About 50% of car insurance policies only provide basic cover in Europe, even if you have fully comprehensive cover you may find that your cover drops down to third party only when driving in Europe.

Another point to check on your insurance is the length of time you are covered in Europe as this varies too, some providers will give 90 days' insurance in Europe, but others offer 60 days or 30 days and some none at all.

You should be able to contact your insurance company and ask for it to be upgraded for the duration of your trip for a small fee so before you set off to Europe make sure you check the small print.