Why Motoring Abroad Can Drive You to Mad

Driving abroad still remains a favourite option for the British. Even if you do want to do the politically correct thing: holiday at home and switch from car to train, constant problems on the UK rail network during holiday periods can make for a stressful experience. You could face a slow and uncomfortable journey with inadequate storage space for your luggage and trains overcrowded with standing passengers. The disruption to the journey itself and the fact that you could face the dreaded bus-replacement service if the lines you are travelling on are closed, can put off even the most seasoned of travellers

The latest figures from National Air Traffic Services reveal that air travel too, is becoming less attractive to passengers. Perhaps because of the rise in fares associated with fuel price increases or perhaps because customers find the whole airport experience so miserable.

It appears, then, that millions of us still prefer to spend our vacations behind a steering wheel. With 21st Century traffic levels, however, weaving our way through dramatic mountain scenery with not another vehicle in sight is a thing of the past. Driving is not as easy as it used to be. There are long tail-backs on the roads in Europe and America and looking at the bumper of the car in front has become the norm.

Bumpers themselves are another area of concern. What happens if you hit one? If you are driving abroad on holiday, you need to ensure that you have adequate motor insurance cover. Apparently, one in ten Britons sets off on a driving holiday under the misconception that mishaps in the car are covered by travel insurance. People driving their own car assume that their own fully comprehensive car insurance provides the same cover elsewhere. Not so. EU and US law both state that insurers are only obliged to provide third party cover.

When you take a hire car, the price automatically includes fully comprehensive insurance but most people don't read the small print detailing the amount of excess on the policy. This is usually grossly inflated and can be as much as £1,000. It is worth investigating standalone policies which are much cheaper and offer very comprehensive cover for as little as £69 per annum.

Breakdown cover is also a must if you're travelling abroad in a car. No-one wants to spend a day of their holiday on the roadside, let alone the rest of it without a car. Recovery prices without breakdown insurance can be costlt, more so if you have a foreign car which needs repairing or if a breakdown vehicle has to drive miles to rescue you.

Beware also the traffic violation fine, which normally arrives on your doorstep a few months after your return from holiday. You could be forgiven for thinking that such fines are just a scam since most give neither contact address nor right to appeal. This, however, is rarely the case.

In Italy, for example, many cities have a zona blu where only residents and businesses can legally access these roads. It is a similar system to London's congestion charge, if a camera captures a car registration which doesn't have authorisation, a fine is automatically generated.

Any foreign driver in Italy is at a disadvantage because they lack both motoring and parking knowledge, not to mention linguistic ability. Car rental companies can pursue drivers of rental cars for the cash and even if you were driving your own British car, collaboration between European countries is now such that you are liable to be tracked down.