Our service offers comprehensive cover when you're driving on the continent. Our top-rated cover, RAC Comprehensive Plus, has a Defaqto 5 Star rating and a range of features that you'll find hard to beat when looking at other providers.

Single trip European breakdown cover

Short term cover from just £7 per day

Get a quote

Price for 1 day cover for up to 9 people travelling in a vehicle up to 1 year old in Zone 1.

What is single trip European breakdown cover?

Q: What is Single Trip European Breakdown Cover?

Single trip European breakdown cover is as simple as it sounds. It's essentially temporary breakdown cover while you're driving in Europe and can be as flexible as you need - so whether your trip is just a long weekend in Paris or a month exploring the regions of Italy, you can tailor your cover to suit

Q: Single Trip or Annual Cover?

European breakdown cover is also available on an annual basis but unless you're planning on driving abroad frequently then selecting a single trip European breakdown cover may be a better option. When choosing between annual and single trip cover, it’s important to take into account the length of your trip. Annual cover will only cover a trip length of up to 90 days, so if you’re travelling for a longer period, you may want to consider a European Breakdown Single Trip cover, as this allows you to travel up to 180 days in Europe.

Single trip European breakdown cover means your vehicle is covered for a one-off trip to Europe. You can choose cover for just one day, a two-week holiday, or any trip lasting up to 180 days. And if your vehicle breaks down while you’re away, you can be fixed at the roadside or towed to the nearest garage.

Single trip European breakdown cover is also known as ‘one-off’ or ‘short-term’ European breakdown cover. And it’s there to give you peace of mind that help is at hand if you need it, without having to pay for annual cover.

24/7 English-speaking helpline
Speak to an experienced case handler to manage your breakdown

Defaqto 5-Star Comprehensive & Comprehensive Plus cover

The BEST cover in the market¹

Compare our single trip European breakdown cover

Comprehensive

From £7*

Get a quote

Unlimited roadside assistance in Europe
We’ll pay up to £150 garage labour costs²
Up to £500 accommodation expenses or up to £1,500 to continue your journey
We’ll pay up to the market value of your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing your vehicle is not beyond economical repair
UK roadside assistance up to the value of £300, 48 hours before your departure date

Get a quote

BEST cover¹

Comprehensive Plus

From £9*

Get a quote

Unlimited roadside assistance in Europe
We’ll pay up to £1,000 garage labour costs**
Up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and up to £3,000 to continue your journey
We’ll pay to get your vehicle back to the UK if it can’t be fixed, providing your vehicle is not beyond economical repair
Unlimited UK roadside assistance, 7 days before your departure date^
Replacement tickets if you miss your pre-booked train or ferry^^

Get a quote

Is single trip cover only for cars?

Our single trip European breakdown cover isn’t just for cars. We also cover motorcycles (12cc and over), motorhomes and minibuses (with up to 17 seats, including the driver) – plus light vans, and vehicles towing caravans or trailers.

We cover any vehicle of any age, 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 m long, 3 m high and 2.5 mm wide – including any load you’re carrying.

Should I choose single trip or annual cover?

Depending on how often you drive to Europe, and how long your trips are, you can choose between single trip and annual cover. Here are the main differences to help you decide which is right for you:.

Single trip European cover

If you drive to Europe once or twice a year, buying single trip European breakdown cover each time you go away can be the cheaper option. You can get cover for up to 180 days.

Annual European cover

This provides cover for multiple trips during a year, which is ideal if you regularly drive to Europe. You’ll be covered up to 90 days per trip – if you’ll be away for longer than this, you’ll need single trip European cover.

With both types of cover, you’re covered in any vehicle of any age, even if you’re towing a caravan or trailer. If you’re driving across more than one European country during any of your trips, no problem – just make sure you select the right ‘zone’ or travel when buying your policy.

Get a quote online or call 0330 332 8302.

Why the RAC offers the best single trip European breakdown cover

Our highest level of cover – Comprehensive Plus – is officially the best cover in the market. It has a 5-star rating from Defaqto and includes a range of features that other providers don’t offer.

Highlights include:

Garage labour costs of up to £1,000**
Unlimited cover for emergency roadside repair and towing costs to the nearest garage in the UK
Unlimited cover for roadside assistance and towing cost to the nearest garage in Europe, as well as unlimited costs if you need to collect your vehicle from Europe once it's been repaired
If the cost of repairs is more than £500, and the cost of repairs don't exceed the market value of your vehicle, we'll cover all costs to get your vehicle back to the UK
We also provide cover for up to 17 people, so if there is a large group of you travelling - a sports team perhaps - you can also benefit from European single trip breakdown cover³

With Comprehensive policies you're covered for either hire car or accommodation whilst your vehicle is being repaired, that way you can choose to either continue your trip uninterrupted while your own vehicle needs repairs, or if you need to stay somewhere as a result of your vehicle breakdown, we can arrange that instead.

With Comprehensive Plus, you won’t have to choose between a hire car or accommodation, as you’ll be covered for both, with hire car expenses covered up to £3,000 and accommodation expenses are covered up to £1,200.

How can we help you?

Do you know the French for flat battery? (it's batterie à plat)

We have been helping motorists in Europe for over 120 years so we know how stressful it can be when your car breaks down. It can be even worse when it is in a different country where you may not be able to speak the language.

An experienced case handler to manage your breakdown from start to finish
Our technical experts will liaise with the garage to ensure you only pay for repairs you need
We will cover the costs of dispatch for any replacement parts - please note we will not pay for the costs of the parts
Average time to attend in France was 44 minutes^†
56% of all breakdowns in Europe are dealt with on the same day^†
93% of all breakdowns in France attended within 60 minutes^†
We repair 55% of all breakdowns at the Roadside in France^†
English speaking incident managers on call 24/7 to help manage the repairs, towing and if needs be alternative travel or accommodation arrangements
Up to 18 different languages spoken by our team

Based on breakdown data collected between January 2018 and March 2019 on service levels in Europe

How does European cover work?

Which countries are covered?

RAC European Breakdown Cover is available in 49 countries – that’s more than most other providers. 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.

Click on a country to read a guide to local driving laws, travel advice, parking regulations, fuel availability and more.

We also have resources that go into more detail about our European breakdown cover offerings in France, Spain, Germany and Ireland.

Zone 1 (includes France & Germany)

Andorra

Germany

The Netherlands

Belgium

Luxembourg

Republic of Ireland

France

Monaco

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

Show countries on a map

Zone 2 (includes Spain & Italy)

Austria

Denmark

Finland

Gibraltar

Italy

Liechtenstein

Norway

Portugal

San Marino

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Vatican City

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).

Show countries on a map