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British motorists planning to drive their cars abroad should exercise caution before hitting the road.

Such is the advice given by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance which reports that unless drivers take steps to make sure that they have adequate insurance cover before leaving to go on a foreign driving holiday then they could be faced with costly repair bills. According to the firm, just under a fifth (17 per cent) of people are planning on driving their vehicle overseas during the next 12 months. Overall, France was highlighted as being the most likely destination for a foreign driving break, with some 4.58 million motorists looking to take their vehicles to the European country over the next year. However, 1.89 million are set to hit the road in Ireland, with 1.7 million going on a trip to Germany. Spain, Italy and Belgium were also considered to be sought-after locations for drivers.

In addition, it appears that holidaymakers are planning a comprehensive journey, with about half of all those travelling abroad predicting they will cover a distance greater than 1,000 miles while away, meanwhile 19 per cent are predicting to drive between 501 and 1,000 miles.

However, before driving off to hit the road for Paris, Rome, Berlin or any other Destination in europe, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance not only urged drivers to get fully comprehensive car insurance but also to get iin contact with their insurer to advise them of their intentions to go away prior to their departure. It would appear that although many insurers provide cover for driving on the continent, policyholders need to let their insurer know of their intentions. If this is not done, Sainsbury’s reported drivers would likely see their cover reduced to only incorporate third party, fire and theft.

For those people who do not have adequate insurance cover whilst on their holiday abroad it could well be that they have to raid their own finances in order to meet the cost of repairs to their vehicle following a breakdown, accident or theft. This could well impact on their ability to manage loans, credit cards and mortgage repayments upon their return back home.

To minimise the chances of getting into difficulties whilst on holiday, the company advised drivers to plan their route carefully and to check the motoring legislation for the countries that they will be going through. Additionally, checking tyre pressure and brake fluid levels before departing was also recommended.

Joanne Mallon, car insurance manager for Sainsbury’s, reported: “When going on holiday, most people will remember to take travel insurance but we are concerned that some motorists are overlooking the need to ensure that their car journey is fully covered. Having an accident anywhere is bad enough but when abroad it can be compounded by a lack of local knowledge; to then find that the other party’s damage is covered, but not your own, is surely a blow worth avoiding.”

Those people looking for an useful way to pay for a trip abroad may well find that using personal loans is a good course of action. And for those wishing to buy a car to take to the road for an adventure holiday abroad, cheap loans may not only help with purchasing a new car but also help fund an adequate comprehensive insurance policy. Getting a loan for the means of getting a car could also be recommended, as a recent Experian study showed 20 per cent of males would go overdrawn in order to get a set of wheels.