Hi all. Can anyone out there clear up a question i have please.
God forbid we breakdown on the French autoroutes later this month but if we do I understand we have to call the police who send a designated repaired to you. Whilst these costs are laid out on the internet and you know your charge - over 100 euros - can you claim this back from ( in our case ) Red Pennant or do you just have to take the cost?
Or, as our car is still under warranty would Skoda pick up the tab?
I'm sure we'll have no problem but i'd like to hear from anyone who has been unfortunate enough to be in this position
Thanks
------------- Chris
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Hi chris,as there have been no replys i thought i would tell you about our experience.We ran out of petrol two years ago whilst on a toll road in france,i knew we were two miles from the service station so after doing the appropriate things safety wise i set off on foot with can in hand in the meantime i told my wife to refuse any offer to move the car from the highway patrol in the nicest possible way because i was enroute with fuel,sure enough the sanef man turned up after thirty mins offered shelter in his van which was equipped with extra seats and hot running water so was comfortable and safe for my family.the patrol man showed i.d and got an interpreter on his phone as his english was poor and my wifes french worse.Turns out if he had moved the car it would have cost 150 euros which was payable up front and i would of had to claim it back from AXA later depending on the toll road operator some may accept payment assurance from your breakdown cover there and then if you can contact them.There may well be rules that are written down regarding procedure and we may have breached them on that toll road but it cost me nothing and we received nothing but honest help and assistance,things may well seem black and white but are grey when close up! lesson learned
When we broke down on the autoroute we phoned our insurers (maybe not the technically correct thing to do but it worked), they contacted the correct people and an official security vehicle with big deflectors was with us very quickly. They parked in such a way as to protect us from traffic and after a brief look at the car and discussion with my husband determined that the car was not immediately repairable. (Head gasket gone!)
They stayed with us until a tow truck capable of taking car and caravan arrived, again very quickly, and took us to the next exit off the autoroute where there were basic services. They would have taken us a bit further to a garage or even a camp site had we so wished, so long as it was not far off the auroroute, but we had arranged for our insurers to take over from there. We paid the fee to the recovery driver on the spot (debit card) and reclaimed it from our insurers.
Hope that helps but I hope it doesn`t happen to you!
In 2009 I had the misfortune to write my car off on the motorway the car firmly planted in the central reservation, we were stood on the hard shoulder whilst the police dealt with the car, we ended up paying nothing for the recovery or the service which I hasten to add was superb.
regards
Bob
------------- Retired and living the dream touring Europe
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Back in 1990 we were on the way back from Argeles-sur-mer, driving a two year old Vauxhaul Cavalier, when the cambelt went as we were stopped at the Peage on the Autoroute close to Macon on a Saturday afternoon!.
Thankfully at the time, we had AA Five Star breakdown cover, which I think cost £50 at the time. In the cover pack was a kind of AA cheque book, with pre-printed cheques of value values, 500Francs 1000Francs 5000Francs etc.
The cheques were accepted by the recovery people, and the very nice 4 star hotel, we had to stay for a couple of nights, whilst the car was being fixed.
The garage doing the repair, happily peeled of many of the cheques! for payment of the cambelt repair.
For us it was a seemless, no stress experience, although I think the AA cheque system must have been well abused, and I don't suppose it exists to-day.
Back in 1990 we were on the way back from Argeles-sur-mer, driving a two year old Vauxhaul Cavalier, when the cambelt went as we were stopped at the Peage on the Autoroute close to Macon on a Saturday afternoon!.
Thankfully at the time, we had AA Five Star breakdown cover, which I think cost £50 at the time. In the cover pack was a kind of AA cheque book, with pre-printed cheques of value values, 500Francs 1000Francs 5000Francs etc.
The cheques were accepted by the recovery people, and the very nice 4 star hotel, we had to stay for a couple of nights, whilst the car was being fixed.
The garage doing the repair, happily peeled of many of the cheques! for payment of the cambelt repair.
For us it was a seemless, no stress experience, although I think the AA cheque system must have been well abused, and I don't suppose it exists to-day.
I remember the same cheque book in the Europ Assist pack when we used to do Gites back in the early 90's. Never had cause to use them but it was reassuring to know all that money was in the back of the travel wallet. I guess in this age of digital communication they are no longer needed but we found them very comforting.
Carol
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3 years ago we broke down on a very hot day on an autoroute in the south of France - a tyre had blown on the trailer.
The jack didn't work so I rang recovery, in the meantime a passing patrol stopped, managed to use their jack, we deflated spare tyre a little to get it on,job done. We realized recovery were still on their way so decided to be a bit naughty and throw kids and clobber back in the car and make a quick getaway! Too late - recovery turned up (too efficient on these French motorways!), we told them we were OK now but they were having none of it and when they saw the deflated tyre, our trailer was on the back of their tow truck in a flash.
Our trailer used to be a trailer tent and still has a hinged kitchen on the back, which we now watched swinging open on the back of a tow truck as he went around a roundabout, olive oil bottle and contents of kitchen all spilling out onto his pick up. We arrived at the garage where a very cross pick up driver not keen on olive oil spent a few seconds blowing up the tyre and many hours cleaning his truck.
We were presented with a bill for 134 euros, at which point I realised I'd lost my purse and possibly left it on top of the car when I'd offered the 1st patrol some money for their help (they didn't accept it). After many phone calls HSBC promised to western union money to a post office which were now closed. The garage kept our passports and we went to find a campsite (Camping Oliviers, it was very nice but not sure where it is) Upon unpacking car to set up camp I found my purse but garage was now closed.
The next day we paid the garage, picked up passports, got a spare tyre and continued on our way back up north to the ferry, 1 day late!
After this adventure I would now wait for a patrol before ringing recovery if at all possible.
Just thought I would tell you what happened to us as it was not quite so bad as we thought it would be!!!
We went into an aire near Issoire on the autoroute (I think off the top of my head it was the A75 near Jnt 10). Anyway little did we know that the roads in this aire we so narrow that it was difficult to swing our twin axle around and before we knew it we had hit a sharp curb and BANG the front tyre burst on the van. Now after a few choice words (and of course it was my fault because I'd asked us to stop for a nature break), we phoned RP. They said they couldn't help as we were on the autoroute and had to find the SOS box and call for help.
Now we could have changed the tyre ourselves but it was getting dark and would have been loads of hastle jacking up one side, removing spare from cradle, lowering then jacking up other side and changing tyre.
So we find SOS box (in aire) and press button. After asking if anyone spoke English (omg my French is terrible) we eventually talked to a lovely man who said... we are on our way!! Three minutes later we see two massive vans tanking down the other side of the carriageway... to which I turn to hubby and state... there must be a terrible accident somewhere.. this is going to take ages. Two minutes later BOTH vans are entering the aire.... orange lights flashing... and when they stop out jump two French men.. well they couldn't speak a word of english, but they were hilarious. One of them had a handlebar moustache - our girls were fascinated!! We both tried to understand each other, they had the tyre off in a blink of an eye and within 15 mins everything was complete. We were so pleased we gave them a bottle of wine (Chateauneuf du pape - OH favourite) and they kissed us all (and I mean ALL - even OH) My two teenage girls thought it was sooo funny. Anyway they didn't charge us a penny. When RP phoned us back they couldn't believe that we hadn't been charged, gave us the name of a garage to get the knackered tyre replaced the next day. All in all, we met two super French people that we would never really have met!! Before we knew it we were back on the road... from phone call to leaving aire... 25 mins.
As you may already know, if you break down on a French Motorway, you can only be attended by the motorway operator's breakdown/recovery service.
However, you say you have CC Club Red Pennant, so you would be covered for the cost of roadside assistance and towing to a garage. You wouldn't be covered for any parts though and some claim situations may involve an excess - e.g. if you weren't carrying a serviceable spare wheel for the car/caravan.
The Red Pennant pack usually comes through a couple of days after you take out the cover and it is all very clearly explained - including all the details of how to phone for assistance on a French motorway - and what to say!
You'd have to check with Skoda, or your car documentation to see what the situation would be with a breakdown/warranty claim outside of the UK. At the very least, I would have a note of the Skoda Customer Service phone number and write it in Red Pennant book.
once again - thank you all. OH told me documents had arrived in post and as you rightly say Ulti-mates we could reclaim the costs. Far more reassured now knowing that should the worst happen then at least we can claim back that recovery cost - unless we are fortunate as shawxclan. Might be worth keeping a couple of good bottles in the boot!!!
------------- Chris
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This is what I always worry about, it would be sods law for some thing to happen in France, when we have had breakdown insurance here and NEVER used it!
I always worry about what insurance we have, my OH usually just extends our 'green flag' one to cover France, but really I need not worry, as we will be using tolls this year, and reading this means they couldn't pick us up anyway? So if we do break down just get ready to pay a hefty fee to be towed off and sorted out?!
Twenty eight ago, when we didn't have breakdown insurance, we had just come down from the Auvergne, and stopped in a restaurant in Vierzon for lunch. When we came out a couple of hours later the front wheel on the car (a Simca) was leaning in at a jaunty angle! We realised something had gone wrong, and my OH was looking underneath at what it could be, when a party of young men (who'd been celebrating a christening) came out of the restaurant, obviously slightly the worse for wear!!!!
One of them, immaculately dressed in a pale blue suit, had a look at the car, and immediately told us, in reasonable English, that the 'ball joint is breaked'! He then shot off in his car, leaving the others looking at the car. In two minutes he was back, now dressed in overalls, with a ball joint! They jacked up the car, and he repaired it on the spot, in the car park! He told us he was now an insurance salesman, but had been a mechanic, and had found the very part we needed in his garage at home. He wouldn't take any money, or any wine, or anything else, and told us to drive carefully as he'd been drinking, and though he thought he'd done things properly, he couldn't guarantee it!
We also got kisses all round from everyone, and when they'd gone, OH nipped back to the restaurant to leave him a bottle of whisky (he wouldn't take it from us), and left our address and telephone number. A couple of days later he rang us to check that we were home safely. My eldest son was only three at the time, and re-named his teddy Jean-P. Bear (as the lovely young man was called Jean-Pierre Podolek). My son still has the bear (or rather it's now in our cupboard as he won't part with it!
We've kept in touch ever since, and a few years later we all went to France for the christening of his daughter, and stayed with him and his wife in their house in Creteil where they'd moved. We still keep in touch, and about ten years ago we met him and his three daughters in Parc Asterix! So these incidents can lead to firm and lasting friendships!
Well it sounds to me that if we are unlucky enough to break down in France then, along with the hassle we can look forward to an interesting/funny/kind experience! I have a lump in my throat when I think about the generosity of all these people!
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Topic: Breaking down on a French motorway
