Traveling around Europe by car: what insurance is needed

Traveling to European countries by car has a number of advantages:

• The traveler does not depend on the prices of plane tickets and other transport.
• You can take a tent, do not pay double the price for luggage. Save on accommodation.
• Get to places that you usually cannot reach by public transport. Visit not only big cities, but also small villages, remote coasts and castles.
• You do not need to carry a heavy backpack on your back. You can leave all your things in the trunk.
• Save on food. Take a gas burner and dishes, cook outdoors and have cool picnics.

But in order to get all these advantages — you need to properly prepare documents for leaving for Europe. What insurance is needed for such a trip, what you need to know and how to avoid fines — read more.

What insurance is needed?

To travel to Europe in your own car, you need separate medical insurance for tourists and car insurance. Please note that two insurances are required for transport: Green Card and CASCO (optional). This means that three insurances are needed in total:

• Medical travel insurance.
• Green Card policy.
• CASCO with extended validity in other countries.

How to choose medical insurance for a car trip

It is important to understand that, as within our country, an accident or other problem with the car may occur. This applies to both the health of passengers and the integrity of things in the car. Choose travel insurance with an extended package of services.

In addition to medical services, insurance should cover theft or loss of luggage, your documents, and valuables. Such travel insurance will provide assistance not only in case of injuries, but also, for example, if your passport is stolen from the car.

Green Card: how and why to insure a car

Green Card — is a mandatory insurance document for traveling to another country. Without it, you will not be allowed to cross the border. Why is it needed? The Green Card should cover all expenses and damages to persons injured in a road accident caused by the driver of this car. The policy covers the costs of repairing another vehicle, providing medical care, etc. However, it does not cover your costs of car repairs, evacuation, and other services. To do this, you need to take out a CASCO — which we will tell you more about in more detail.

How much does a Green Card cost?

It depends on the type of card chosen. The price is formed according to several factors:

• Type of car. A card for a passenger car will cost much less than for a truck or bus.
• The validity period of the card. It can be issued for a short period of 15 days or for 1 year at once.
• The amount that the company undertakes to reimburse in the event of an insured event.
• Selected countries for travel. These are European countries (the entire system), or it could be Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Azerbaijan.

If you already know what type of car you have, then it is difficult to predict where you will go during the year and whether for a long time. If you are not sure, it is better to take out short-term insurance  for 15 days. If you plan to travel around the EU countries in 2019 in advance, you can safely buy insurance for 1 year.

Documents for issuing a Green Card

To issue a Green Card for traveling to other countries, you need to provide the company with the following documents:

• A copy of the technical passport of the car you plan to travel in.
• Driver identification code.
• Driver's license or passport.

CASCO for traveling to Europe

You probably already have CASCO insurance within Ukraine. So the best option is to expand the coverage of this insurance to the desired group of countries. This function is possible for a short time - approximately 1 month in different companies. But it will cost less than taking out a new policy.
When choosing a company, find out if it has reliable partners in other countries. After all, it is the partners who will provide you with services during your trip.

What is usually included in the service package?

• Insurance coverage for a certain amount.
• Vehicle evacuation after an accident.
• Remote consultation during an accident.
• Remote translation services.

The last two points will help you to properly prepare all documents and draw up a report. This is just as important as covering the costs of car repairs.

What else you need to know about traveling by car

In addition to taking out all insurance, you need to make sure that the car has all the necessary parts and meets the requirements. These criteria include:

• A spare tire.
• Fire extinguisher.
• A European-style first aid kit.
• A towing rope.
• A vest with reflective inserts.
• A set of tools for minimal repairs.
• A country identification mark (in our case, UA).
• It is advisable to have a GPS navigator with downloaded road maps of the countries on your route.

Different countries may have other requirements, information about which should be studied in advance. If you do not comply with the basic requirements - you can even receive a considerable fine due to the lack of a tow rope or fire extinguisher.

After obtaining all the necessary insurance, we recommend studying the rules of different countries and preparing your car. After all, a responsible and trained driver is the most reliable insurance.