Going on holiday abroad with your own car is a guarantee of independence and travel at a lower cost. However, it's important to be familiar with the coverages offered by your car insurance abroad to avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are some useful tips...
Car insurance: find out about its territorial validity
On your "insurance certificate" or "green card" (not to be confused with the green butterfly on your windscreen), you will find a detailed list of the countries where you are covered and those where you are not covered because they will be scratched off.
But to be even more careful, call your insurer before you leave to find out if the country you plan to drive to is among the territories covered by your car insurance
Indeed, even if you have "all-risk" insurance, your policy may very well provide only civil liability coverage in the country in question. Worse, in some destinations you may not be covered at all and you will need to take out additional local car insurance.
Find out more about car insurance: https://www.axa.fr/assurance-auto.html
Check your car insurance options
Beyond the risks covered by your car insurance, it may be useful to find out what options you have if you have a problem.
If, for example, you break down, will the hotel night be taken care of?
Another possible question: if the driver is injured, will a driver come to replace him to repatriate the other passengers?
Going abroad: what documents should you carry with you?
In the event of a claim, in addition to your driving licence, you must be able to present your insurance certificate and insurance certificate, as you would in France.
Also remember to have your car insurance details with you so that you can contact your insurer following the loss
The European car accident report
If you are going on holiday in a European Union country, ask your insurer for a European insurance statement before you set off. That way you'll have it with you in case of a car accident. For the language to be used, please note that French is accepted regardless of the country where the accident took place.
As with a report in France, be as clear and precise as possible about the facts and the claims.
Some reflexes to have before going on vacation
To reduce the risk of theft in or from your vehicle, find out about the least safe places in the country where you are going to travel on the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Better safe than sorry!
In the event of an accident, remember to take as much information as possible on the spot because you will need to provide your car insurance with supporting documents: photos of the accident, telephone numbers of witnesses, minutes from the local authorities, invoices for any repairs carried out in the country, press articles relating the accident, etc
