Trust me to be difficult
 

While most folks on the board are asking about buying a car in the US I'm thinking of doing exactly the opposite and buying in the UK. Let me explain.

We are visiting the UK late Aug early Sept this year and have looked at car rental prices for the 2 weeks and they are quite high. So we started looking at other options, one is to buy a car (looked on ebay and you can get a half decent car pretty cheap) insure it, use it to travel around with then pass it on to my daughter when we leave. How realistic is this? has anyone done this? and can I get car insurance with my US drivers license?

Any and all input welcome

Thanks
Jan :)

Re: Trust me to be difficult
 

I found it very difficult because I wasn't a resident...even though I had a UK DL and UK address. These were the only people that would cover me http://www.wisechoiceinsuranceagency.com/.

I would have thought it best for your daughter to buy, register and insure the car and you pay for it. Even so it may be difficult/costly to get insurance cover for you to drive it for 2 weeks.

Re: Trust me to be difficult
 

Thats what my mother ended up doing, she went to Spain to visit my sister, wanted a car for the summer so they could see the sites, rental was way too expensive, so she took what she'd have paid for the rental, bought sister a car, sister insured it and uses it, and it's there when Mum visits now and then.

Re: Trust me to be difficult
 

For only two weeks the savings would me small, for the summer it is very viable. We have had good rates from Enterprise who were very flexible with early return. They are at the Crown Plaza at Heathrow. If you do buy a car I would go to a dealer as ebay can be hit and miss.

Re: Trust me to be difficult
 

Aviva insures US drivers. Not sure about the resident requirement (or not).

:)

Re: Trust me to be difficult
 

Thanks for all your replies. I think this may take some further investigation.

Jan