Vehicle recovery from Europe

Have you checked your insurance cover?
I used to have classic car insurance which covered this (and it worked a treat)

Even though I top up my bank’s AA cover, apparently because I’m a Halifax customer I’m excluded from European breakdown….

Not sure what you mean by this bit. Did you top up for European cover but now they're saying that you're not actually covered? Do you have documents saying you're covered for Europe?

Fixing it here looks v expensive, esp as I’ll have to fly home, then fly back out at a later date to drive it back

Wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't cheaper than transporting it tbh. Depending on where it is, could you see if there's someone else from the UK in the area that could drive it home for you?

Plenty of companies recover cars from Europe (used to be an occasional method of bringing gear in, broken down car on the back of a low loader), a quick google shows even Shipley advertise it, it just may not be cheap depending where in France you are.

Thanks all, suspect flying will be cheaper than recovery, but taking time off work will be tricky.

Cover wise - tbh it was an assumption on my part that paying the full top up would include the European cover. But apparently that just means home start etc. Normal full AA cover would include European recovery. I need to call the AA again to confirm.

Thanks, will check out Shipley

Might be worth looking into a Nationwide flexplus account; which includes full european breakdown cover... not sure if cover would be immediate, but may help in terms of the vehicle already being in Europe

Abandon the van ?

Surely you are looking at £1-£1.50 a mile+?
Surely therefore cheaper to fix it abroad unless van is in Calais and home is south of the Thames?

Where are you in UK, where is your van in France?

Where in France and how long to fix? And where are you?
Just a thought but I might be flying to Belgium in about six weeks and will need a hire car.
If it's not a million miles from the border I could fly to the van, drive it to Belgium for the weekend I need a vehicle and then home via Dover, M2, and up the A1 to Edinburgh, dropping it off at yours and getting a train the rest of the way.
You get your van back and I save the cost of one flight and a hire car, win win.

(used to be an occasional method of bringing gear in, broken down car on the back of a low loader)

User name checks out.

Just purely out of interest - what van and what's up with it?

Thanks all again. Van is in Bourg St Maurice, so a bloody long way from anywhere useful 😂

Something turbo related, but mechanic thinks turbo itself is OK - error code just says turbo sensor, so working through permeatations of that (well, that's what I can ascertain with my French and his English). If Monday's fix doesn't fix it, sounds like he's out of ideas, so fingers crossed. If not, it will just be a flight home, then back out once its fixed. Too valuable to just dump, esp with van prices at the mo.

2.0 VW caddy maxi kombi

Wrong bit of France for me to help. Was looking for an excuse for a funded road trip 😂

Just wait for the garage to fix it
and airlines to start cancelling flights over summer hols. Someone here will prob drive it bk for you in an attempt to get home.

If it’s just a sensor issue would it limp home?

When do you need to leave? Most breakdown covers have a 48hr waiting period between taking them out and making a claim

I got stuck near Ypres several years ago when a friend’s week old new (used) car decided to part company with the timing belt. No European cover 🤦🏻‍♂️ meant he was looking around and getting quotes of £1k+ to get the car back home.

Obviously it wasn’t worth the hassle of buying an AA single trip European recovery policy and waiting the 24h until he could claim - not that anyone would advise such a move anyway I’m sure.

Yeah if Monday doesn't work out, I'll be calling the AA!