Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

You won't get it from me! So those in the know, please tell me all about car insurance. My wife [says she] is far too busy to go into the detail with me. All I know is that we have 2 old bangers, both over 20 years old (bought from new), that we keep on the road - as far as I know they both get the annual compulsory car insurance & I'm not even sure what that covers. Is it just third party, fire & theft? Certainly doesn't seem to cost too much. My wife organises it & just gives me the certificate for my car papers.

Second question: so is there a better car insurance available for when we return to live in Hungary & hopefully get newer cars? Something along the lines of UK comprehensive car insurance with protected no claims discounts. And is this much more expensive?

& I assume we're getting no claims discount - we've never made any claims - but does the concept of NCD exist in Hungary? Or doesn't that apply to compulsory car insurance?

Oh & since we're on the subject: do I still need to carry around my passport these days when I drive, or is my UK photo driving licence enough? (Don't tell me I've been carrying around my passport unnecessarily for the last 15 years! ) Last time I got stopped, the boys in blue were very happy to check my passport so I assumed it was still useful to carry.

Peter_in_Hungary

The compulsory insurance is just third party. The only way to get fire and theft is to have comprehensive insurance (known as casco). All car insurance is any driver. There is NCD, up to 50% bur unlike the UK you pay the full premium and get a refund early in the following year - if there was no claim in the previous year. If you have an accident then you drop back some steps in the NCD ladder. If you are that bad that you go beyond 0 then you start getting penalty %ages added to your base rate. If you can wade through the web sites then the insurance companies sites provide all the details of rates including cars, post codes and NCDs

I can't answer the passport question because it doesn't apply to me, - I have a green HU ID card which I carry like any other Hungarian.

cathyg

olscouser

Quite happy with Allianz Hungary. We actually switched from the local insurance guy to their online admin and email customer service. NCD no prob. There is also Signal Hungary you might want to check and the Hungarian AA "autoklub"can offer advice too.

Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

Thanks for answers.

Supplementary: does anybody use car breakdown insurance? I've asked my wife to research it online, but she just says you can't get it in Hungary at reasonable cost. Hard to believe & could be useful to get it for 1 of our cars now they are OAPs.

Any leads? Costs?

PaulinEger

One more thing to add...unlike in the UK where you can chop and change insurance cimpanies at wii, here you can only change companies at the end of your 12 month policy. Before the end of the policy you will receive a renewal notice which gives you a certain amount of time to shop around.

cathyg

Peter_in_Hungary

Proper OAPs ? - I do have one that was made in 1952, so it became an OAP last year.

Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

A Trabi?

Peter_in_Hungary

What year?

wolfi

The Trabant-production started in 1957/58 ...

Totally OT:

In 1990 I bought a new Trabant Kübelwagen aka Trabant Tramp (the jeep of the East German army) in a civil version - and I had the idea to take the car to Hungary later ...
But when you get older the idea of a totally open car isn't so perfect, so I sold it to a real fan...
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traban..._601_Tramp.jpg

Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

My girlfriend in 1997 gave me a bit of a shock when she said she'd been out with her friends for a small drink then on the way back the driver had done a 360 degree in the Trabi on a slippery bit!