Introduction

Many tourists choose to drive in the UK when visiting here, and so long as you have the entitlement to drive, the only other thing you need to worry about is who's car you will be driving, and how you will insure that car to be certain that you are driving legally on UK roads. It is illegal to drive without insurance in the UK, and doing so will result in the uninsured vehicle being seized by the Police.

Fortunately, there are solutions available which provide peace of mind for all concerned. Car insurance price comparison sites such as moneysupermarket.com exist to provide quotes for cheaper car insurance and there are even sites that specialise in low-deposit or pay-monthly car insurance, such as lowdepositcarinsurance.org.uk.

Short term car insurance

As the title suggests these policies offer a range of benefits. The majority of tourists who choose to drive in the UK without renting a car will be driving vehicles owned by friends, relations or someone they know. If you fall into this category, then you should recognise that while it can, in some instances, be possible for you to be added to the vehicle owners policy, this is difficult, expensive, and not offered by the majority of insurers. Short term policies, therefore, offer the following benefits:

• Competitively priced, allowing all the flexibility you need
• Cover is available instantly online - no phone calls, no waiting around
• If you like the policy and the price, documents are instantly downloadable, allowing you to drive immediately
• Cover is available to tourists aged between 18 and 75
• All cover quoted is Fully Comprehensive cover - This is the best level of cover available in the UK
• Optional breakdown assistance is available
• These policies are ideal for someone wishing to share driving on a long journey
• Most of the popular makes and model of vehicle in the UK are covered
• Immediate cover available in an emergency

What if I plan to drive more than one vehicle during my stay?

Fortunately, this presents no problem at all. The beauty of these short-term policies is that you choose the length of cover. Policies can be provided for between 1 and 28 days driving. If the plan is to be travelling around, staying with friends, driving different vehicles for a day or 2 at a time, then simply buy a short term policy for each vehicle for the time required.

Most insurers who will allow a tourist to be added to another driver's policy will only do so for a month at a time. If you planned to drive 3 cars for a total of 9 days, then this would cost you 3 months even if the insurers allowed it. With these policies, then, you would only pay for the exact time you are using each vehicle. It makes more financial sense and provides the same high levels of cover.

Site text and images are copyright of Tony Gray, 2018.