European Motorhome Travel Insurance: Answering Your FAQs

You’re packed and ready to ride off into the sunset for your European motorhome holiday, exploring everything that it has to offer. But have you checked your motorhome insurance? When you’re travelling abroad, your policy should include European travel, so you can rest assured that you’re covered wherever the road may take you.

At Footman James, we offer specialist motorhome cover with European travel included, so let’s explore some of the most common questions we hear about international cover.

It really depends on the insurer. Some policies will automatically include comprehensive European travel, while others only offer the basics – protecting you if you injure someone while driving or cause damage to their property. Choosing a more comprehensive policy means you’ll also get fire and theft protection that extends to Europe, giving you broader cover wherever you’re driving.

However, watch out for the duration limits. Most insurers will restrict European trips to 30, 60, or 90 days in a year, so check your policy carefully.

At Footman James, our motorhome insurance includes up to 180 days of cover per year for travel in 34 European countries, giving you the flexibility you need to travel with confidence.

When you’re driving in European countries, make sure you’ve got some key documents to hand, including your:

Driving Documentation & Legal Requirements

• International Driving Permit (IDP) may be required

Needed if you only have: an older-style paper licence, or a licence issued in Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man

MOT and vehicle tax must remain valid for the full trip: Letting them expire abroad can cause issues returning to the UK

• Make copies of your documents before you leave, so you have a record of them in case they go missing or are stolen.

Vehicle Identification & Equipment Requirements

• UK identifier sticker may be compulsory
  Needed even if your plate shows the UK code in Spain, Cyprus, and Malta

• Country‑specific mandatory equipment. Many EU countries legally require items such as: warning triangles, high‑visibility vests for each occupant, headlamp beam converters

• Vignettes (road tax stickers) may be required. Especially for driving in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and similar countries.

• Environmental / emissions stickers. Required for low‑emission zones in cities like Paris, Berlin, etc. France uses Crit'Air stickers. 

You shouldn’t need a Green Card when driving in most countries in Europe. There are some exceptions for non-EU countries in Europe including: Albania, Turkey and North Macedonia. It’s worth doing a quick check before you go.

Typically, European breakdown cover isn’t included in European motorhome insurance as standard. That’s because motorhomes and campervans need specialist breakdown cover abroad to account for things like costly recovery costs when you cross borders, and repatriation from distant countries. It also needs to factor in temporary accommodation costs, which can mount up for longer repairs.

At Footman James, we offer European breakdown cover in a standalone package, which includes:

• Roadside assistance

• Recovery to local garages

• Temporary accommodation

• Vehicle repatriation if repairs can’t be completed abroad

Some policies also cover caravan towing or provide hire vehicles so you can keep travelling.

Carefully check your policy exclusions before you hit the road, so there are no nasty surprises later on:

Common exclusions include:

• Trips exceeding certain lengths of time

• Travel to certain countries

• Not having your necessary legal documents

• Modifying your vehicle without declaration

• Exceeding mileage limits

• Exceeding weight limits

• Using your vehicle for commercial purposes

Making a claim in Europe is a bit more complicated than doing so in the UK, but at Footman James – we can help you every step of the way.

It’s worth always keeping your insurer’s 24/7 emergency numbers to hand, so you can contact them as soon as anything goes wrong – be that a minor or major accident – and try to obtain a police report. If you’re having trouble with the language barrier when dealing with local police or repair companies, many insurers offer translation services to help.

Be wary of authorising repairs abroad. Unless safety issues mean that you need them done as quickly as possible, it’s often cheaper to repair the vehicle back in the UK, check with your insurer before taking any further steps.

At Footman James, we’re brokers with over 35 years’ experience supporting classic vehicle owners and enthusiasts. We combine heritage-led expertise with tailored protection, offering options like breakdown and legal cover through our FJ+ additions, so you can personalise your policy to suit you.

With a dedicated UK service team and a reputation for specialist insurance across classics, bikes, high‑value vehicles and more, we can deliver reliable, knowledgeable cover for your motorhome.

Your policy will include:

✔ Accidental damage, fire, theft and malicious damage as standard on Comprehensive cover

✔ Personal accident cover included up to £5,000 if you are involved in an accident

✔ Windscreen and glass cover up to £500 on Comprehensive cover

✔ 180 days cover to drive in the EU