Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

European breakdown advice - we’re stuck in Calais

11 replies

Strangerdanger1 · Yesterday 12:37

Posting in AIBU for traffic

We’ve driven to Calais and broken down. The auxiliary belt and a pulley have failed. The van is now impounded awaiting a garage on Monday - if the AA can find one.

Has anyone got any advice with dealing with the AA / what we should expect? We were left for 15 hrs in the heat with the vehicle yesterday. No one gives the same advice to us, they keep suggesting different options, failing to find accommodation locally and generally messing us around currently…

Just to add to the issues, my son has learning needs; he is attached to the van and some of the sports equipment inside.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
KentnotClarke · Yesterday 18:02

Needanadultgapyear · Yesterday 17:37

Not the AA but Allianz. Broke down on a bank holiday. Recovered from motorway, Allianz choose to recover is to the IK that day and promised recovery of the car in 8 days. I next saw my car a month later after friend in the motor industry pulled in a massive favour.
it only took the garage 5 mins to fix the car, Allianz should have kept us there to the next day recovered the car to the correct garage and then we could have come home,

Disgraceful ! We know who to avoid

Dobeebeedah · Yesterday 17:37

This is where you find out if you purchased a budget option or the full monty! Or something in between. Next time you breakdown after reviewing your policy you will know what you need in future. It's a very hard lesson and one we learnt from the first breakdown abroad.

If you had a top notch policy you would have, after one phone call to your insurers, been transported onto the ferry and taken home with accommodation included. Budget option it's do it yourself with a very little help.

I hope you got home safely with not too much of a financial load.

Needanadultgapyear · Yesterday 17:37

Not the AA but Allianz. Broke down on a bank holiday. Recovered from motorway, Allianz choose to recover is to the IK that day and promised recovery of the car in 8 days. I next saw my car a month later after friend in the motor industry pulled in a massive favour.
it only took the garage 5 mins to fix the car, Allianz should have kept us there to the next day recovered the car to the correct garage and then we could have come home,

Filly65 · Yesterday 17:37

Our motorhome broke down and this garage in/near Calais were great
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mr36cqVd7ucpQF2X6?g_st=ac
Also reasonable priced hotels nearby and a large shopping centre. Also as you say I think the buses are free and the beaches lovely, hope you get sorted quickly.

Netcurtainnelly · Yesterday 17:28

Hi. Hope your Ok.

KentnotClarke · Yesterday 17:24

Hi op sending moral support I don't understand why your van was sent to a compound and not a garage !
@zurigo which insurance did you have !!

Original poster
Strangerdanger1 · Yesterday 17:13

@zurigo thats the dream situation I had in my head.

so far, we’ve got towed from the motorway by the French motorway contractors, dumped near a compound and left for 15hrs - we slept in the van as nowhere available to stay and didn’t want to be wandering the streets until daylight 😱

Last night we were allocated a hotel room, tonight we have to fend for ourselves as they couldn’t find one in their budget 🤦🏻‍♀️

Tomorrow, we’re back to the same hotel as yesterday… then they’re not sure 😬

Fingers crossed, they allocate a garage on Monday - totally happy to stay in Calais and wait until the end of the week after next (obviously, pay ourselves for accommodation), rather than be sent home to fly back for the van. The beach and playground are brilliant. Just found out the local bus is free too!

OP posts:
zurigo · Yesterday 13:10

The thing is that every case will be different OP. We broke down in France a few years ago. Our insurance were pretty good. Car towed to nearby garage, we got a taxi back to our apartment. The garage had to get parts in and fit them, which took from Sun-Weds so we had no car for four days (on a week-long holiday). We got buses instead and took a taxi to the garage to pick the car up when it was fixed. None of it was ideal, but I was just glad we had breakdown insurance and were able to get around and back home on schedule.

Original poster
Strangerdanger1 · Yesterday 12:48

We have AA European cover - hotels for the weekend up to £500, return travel if vehicle cannot be fixed up to £1500, tow truck transport and repairs if possible.

More looking for anecdotes that what my policy should allow 🙃 it’s gonna be a long few days of faff, I think. I need some moral support 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Blimms · Yesterday 12:41

I assume you bought breakdown cover for France. What does that policy say?

BirthdayTrash · Yesterday 12:39

What do your policy documents say? There are different levels of cover so nobody here can tell you what you should be getting.