here it is Frank.
Compliments of those wonders at YAHOO .
"Taking your car abroad
By Sarah Modlock
Aaah, the open road. Driving through lush continental countryside, not a care in the world as you meander from one picturesque village to the next, stopping only for local honey and fragrant lavender. Unless, that is, you have a car full of wailing children (Advertisement)
and your other half cannot read a map.
Taking the car abroad seems like a good idea at the time for many people. Around seven million people. But there can be plenty to distract you and if you don't plan ahead, your dream drive could turn into the road to hell.
Independent financial research website MoneyExpert.com has found that around a quarter of comprehensive motor insurance policies will not offer full cover for your car when you drive abroad unless you pay extra or limit your trip to less than three days. Without the extra cover your policy becomes the minimum needed to meet legal requirements for driving abroad but will not pay for damage or the loss of your car. And most insurers insist you tell them before you take your car overseas and receive written agreement from them. Golly.
Road sense
'Taking your own car overseas makes sense for millions who want to avoid queuing at airports or driving an unfamiliar hire car when you're already struggling to adapt to driving on the wrong side of the road,' says MoneyExpert's Tim Berry. He points out: 'If you do intend driving overseas you should either check your policy before you go or when it comes round to renewing your policy move to one which offers overseas cover at no extra cost.'
Insurers which will charge an extra premium to take you car overseas include Barclays, Admiral, Diamond, Sheila's Wheels (argh.. those adverts make me want to drag a sharp object across my throat), MoreTh>n and Direct Line. Those which automatically offer cover for driving overseas and do not impose a time limit include Saga, Primary Insurance, Nationwide Building Society, Lloyds TSB, Help the Aged and Churchill.
Bear in mind that most policies limit the number of countries you can drive in - generally to European Union members, Scandinavian countries and some Balkan countries. It can also be useful to obtain an International Motor Insurance Certificate, the so-called Green Card.
Don't be green
But research from insurer esure shows that just one in 10 drivers call their insurer to check their insurance is valid before heading abroad. Many actually think the Green Card, coupled with their existing insurance bumps up their cover for European driving, not realising that they only have third party cover. With 315,000 motorists having sustained damage to their car whilst on foreign soil - be it a collision, bump or a damaged windscreen - the importance of making sure that you have fully comprehensive cover for any unfortunate mishap is clear.
Another key requirement for some parts of Europe is to carry a red warning triangle in your car. According to esure, almost half of motorists do not realise this and so drive illegally in France, Belgium and Germany. Evidence suggests that more than half a million motorists don't know their speed limits on foreign roads and face hefty on-the-spot fines which could also impact on their insurance in the UK. Blood alcohol levels are stricter than in the UK (0.5mg/ml in France, Belgium and Germany, rather than 0.8mg/ml in the UK). If you're driving, then don't drink - another reason to plan ahead and agree on a designated driver if you're in country famed for its wine or beer.
If you do have a prang you also need to consider the cost of getting your car home if you cannot drive it. Again, don't assume you are covered by your insurer or recovery company. 'Churchill motorists who become involved in an accident abroad can have the peace of mind knowing that their vehicle will be repatriated to the UK for repair,' says Darren McCauley, a spokesman for the insurer. 'If it's more convenient for the customer, they can have their car repaired locally,' he adds. Find out if your insurer includes this in your cover.
Churchill has researched average car repatriation costs and they would certainly put a dent in your holiday spending money. In France, Ireland, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria expect to pay around
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