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Single trip European Breakdown Cover

Single trip European breakdown cover for just £4.17 a day*

Instant cover available

  • 24/7 English-speaking helpline
  • Rescue in 46 mins on average, in France
  • Five star Defaqto rated cover

*Price is based on European Comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1. ^Rescue 46 mins on average, in France.

*Price is based on European Comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1. ^Rescue 46 mins on average, in France.

Defaqto Expert Rated 5 star 2024

RAC European Breakdown Cover

Breaking down is the last thing you want when driving abroad. But with RAC European Breakdown Cover, help is at hand when you need it most. Our 24/7 English-speaking helpline makes it easy to get help quickly. And we’re the only European breakdown cover provider to include unlimited roadside assistance, and a contribution towards garage labour costs as standard, provided repairs are completed on the same working day.

Get complete peace of mind whilst driving in Europe with the best cover on the market1.

European roadside assistance in 48 countries

24/7 English-speaking helpline

Help in 46 minutes on average, in France

Five star Defaqto rated cover

How much is single trip European breakdown cover?

The price of your single trip European breakdown cover can depend on a number of different things. This includes:

How long you're going to Europe for

The level of cover you choose

Proof Point alt text description

Which zone(s) you're travelling to

The age and type of your vehicle

For example, get 14 days’ Comprehensive European breakdown cover for £4.17 a day, for a vehicle up to 1 year old travelling in Zone 1.

Choose your level of European breakdown cover

RAC Comprehensive

£4.17 a day

Our trusted local experts will fix your vehicle at the roadside if you break down. And if they can’t, they’ll tow you to the nearest garage.
Get up to £500 accommodation expenses or up to £1,500 to continue your journey.
We’ll pay up to £150 towards garage labour costs, provided repairs are completed on the same working day.
Get 2 days unlimited UK roadside assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home.
You’ll always have access to our helpline – so you know you won’t be left stranded. And help is only a phone call away.
We’ll pay up to the market value of your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair.
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home.
We will cover you for legal costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 per claim.
We cover a replacement train/ferry ticket for 1 missed connection, if the delay is caused by a breakdown.

RAC Comprehensive Plus

£6.83 a day

Our trusted local experts will fix your vehicle at the roadside if you break down. And if they can’t, they’ll tow you to the nearest garage.
Get up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and/or up to £3,000 to continue your journey.
We'll pay up to £1,000 towards garage labour costs, provided repairs are completed within 7 working hours.
Get 7 days unlimited UK roadside assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home.
You’ll always have access to our helpline – so you know you won’t be left stranded. And help is only a phone call away.
We’ll cover all costs to get your vehicle back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair.
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home.
We will cover you for legal costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 per claim.
We cover replacement train/ferry tickets for up to 3 missed connections, if the delay is caused by a breakdown.

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 covered by RAC European Breakdown Cover?

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, FranceSpainItalyGermany, Portugal and Belgium, as well as the Republic of Ireland

We also cover a range of other countries, including Albania, Armenia, Gibraltar, Moldova, Macedonia, Serbia and many more.

We also cover the offshore islands of all the countries within this zone.

Map of Europe showing which countries are part of Zone 1

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).

Map of Europe showing which countries are part of Zone 1 and Zone 2

Is single trip cover only for cars?

Our single trip European breakdown cover isn’t just for cars. We also cover motorcycles (121cc and over), motorhomes and minibuses (with up to 17 seats, including the driver) – plus light vans, and vehicles towing caravans or trailers.

We also offer single trip European breakdown cover for older vehicles. Our cover is available for vehicles of any age, just as long as it is:

  • 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

Cars

Motorcycles

Motorhomes

Minibuses


Reasons to choose RAC Single Trip Cover


We've been helping motorists for over 125 years so we know how stressful it can be when your car breaks down. It can be even worse when you're driving in Europe, where you may not be able to speak the language. But don't worry, we're here to help.

English speaking helpline

Our 24/7 English-speaking helpline makes it easy to get help quickly.

Best cover in market1

You get the best cover in market when you choose our Comprehensive Plus cover.

Quick response

In France, we get to most breakdowns in 46 minutes

3Comparison based on RAC Comprehensive Plus European Breakdown Cover against the top level of cover from other major providers as of 16/05/23. For full details visit rac.co.uk/eurocompare.

European breakdown cover single trip FAQs:

A single-trip European breakdown policy is valid for one return trip lasting up to a maximum of 90 days. When you buy your cover, you need to let us know how long you’ll be away for. The price you pay will be based on this.

If you have RAC European Breakdown Cover, please call to let us know you’ve broken down. You’ll speak to our English-speaking team, and they’ll talk you through next steps. The number you need to call depends on which country you’re in when you break down:

If you’ve changed your vehicle, please call 0330 159 1111 to let us know. Otherwise, your RAC European Breakdown Cover won’t apply to the correct vehicle.

The cost of parts in Europe varies from country to country and garage to garage. If you don’t have European breakdown cover, you’ll also have to pay garage labour costs. With RAC Breakdown Cover, you’ll be covered up to £150 (Comprehensive) provided repairs are completed on the same working day or £1,000 (Comprehensive Plus), provided repairs are completed within 7 working hours.

With the RAC, you’ll have access to an English-speaking helpline. So you don't need to worry if you don’t speak the local language.

You can choose between single-trip and annual European breakdown cover.

  • Single-trip cover: For one-off trips to Europe, lasting up to 90 days each
  • Annual cover: For unlimited trips to Europe during a year, lasting up to 90 days per trip.

You can buy both types of cover for cars, motorcycles, motorhomes, and caravans.

Single trip European breakdown cover is ideal if you only plan to drive to Europe once or twice a year. It’s likely to work out cheaper than an annual policy. But if you drive to Europe more regularly, it’s worth considering annual European breakdown cover, as it may cost you less per trip.

It depends how often you drive in Europe through the year. If you’re only going to be travelling once or twice, single-trip cover is probably the best bet for you. But if you drive in Europe more regularly, annual cover could save money.

You can get single trip European breakdown cover for as little as a day, or as much as 90 days.

Yes, our single trip European breakdown cover is designed for one-off trips.

RAC European Breakdown Policy FAQs:

If you have RAC European Breakdown Cover and need our help, we’ll rescue you as normal. You’ll have the same level of protection as before Brexit, unless we’ve told you otherwise.

Your UK driving licence is still valid to drive in EU countries. But you’ll also need to take these documents with you.

  • Your vehicle’s log book (V5C). This proves that you own the vehicle
  • A Green Card. This is an international insurance certificate that proves you’re insured abroad.
  • An additional Green Card. You’ll need this if you’re towing a trailer or caravan.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you understand what you need when driving to Europe after Brexit. Find out more about driving in the EU after Brexit.

When you buy your cover, we’ll send your policy documents to you in the post.

If your vehicle breaks down, your policy booklet contains the contact details you need to get help from us.

You may sometimes have to pay for a service up front and claim the cost back from us. To do so, please make sure you first have our agreement to reimburse your costs by contacting us before you claim. Then download and email your claim form (including receipts) to [email protected]. Make sure your vehicle registration number is in the subject field. You can find the claim form and more information here.

Defaqto Expert Rated 5 star 2023

What our members think

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