AA Five Star
It's reassuring to know that in the event of a breakdown, you'll have someone who speaks English on the end of a phone who can arrange roadside assistance.
AA Five Star – a brief history
We've been helping drivers who break down in Europe since the '60s. Formerly known as AA Five Star, European breakdown cover was only renamed as recently as 2005. The name tells you exactly what you'll be getting – cover if you break down in Europe.
Whether you know it as AA Five Star or European breakdown cover, benefits have always included English-speaking assistance, so, if you break down in Europe, we'll arrange:
- emergency European roadside assistance and repair
- recovery to the UK, up to the market value of the vehicle
- emergency alternative transport or accommodation
Check out the list of European countries covered
Driving in Europe – a checklist
Be prepared for eventualities. If you're travelling to Europe in your car, we advise you to take the following items with you:
- credit card
(you'll need it to take advantage of the vehicle-hire benefit) - motor insurance certificate/Green Card
(contact your motor insurer before taking a vehicle out of the UK to find out if you need a Green Card or if you wish to upgrade to fully comprehensive insurance) - driving licence
(including paper counterpart if photocard licence) - international driving permit
(where necessary) - your European breakdown cover documents or booking reference
- vehicle registration document or hired/leased certificate
(if applicable), plus letter of authority if vehicle is hired or borrowed. - passport
Five star advice
We recommend:
- you should carry a spare set of car keys
- you should visit our driving in Europe information
- you should gen up on the legal requirements and advice on driving abroad
For example if you're driving in France, you must carry a reflective jacket without fail and you must not carry any devices that can detect radar.
You can get things for your trip at AA Travelshop including kit for your car as well as travel guides.
Plus it's wise to plan a route.
For this and other travel essentials check out theAA.com/motoring_advice/overseas_advice – there are tips on driving in Europe and includes information on toll roads to rules of the road.
