Car insurance. Check your cover before you take your car to Europe. Page 2

Author: Emma Mayo

If you're insured with the AA, Axa, Budget, Churchill or Marks & Spencer then you're in luck - they range from 60 days to 90 days included for no extra charge. Direct Line and Esure offer just 3 days included, and then charge thereafter. Tesco and More Than need a phone call to set up the extended cover, and charges vary.

You also need to think about where you will be travelling in Europe. Only EU countries are generally covered however Switzerland, Croatia, Gibraltar, Norway, Monaco, Iceland, San Marino and Liechtenstein are all allowed in on the deal. < great loans articles - bad credit loans > Countries further east like Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria may not be covered, so it's essential to make a phone call before driving through.

You also need to consider getting breakdown cover, because you could find yourself in a sticky situation if you break down in a remote area, especially if you don't know the language. Some car insurers like Direct Line can add it on to the insurance - they charge £50 for a 2-week holiday for a family of four in France. The AA's charges start at £10.90 for a day, and with RAC prices start at £13.50 for two days on the other side of the channel. < home insurance - great articles all about cheap home insurance curtosey of car insurance engine >

Finally, a few words of advice on other precautions you need to take when driving abroad:

• Have the paper and the card part of your driving licence, your insurance certificate, the vehicle registration document and your passport with you at all times when driving.

• If your car doesn't have a number plate with 'GB' on it, buy a GB sticker for the back of your car.

• Check out the rules of the country on headlights. You will need to adjust your headlights so they don't dazzle road users. Also, you have to drive with dipped headlights at all times in Scandinavia, Italy and Spain. Motor Insurance

• Some European countries demand you to carry some or all of the following: a spare set of light bulbs, high visibility jackets, a reflective warning triangle, a first aid kit.

So now you are prepared for driving on the continent, have a great holiday!

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Car insurance. Check your cover before you take your car to Europe. Page 2