AA or RAC in Europe?
Discussion
The costs are largely the same give or take £10/£15 and having looked at the small print on both they appear very similar....
What are people's experiences with the AA and RAC in Europe?
AA
Overall claim limit: overall claim limit of £2,000 per party per trip excluding unaccompanied vehicle recovery and legal protection benefits.
Roadside assistance and emergency repair: emergency repair at the roadside or towage to nearest repairer.
Location and despatch of spare parts: location and despatch costs (parts not covered).
Emergency Car hire and alternative travel: up to £1,200 per party. Car hire limit £120 per day.
European Breakdown Cover – Group: (up to £1,800 per party). Car hire limit £150 per day
Emergency accommodation: up to £500 per party. Limit of £40 per person, per day.
European Breakdown Cover – Group: (up to £1,080 per party).
Vehicle recovery to the UK: to recover your vehicle to the UK or
vehicle collection – one person's costs to collect after repair overseas.
Legal protection: up to £75,000 for costs of help and advice after a road traffic accident.
Bail bond guarantee up to £1,500.
RAC
Our Comprehensive policy provides cover from the time you start your journey in the UK until you return home.
Cover includes
Roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown in the UK and Europe
Up to £40 per day to cover the costs of a hire car should your car breakdown on your way to the UK port and can't be repaired
Whilst abroad
Garage labour up to the value of £150
Additional accommodation costs of up to £40 per person per night while your car is being repaired
Up to £1,200 to cover the costs for you to continue your journey or return home to the UK
Arrangement of a replacement driver in the event of the qualified driver being taken ill
Repatriation for you, your passengers and your vehicle to the UK
Up to £500 of travel expenses if it is necessary for you to leave your vehicle abroad for repair and collection at a later date
What are people's experiences with the AA and RAC in Europe?
AA
Overall claim limit: overall claim limit of £2,000 per party per trip excluding unaccompanied vehicle recovery and legal protection benefits.
Roadside assistance and emergency repair: emergency repair at the roadside or towage to nearest repairer.
Location and despatch of spare parts: location and despatch costs (parts not covered).
Emergency Car hire and alternative travel: up to £1,200 per party. Car hire limit £120 per day.
European Breakdown Cover – Group: (up to £1,800 per party). Car hire limit £150 per day
Emergency accommodation: up to £500 per party. Limit of £40 per person, per day.
European Breakdown Cover – Group: (up to £1,080 per party).
Vehicle recovery to the UK: to recover your vehicle to the UK or
vehicle collection – one person's costs to collect after repair overseas.
Legal protection: up to £75,000 for costs of help and advice after a road traffic accident.
Bail bond guarantee up to £1,500.
RAC
Our Comprehensive policy provides cover from the time you start your journey in the UK until you return home.
Cover includes
Roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown in the UK and Europe
Up to £40 per day to cover the costs of a hire car should your car breakdown on your way to the UK port and can't be repaired
Whilst abroad
Garage labour up to the value of £150
Additional accommodation costs of up to £40 per person per night while your car is being repaired
Up to £1,200 to cover the costs for you to continue your journey or return home to the UK
Arrangement of a replacement driver in the event of the qualified driver being taken ill
Repatriation for you, your passengers and your vehicle to the UK
Up to £500 of travel expenses if it is necessary for you to leave your vehicle abroad for repair and collection at a later date
timmybob said:
If you want to PM me on this one, I can give you my recent experiences with one of these companies. So as not to upset the mods, I won't name them publicly
The PM thing doesn't appear to be on my screen or working or whatever, can you send me an email.....my address is on PH so just go through that...
many thanks
Have you tried Britannia Rescue, they are always cheaper than the AA and RAC, have similar features (having done a comparison last year) and the clincher for me is they record the exact details of your car, so you have more comeback should there be issues as they knew in advance what you were taking.
Six days for Le Mans cost £25 as I recall.
Six days for Le Mans cost £25 as I recall.
Steven,
see my post herewww.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=91806&f=13&h=0.
You can always go for the cheaper option , but when you're broken down in a strange country and don't speak the language the few bob you saved will soon be forgotten
see my post herewww.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=91806&f=13&h=0.
You can always go for the cheaper option , but when you're broken down in a strange country and don't speak the language the few bob you saved will soon be forgotten
that has confirmed what i suspected...only bummer is I am not an RAC member in the UK....whatever, i'll go with the better service I think.
Even in the UK i wonder whether the RAC would be better, the last few call outs (with An Alterative) I've had have been 2 hour+ waits, which is unacceptable IMO...
Even in the UK i wonder whether the RAC would be better, the last few call outs (with An Alterative) I've had have been 2 hour+ waits, which is unacceptable IMO...
I'm a long standing RAC member. In over 25years of motoring I think I've called them out about 6 times and they've always been OK. However, when I went to France a couple of years ago I decided to join the ACO (French) as their 12 month membership was less than the cost of a couple of weeks RAC European Cover. The discounts I obtained on my Le Mans tickets by virtue of being an also ACO member went a good way to covering the membership cost.
My Chimaera did a gasket and dumped its coolant near Dunkirk and I had to be recovered. The ACO were excellent. The only downside is that although the call centre operator spoke very good english, the attending mechanics spoke only French which could be a problem for some.
My Chimaera did a gasket and dumped its coolant near Dunkirk and I had to be recovered. The ACO were excellent. The only downside is that although the call centre operator spoke very good english, the attending mechanics spoke only French which could be a problem for some.
I've only had cause to use the AA once abroad, and posted my experiences with them here
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=13&t=183550
I'd certainly recommend them based on that
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=13&t=183550
I'd certainly recommend them based on that
sparkythecat said:
I'm a long standing RAC member. In over 25years of motoring I think I've called them out about 6 times and they've always been OK. However, when I went to France a couple of years ago I decided to join the ACO (French) as their 12 month membership was less than the cost of a couple of weeks RAC European Cover. The discounts I obtained on my Le Mans tickets by virtue of being an also ACO member went a good way to covering the membership cost.
Sparky
I have been thinking of joining the ACO for some time, what benefits do you get at the LM 24HR? Access to clean bogs would be worth the money on it's own! I looked on the ACO web site, but it is a bit unclear what you get for your money.
I think ACO membership is about 93Euros.
You get 15Euros discount per ticket on up to 6 tickets for the 24hrs.
You get general access to the members enclosure which was basically a big marquee(sp)
with chairs and tables in, a bar and big screen TV's. It was quite comfortable with a nice atmosphere (I can't remember what the loos were like)
Post event they send you some posters and a souvenir information pack about the race.
That's about it really - plus of course you get breakdown cover in France
I was last a member in 2003 so things might have changed a bit. You could try posting on the PH Le Mans forum for more up to date info.
You get 15Euros discount per ticket on up to 6 tickets for the 24hrs.
You get general access to the members enclosure which was basically a big marquee(sp)
with chairs and tables in, a bar and big screen TV's. It was quite comfortable with a nice atmosphere (I can't remember what the loos were like)
Post event they send you some posters and a souvenir information pack about the race.
That's about it really - plus of course you get breakdown cover in France
I was last a member in 2003 so things might have changed a bit. You could try posting on the PH Le Mans forum for more up to date info.
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