Things get even worse when setting off on a holiday by car in the UK compared to similar holidays abroad, with a significantly higher proportion of motorists making car maintenance checks before travelling overseas.

How your insurance cover can help

Car insurance can be a saving grace, assuming your policy is adequate.

With a comprehensive policy it is possible to take out breakdown cover alongside traditional insurance. This could offer roadside assistance and even onward travel in case you need to get to a destination in a hurry. Some breakdown policies will even offer overnight accommodation which is useful for driving holidays as you’re likely to be a long way from home.

Assuming you don’t want to turn around and end your holiday, it’s also worth taking out a policy that provides a courtesy car. If your car needs extensive repair time, many insurers will provide a courtesy car for as much as 14 days while repairs take place.

Look for a policy that offers cover for personal effects left in your car too. Imagine if your vehicle was stolen for example, with all of your clothes and baggage inside. If you are travelling abroad then check that your insurer provides the same level of cover in the European Union as it does in the UK.

Tips for driving holidays

Before you leave don’t forget to carry out spot-checks on your car. Ensure that the oil and brake fluid levels are appropriate, top-up the windscreen washing fluid and check tyre pressures. Ideally you could even consider getting the car serviced before you travel.

Make sure you have plenty of emergency equipment on board too. Pack a warning triangle along with fluorescent clothing, warm blankets, tinned food and a torch in case you are stranded during the night.

Finally, check with your car insurance provider to ensure you have appropriate levels of cover in place. If you’re not happy with the terms of your policy then compare car insurance online to find a more appropriate deal.