I did not realise how restrictive the breakdown cover which is included in your car insurance was until last week. We got off the ferry, with our trailer, and started the journey home to O'Vicedo. Approximately 70kms from home the car died and the OH managed to steer the car onto the hard shoulder.

Within minutes the guardia were behind us, and their first comment was where were the warning triangles and the high vis jackets. My first thought was how much was the fine - but the guardia then said do not worry about it but please remember for next time what you have to do when you breakdown! My first thought was this cannot be right, guardia being pleasant and not trying to get money off you.

Then our problems began. The breakdown cover only covers c120kms round trip, will only cover transport of 2 people, and they do not cover trailers. So three of the family had to get a taxi home, which cost 75 euros. The transport lorry loaded the car up, then hitched the trailer to his lorry and charged us 250 euros.

My question is does anyone recommend a car breakdown service?

And for anyone who is wondering why the guardia were so nice to us, one of them is married to the kids school teacher and he knew who we were. He also knew about my husband as a story about him had gone round the station recently - after being stopped for the third time in a day by guardia hubby was getting slighty cross and when the guardia started speaking to him in Spanish very fast my hubby turned round and said "I am English and I do not give a f@@k". The guardia looked at him and in perfect English replied "I am Spanish and I do not give a f@@k either".

Sorry I have gone off track - car breakdown service help please.

I was looking for a policy myself with full EU cover, but having studied the smallprint and exclusion clauses on most of them, I could not see a one that was worth much more than the paper it was written on.
Maybe one does exist that gives really good cover but I imagine the cost will be so exorbitant as to be not worth while.

When I'm reinsuring my vehicle, the broker always offers me all sorts of different cover types: usually a fully comp with Europe-wide all singing all dancing breakdown cover, down to one that only has "in province" breakdown cover.
As with anything, you pays your money, you takes your choice depending on your travelling habits!

I don't use them nor have had any experience, but "WHICH" mentions them as being good in UK and they offer Euro cover up to 180 days.
http://www.britanniarescue.com/

Won't be a lot of use to the OP as he isn't based in England, Here there is always the RACE or RACC, equivalent to AA and RAC in the UK.

We use RACE - it cost us 118€ last year - we were unfortunate enough to break down on our last trip to Spain and called them out - they found us and were with us within 30 minutes - you need to be more than 25km from your home for them to take you back there, but they will take you somewhere else and they will only take 2 people in the truck (that was how many seats they had).

Overall impression of the service was good - website is www.race.es

All policies carry some sort of breakdown cover.

Some have more cover than others and there is often an option for full travel cover (hotels etc).

I have a Linea Directa policy and while their basic cover is OK for normal trips, if I am going "on holiday" I just pay to upgrade it.

As with all things to do with insurance - make sure you read the policy very carefully.

Agree with Fred, the cover does depend on your insurance policy. It seems to come down you get what you pay for.
Battlezone, if you have still got your UK address and I thought you do then maybe the likes of the RAC will be ok. But then your can would still also have to be UK registered.

FWIW

I have had Brittania Rescue for a number of years and if you have their premium cover (£65 last renewal) the Euro cover is thrown in for free and you are no longer required to inform them when you are making use of it. I use it twice a year for two 3 month periods.

Jim

The OP lives in Spain, so quoting UK rescue services that give cover for a short time in Spain is of no use.