Why choose European breakdown cover?
Breaking down is stressful enough – imagine if you don’t speak the language? Don’t head to the continent without RAC European Breakdown Cover. Help is at hand 24/7 with our English-speaking helpline. We’ll always try to fix you at the roadside first. If your car can’t be fixed, we’ll get you to a garage and arrange alternative transport. We’ll even get you and your car back to the UK if needed. Make sure your holiday’s in safe hands with the RAC.
What type of cover do you need?
We offer two types of European breakdown cover – single trip & annual cover. Single trip is ideal for one-off journeys and our annual cover, covers you for multiple trips throughout the year.
Both options have 2 cover level options, which include European Roadside Assistance, vehicle recovery and Onward Travel to keep you moving in Europe.
RAC Comprehensive
£4.17 a day
RAC Comprehensive Plus
£6.83 a day
Above prices are based on European breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in Zone 1.
What countries are you covered in?
The RAC offers European breakdown cover in up to 48 countries across mainland Europe. These countries are split into Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3, so you can easily select the right cover for you and your trip. This includes France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland.
We also cover the offshore islands of all the countries within this zone.
We also cover the offshore islands of the countries within this zone, with the exception of Ceuta, Melilla or the Canary Islands (Spanish off-shore Islands).
We also cover the offshore islands of all the countries within this zone.
Why choose us?
European roadside assistance in 48 countries
24/7 English-speaking helpline
Help in 50 minutes on average, in France
We’re the only provider to cover all costs, except parts, for roadside assistance in Europe.
United Kingdom
Republic of Ireland
1 800 535005 – Freephone from a landline
France & Monaco
0800 942044 – Freephone from a landline
Rest of Europe
Pay call
European roadside assistance and recovery
We'll arrange for a local garage to come out to you and inspect your vehicle – they’ll repair it at the roadside or recover it to the garage for repair.
Contribution to garage labour costs
If you’re taken to a garage for repair, we’ll cover some garage labour costs up to £150 (Comprehensive) or £1,000 (Comprehensive Plus).
Alternative travel or accommodation
If your vehicles in the garage, we’ll cover up to £1,500 for a hire car or up to £500 towards a hotel with Comprehensive cover. With Comprehensive Plus, we’ll cover up to £4,200 for your hire car and hotel.
Getting you and your vehicle back to the UK
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to go back to the UK, we can help get you and your vehicle back home (as long as the cost isn’t higher than the market value of your car).
Cover before your departure
If you break down in the UK and can’t be fixed before you’re due to leave, you can have a hire car to continue your trip to Europe.
25% off travel insurance
When you buy European breakdown cover from the RAC, you’ll also get 25% off RAC Travel Insurance.
£100,000 towards legal fees
If you’re involved in an accident while abroad, we’ll give you up to £100,000 towards legal fees.
Do I need single trip or annual European breakdown cover?
Whether you choose our single trip or annual cover depends on how often you drive through Europe each year, and how long your trips are. Both of these policies provide cover for cars, motorcycles, motorhomes and caravans.
Single Trip European Breakdown Cover
Single Trip European Breakdown Cover protects you during a single return trip to Europe.
You can buy cover for a trip lasting from one day up to 90 days.
It’s ideal if you only plan to drive to Europe once or twice a year – as it’s likely to work out cheaper than an annual policy.
Annual European Breakdown Cover
Annual European Breakdown Cover protects you for unlimited trips to Europe during the year.
For each trip, you’re covered for up to 90 days.
This type of cover is ideal if you regularly drive to Europe. If you travel more than twice a year to Europe, it’s likely to work out cheaper than buying single trip cover each time.
How much does European breakdown cover cost?
How much you’ll pay for your European cover can depend on:
- Your level of cover: we offer 2 levels of cover, Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus. The higher the level of cover gives you more protection and costs more.
- How long you’re away for: single trips usually costs less than annual cover. But, if you’re a regular driver in mainland Europe, annual cover can save you money in the long run.
- Where you’re going: we’ve split countries into 3 zones and how much your cover costs depends on which zone (or zones) you’re driving in.
- Your vehicle: the age, make and model of your vehicle can affect the cost of your cover, but we do offer European breakdown cover for older cars.
Things you need to know when travelling in Europe
There are a number of requirements that you may not be aware of when driving in Europe, so we’ve created article on all the things you need to remember to take with you in a handy checklist with 20 top tips to help you be prepared before you depart on your trip.
FAQs
Having European breakdown cover means you won’t be left stranded if your car breaks down abroad. We can repair your vehicle at the side of the road, or help you find a local garage if needed. If you don't have cover, you may find it more difficult to get help if you have car trouble while you're away.
European breakdown cover isn’t a legal requirement but it’s important to have cover if you’re driving abroad. If you break down without cover, getting help can be expensive.
With European breakdown cover, you’ll have an English-speaking person on the phone 24/7, who can arrange everything for you. And you’ll be covered for some or all costs for roadside assistance and garage labour, depending on what cover you pick.
Read more about driving abroad and why it’s important to take out European breakdown cover before travelling.
The RAC offer flexible options to suit your budget. ‘Comprehensive’ is our cheapest level of cover. The longer you go away for, the more your cover will cost. The price of your cover will also vary depending on how old your car is.
It’s worth knowing that single trip cover is cheaper than annual cover, as it only covers you for a one-off trip abroad. But if you travel to Europe regularly, annual cover can provide better value for money.
Yes, as cover is available on a single trip basis.
The RAC has two different policies, so you can compare European breakdown cover against providers such as the AA and Green Flag.
Our RAC Comprehensive Plus policy also has a Defaqto Five Star rating. Enjoy complete peace of mind with emergency European Roadside Assistance and repair from the RAC. Our Comprehensive Plus cover also includes a contribution towards garage labour costs as up to £1,000, provided repairs are completed the same day.
With both Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus, you’ll have pre-departure cover in the UK before you leave for Europe. This means you can get roadside assistance before your trip and a hire car to get to Europe if needed.
What you’re covered for depends on the level of cover you choose:
- Comprehensive: You’ll have roadside assistance in the UK up to 2 days before you’re due to leave the UK and a hire car for 6 days.
- Comprehensive Plus: You’ll have roadside assistance in the UK up to 7 days before you’re due to leave the UK and a hire car for 23 days.
No. If you haven’t added European breakdown cover to your policy, your standard RAC Breakdown Cover policy will only cover you in the UK.
If you’re unsure, it’s worth checking your policy documents to see exactly what’s included in your cover. You can also log in to myRAC to check your cover.
If you break down abroad without European breakdown cover, we won’t be able to help you. That’s why it’s important to get European breakdown cover before you leave the UK.
Without it, you’d need to find a recovery company and a garage yourself, which can be hard if you don’t know the area or speak the language. You’ll also have to pay all recovery and repair costs yourself, which can be even more expensive if your vehicle can’t be fixed, and you need to get you and your vehicle home.
Some car insurance policies will cover you for a number of days driving in Europe, but it depends on your insurance provider. You should always check your car insurance policy documents before starting any trip to ensure you have the right cover in place.
You could choose to purchase a comprehensive short-term insurance policy and add additional European cover. Tailor your policy for up to 30 days of cover, purchase online, and you’ll be covered to drive almost instantly.
Read more about our temporary car insurance.
RAC European Breakdown Cover is separate from your UK membership, so you don’t need to be an RAC member to get it. But if you are an RAC member, you can access all your policy documents and details for your European cover through your normal myRAC account, and in the myRAC app.
You can drive a UK car in Europe, but you need to have the right insurance, documentation, and car equipment to make sure you’re following the correct driving rules.
You’ll need:
- A valid driver’s licence
- Valid vehicle insurance
- Vehicle registration documents (your log book, or a VE103 if you’ve rented your vehicle)
You may need:
- Emissions stickers (for certain European cities)
- Headlight converters
- A UK sticker
- A reflective jacket and warning triangle in the car
While your right-hand drive vehicle will not be a problem, if you don’t have the correct legally required items, you may face a penalty. So be sure to check the local rules before you travel.
If your vehicle breaks down when you’re travelling in Europe, there’s no need to panic:
Pull over safely. Make sure you’re away from traffic or on the hard shoulder.
Get out of your vehicle. Keep a safe distance from moving traffic.
Call for assistance. Tell us your location and we’ll talk you through what happens next.
Even if you have UK breakdown cover in place, you probably won’t be covered for European roadside assistance abroad. By taking out breakdown cover before you drive to Europe, you’ll have access to roadside assistance abroad, onward travel services and help towards legal fees if you do have an issue during your trip.
Also, pair the stress of an incident with a language you may not be fluent in, and a lack of understanding of local road rules and regulations. If you do break down while you’re away, you’ll want European breakdown cover for complete peace of mind.
Read more about driving abroad and why you should take out European breakdown cover before travelling.
Our European breakdown cover isn’t just for cars. We also cover motorhomes, campervans, minibuses, vehicles towing caravans or trailers, motorcycles (121cc or over) and vans. They must be:
- Registered as a private vehicle in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man
- A maximum of 3,500 kg (3.5 tonnes) when fully loaded. This weight is called the gross vehicle mass (GVM)
- A maximum of 7 metres long (including a tow bar), 3 metres high and 2.55 metres wide – including any load you’re carrying
- Vehicle log book (V5C) – this shows that you’re the registered keeper. We would need a copy of your log book to bring your broken down vehicle home. If you’re driving a hired or leased vehicle, you need the VE103 to show you’re allowed to use it abroad.
- UK sticker – needs to be displayed on the rear of your vehicle regardless of whether you have a EU symbol on your number place (not required in Republic of Ireland).
- International Driving Permit (IDP) – If you don’t have a photocard driving licence, you’ll need to get an international driving permit at a cost £5.50. For more details, please visit the driving abroad pages of the government website.
- Trailer registration – some commercial and non-commercial trailers must be registered before towing to or through most EU and EEA countries. If you plan to take out European caravan breakdown cover then it’s important to check your trailer before travelling. Find out more about trailer registration on gov.uk.
- Insurance green cards are no longer required for UK motorists driving in the EU.
Read more about driving in the EU post-Brexit
Page reviewed by: Andy Baker
Last updated 22/10/24