Roadside recovery experts, Green Flag, have warned that European breakdown cover is as essential as travel and motor insurance when driving abroad. Too many people are unaware that their insurance and breakdown cover doesn't always cover trips on the continent, so green Flag would like to draw attention to this weighty issue.
Research shows that it could cost in excess of �5,000 to recover a family of four with a car and caravan from Spain. The further afield you are, the more expensive it gets, and the more crucial it is you have cover in place. Dan Robinson, Head of Green Flag, has pointed out that their customers have an option to take out either an annual policy covering UK and Europe if they're likely to do a number of trips, or a short term cover for each trip they take.
'One of the key things for motorists would be the stress and worry if they did break down in a foreign country and didn't know what to do. Communicating with local garages could be difficult if you aren't fluent in the mother tongue. Green Flag customers can just call us, and we would get our trained linguists to make all the arrangements' says Robinson, offering customers peace of mind as well as speedy recovery.
Amazingly, Green Flag European breakdown cover will also cover you if you break down in the few days before you go away, as well as offering a comprehensive list of other benefits such as emergency roadside repairs and emergency labour costs, location and dispatch of spare parts and flexible options if the car is out of use, such as accommodation for you and passengers while the vehicle is repaired or money towards hiring another vehicle.
Prevention is better than a cure, so Green Flag recommends drivers service their cars before a long journey and pay particular attention to the following oil, tyres, windscreens, lights and water. Change the oil filter and top up the tank, keep your tyres at the right pressure, fill up with windscreen wash, make sure your lights work and are clean and keep the water topped up throughout the trip.
And finally, as obvious as it seems, Green Flag responds to hundreds of calls every week from people who have run out of fuel, so keep an eye on the fuel gauge and top up when you need to.
Visit Green Flags website for more advice and information of travelling abroad, and make use of their nifty online route planner to plot your journey across the continent.

Author: Simon Macsis

About the author:
Greenflag offers more than just European breakdown cover. Visit http://www.greenflag.com for more.

Article source: Free Automotive Articles.