| Annually, hundreds of thousands of Britons will be | | | | could cost less than a £100, while in France it costs |
| driving to the Continent for a holiday but this year | | | | £125 during the week and £155 at the weekend. |
| figures are forecast to rise steeply as wary travellers | | | | "It is really quite surprising the number of people who |
| try to stay one step ahead of the volcanic ash. | | | | travel abroad without european breakdown cover. Of |
| However research reveals that many of these | | | | course if your car needs to be recovered back to |
| motorists are unprepared for the consequences of | | | | the UK, you would be looking at even more expense. |
| breaking down on the Continent. | | | | This could cost anything up to £2,000, which is sure |
| Research says that 45 percent of drivers don't | | | | to spoil any summer holiday," says Mark Harrison |
| remember to take an emergency breakdown kit and | | | | from Online Travel Insurance. |
| only 25% are fully aware of the driving rules and | | | | In terms of what to expect from a policy, look for a |
| regulations in the countries they intend to visit. Many | | | | provider who includes roadside assistance and labour |
| also fail to check their cars before leaving, with 20% | | | | costs as standard. Other features to look out for are |
| forgetting to check the oil and 15% their tyre | | | | an allowance for replacement car hire, and hotel |
| pressures. | | | | allowance if you are left stranded. |
| Breaking down in a foreign country can be stressful | | | | "You should expect emergency accommodation if |
| with the language barrier an extra complication, and | | | | you have to wait for repair work to be completed, |
| extremely expensive. The average cost of | | | | but you may also want the policy to help out with |
| breakdown repairs in Europe is more than £500 but | | | | hire cars so you can continue your trip. Potentially |
| the the costs of breaking down vary from one | | | | you may have spent a small fortune on your holiday |
| country to the next. In Italy, for example, replacing a | | | | and its important not to let an issue like this spoil the |
| tyre typically costs £140, but could be doubled in | | | | trip," says Mark Harrison. |
| France. Motorway recovery to a local garage in Italy | | | | |