French insurance question ...

[Bertl]

Hi everybody,
I think I've found "MY" car. The easiest way to pick it up would be to buy a French temporary insurance to go with the original plates (the car has carte grise and recent CT). Otherwise I'd have to take a trailer with me.
How do I go about buying insurance (what is needed to do so and where do I get it)? Is it valid outside of France?

Ta, Robert

 

[tim1casa]

French insurance

If you have fully comp insurance here, and the seller still has insurance on the vehicle in France, its all in the EU, and I believe you would expect to be covered. If not log onto webmycar.com and click on 'assurances'. The french isn't too difficult.
I recently drove down to Dover, parked up my van, went over by passenger , caught a train to a station suburb of Paris, owner delivered his F4, paid him his cash, drove it back to Calais, onto the ferry and then towed it home behind a towing dolly. Total cost was in the region of £180.00. Insurance, not sure, but nobody asked me. Most exhorbitant cost, the parking at Dover.

Best of luck

 

[Bertl]

Hi Tim,

I won't be taking any chances with insurance, it's all too easy to hit somebody. I took out insurance for three days with them, and everything went smoothly, I got my carte verde via mail.
The TGV to France leaves Monday morning ...

Robert

 

[ChrisH]

French Insurance

We were lucky. We found a French insurance company in Callac near where we have a place in central Brittany where they speak (and write) good English. We got insurance for our R4 for third party, fire, theft, glass and breakdown including courtesy vehicle for about 230 euros for the year last Easter. They just needed to sight my UK no claims (letter from UK insurance sufficed) and the vehicles Carte Grise. The insurance is valid for 90 days in any EU country outside France per trip (per trip - you are supposed return to France for at least a month between trips!).

I know you have arranged temporary insurance, but the above may be of interest to others who read the thread.

I much prefer the French system - you have to display on the windscreen a disc showing the CT is current and another disc showing you have current insurance which is good. Easy to spot 'illegal' motors. There is no road tax, it's all in the fuel price and fuel is STILL cheaper than in the UK. The only thing I don't like is that you have to carry the current CT, carte grise and insurance certificate in the vehicle at all times in case plod wants to see it. Fine, but if anyone steals the car.......................... Perhaps the French don't go round nicking cars the way they do here, they seem so much more civilised and trusting than us. Like where in the UK could you leave your car, with the radio on, the window open and the keys in the ignition whilst you sat and drank coffee in the village bar for an hour and return to find your car still there as happened in our village last year? Here it would be long gone.

Good Luck, Chris.