Do you want to get behind the wheel of a car for a short timeframe with the right protection against vehicle damage or accidents?
Good news: You have some excellent options for a temporary car insurance policy that will keep you safe on the road. Temporary car insurance policies are available from many providers. You'll need to compare several providers to find the right insurance option.
How can you narrow down your choices when selecting this car insurance type? Our financial experts can help. This article presents our findings from our first-hand reviews of the nine best short-term car insurance options available in the United Kingdom.
Read on for the best options available for car insurance for short timeframes.
| Provider | Score | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1. RAC | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 2. Admiral | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 3. Cuvva | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 4. Jaunt | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 5. Veygo by Admiral | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 6. AA | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 7. One Call Insurance | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 8. Dayinsure | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
| 9. Marmalade | ★★★★★ | Click Here |
What Is Short-Term Car Insurance?
If you've begun to search for short-term car insurance, you'll be aware that this policy insures you for a short timeframe. The main timespan most policies last is between one and 28 days. There are a few options that offer cover for 90 days.
It's the ideal option if you're using a borrowed car, such as a friend's car and require cover against accidents on the road. This insurance type provides comprehensive cover, and different types are available, such as temporary insurance for motorbikes and vans.
It covers post-accident medical expenses, legal expenses, legal liability, fire damage, accident recovery and more. Some factors temporary car insurance does not cover include vehicle wear and tear, damage sustained after the policy expires, negligent driving or damages caused by leaving the vehicle unattended.
How Does Short-Term Car Insurance Work?
If you're wondering how the temporary car insurance type works, it requires you to make a payment and select the policy duration.
As a learner, you'll need the vehicle owner's permission to take out the insurance cover. It requires you to provide your driving licence information, name and address, plus information about your driving history.
You will need to respond to the “class of use” questions, which tell the policy provider what you will be using the vehicle for. When you respond, you can select from options such as business use, commuting use, social, and pleasure use.
In Which Circumstances Do You Need Short-Term Car Insurance?
We've mentioned a couple of examples of when you might need short-term car insurance.
However, there is a more comprehensive range of times you may also need this temporary insurance. Here are a few scenarios you may require this insurance:
- As a learner driver — If you are a learner driver, your temporary car insurance can cover you if you have an accident when practising in another person's car.
- Purchasing a vehicle in a trial circumstance — If you are considering purchasing a vehicle as a trial, this car insurance type will protect you when you're on the road.
- Splitting driving duties with a car owner — If you're going on a long road trip and intend to split driving duties with the vehicle owner, short-term car insurance can come in handy to keep you both protected.
- As the owner of a second vehicle — If you own a second car, you will be able to leave with the peace of mind that you're protected with temporary car insurance cover.
- Supporting friends when driving their vehicle — You can get temporary car insurance to receive cover if you support friends by taking them somewhere by car and driving their vehicle.
Short-Term Car Insurance Pros and Cons
There are a few pros and cons to taking out this insurance type.
There are also a few factors to watch out for before you choose one. Consider these advantages and disadvantages before you select a provider.
Pros
✔️ Flexible amendments possible — If you need to change your insurance, most providers will allow this. You can, for instance, extend cover from 14 days and add more days to your cover if you need to use the car for longer.
✔️ Affordable options available — Saving money is possible with many providers of this insurance type. You'll be able to save more pounds than with annual cover if you only require insurance for a couple of months.
✔️ No impact on no-claims discount — Your no-claims discount with your annual policy remains protected. Even if you claim with temporary or hourly car insurance, the no-claims discount stays intact.
Cons
❌️ Expensive over longer timeframes — If you frequently renew short-term car insurance, this can be expensive over longer timeframes. In this case, applying for and having annual car insurance is best.
❌️ Strict eligibility criteria — Temporary car insurance can come with strict eligibility criteria, making approval more challenging.
❌️ Other alternatives are available — You may select other options such as pay-as-you-go policies to gain even more savings. Pay-as-you-go options charge a base and a sum for the rate per mile driven.
❌️ Cover for hire or rental vehicle protection is not possible — Your car rental company may offer insurance in the charge, but they may use third-party insurance coverage. It's generally impossible to get temporary cover for hire or rental vehicles.
9 Best Short-Term Car Insurance — Reviews
Short-term cover for cars comes in many options.
We tested and reviewed the top nine options for short-term cover for cars. To help you decide more easily and pick the best option, here are our findings and in-depth reviews.
1. RAC
With RAC, you can receive a few different cover options for temporary insurance. Hourly, daily, and weekly cover is available. RAC provides a few guide prices, and we found that hourly car insurance for four hours costs approximately £24.22. This price is related to a couple of things, such as your car type and mileage, so it may cost slightly higher or lower.
For their day insurance, the approximate price for a single day is £30.26. If you need cover for two days, this will cost you approximately £46.30, and six days will cost £87.43.
A weekly car insurance policy for the short term begins at around £92.86 for a single week and increases to £124.33 for two weeks. Four weeks of cover will cost you £186.55, but remember that these are just guide prices, and a quote will give you a more accurate cost you'll pay from your account.
We found that this cover provides all the expected features of yearly insurance for cars, including theft, fire, vandalism, replacement locks, legal expenses cover of up to £100,000, personal belongings cover of up to £150 and more.
You can select from a few optional cover arrangements, such as European car insurance for driving the car in the European Union, breakdown cover, and excess protection.
This insurance policy excludes a few factors such as wear and tear, damage after leaving the vehicle unattended, courtesy car cover, car confiscation or destruction at the request of a local or government authority, or post-repair loss of value.
2. Admiral
Admiral offers temporary insurance for cars and learner drivers for which you can select the duration. The shortest duration is one hour, and the longest duration is 60 days. When using this service, we found that getting insurance as far in advance as you may wish is possible.
When looking into Admiral's temporary cover, we also discovered that it's impossible to be approved unless you're a holder of Admiral motor insurance.
So you cannot get this cover unless you're already an Admiral customer. But the good news is that as long as you're an Admiral customer, you won't face any eligibility criteria to receive this cover.
If you require temporary cover but are not an Admiral customer, Veygo is the alternative you may require. We also looked into this service, so continue reading to learn more.
You will need to request a quote from Admiral to learn how much cover will cost. Admiral offers a few types suited to specific requirements, including comprehensive cover, third-party only or fire and theft.
In terms of your excess, this arrangement depends on your specific details. Admiral will confirm this when they provide your quote.
3. Cuvva
In as little as five minutes, you can get cover for your car that lasts one hour with Cuvva. However, this provider also offers day insurance should you need additional time, with the maximum duration lasting 28 days. We found that there are several types of insurance for cars.
You can select learner driver, test drive, or drive away insurance if you've purchased a car with a car loan, insurance for borrowing a car and van cover.
A quote is the best way to get more information about the costs of these insurance types, but we learned that the hourly price with Cuvva begins at approximately £10.39, while a day starts at £14.68.
We also found that a week starts at £32.62 and 28 days starts at £60.46. These prices depend on a few factors, including the duration, your age, and the location where you took out the policy.
You won't be able to get this insurance type if you don't have a GB licence. There are also a few other eligibility criteria to match, including using a car that is less than 20 years old, £60,000, and being between 19 and 70 years old.
Some of the protection you'll receive includes damage worth up to £40,000, damage to third-party property worth up to £2m, theft and attempted theft, fire damage and legal costs, and more. Cuvva's fully comprehensive guide will provide additional information on these inclusions.
It's possible to manage your insurance with Cuvva through their app. You simply need to register, enter the car registration plate, check the cover available, pay, and add more cover if required.
4. Jaunt
Cover options with Jaunt range from just hours to one month. When using this service, we learned that it's easy to get started; you can enter the driving licence number and registration of the vehicle you want to insure and then select the timeframe you need insurance for and when the cover needs to start.
To register, you will need to enter your contact details and information about the car.
Jaunt offers insurance for cars and vans. The minimum cover duration is just one hour, and the maximum is 30 days. We found the application straightforward and fast.
Some of the requirements to take out a policy with Jaunt include having a full UK driving licence you received in England, Scotland or Wales. The driving licence must be in date, and you should be aged between 18 and 75.
A few exclusions include release from impound, rented vehicles, exported or imported vehicles, and non-UK residents. Optional additions, such as the option to insure a car you intend to drive in the European Union and EEA, are available.
5. Veygo by Admiral
is an alternative service to the Admiral cover for short-term insurance if you are not already an Admiral customer. You can use this service to receive temporary car cover for between one hour and 60 days.
We found that you can purchase this car cover just 60 days before beginning the cover. However, there are some eligibility criteria you need to consider.
For example, with Veygo by Admiral, you should be 17 or older. You also require a full UK driving licence and need to be able to meet the underwriting criteria.
This cover is fully comprehensive, though there is a £750 compulsory excess, which, in some cases, you can reduce to just £250.
Now, we also found that this cover provides the minimum protection if you're driving abroad. To some extent, it's a flexible car insurance option. However, this cover isn't as comprehensive as the cover provided in England, Scotland and Wales.
You'll be unable to use Veygo by Admiral's temporary cover for business use. If you need cover for this purpose, you'll need to use Admiral temporary car insurance and become a customer of Admiral.
6. AA
The temporary cover you receive from AA through tempcover can last from one day up to 28 days. With this arrangement, your no-claims discount will not be impacted.
You can use this cover when borrowing a car from a family member or friend, for drive-away insurance if you have recently just purchased a car with car finance, or if you are using a courtesy car.
We found that if you're a driver aged between 18 and 75, have a full UK driving licence and have had it for six months, have been a UK resident for at least 12 months, or have had a provisional license for 12 months, eligibility with AA is easier.
You'll be able to learn more about the temporary insurance policy cost for your car with AA by asking for a quote. We noticed that this process took just a few minutes, giving us access to terms and conditions without waiting too long.
To get your quote, enter the car registration you need cover for. You can then enter how long you'll require cover and your details. Select whether you need cover immediately or choose the day you'll need the cover to start. You will then need to enter information about your licence type, name, date of birth and postcode. The AA will then process your application.
7. One Call Insurance
With One Call Insurance, you can get temporary car insurance for between one day and 84 days. We discovered that it's relatively straightforward and quick to receive a quote from this insurance provider and that many handy features are available.
The cover is fully comprehensive, you can get cover instantly, they provide learner driver cover and taking out a policy has no impact on your no-claims discount.
One optional feature is the European cover. You can extend your cover to use it when driving in Europe. All that's required is to request a quote and provide your details to begin the process. However, keep in mind that there are some eligibility criteria you will need to meet.
The age range for One Call Insurance's temporary cover is between 19 and 75. You'll require a permanent address and have had no more than two claims over the previous three years. You cannot have had more than nine penalty points, and your vehicle cannot have been impounded.
One perk we noticed when using this service is having a licence issued within the European Union, EEA, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa with this provider.
8. Dayinsure
Dayinsure offers insurance for temporary learners and other requirements. Their standard insurance is valid for motorhomes, vans and cars, lasting from one hour to 30 days. Their learner insurance is valid for your own or borrowed car and lasts from one day to five months.
When using this service, we learned that the age limit for temporary learner insurance is 17 to 50, and for the standard insurance option, you need to be between 18 and 75.
The cost of day insurance for cars with Dayinsure begins at just £19 each day or £58 per week. We found that the cost you pay from your bank account is related to the specific car you intend to insure and the driver put forward on the policy.
Dayinsure's exact costs require you to ask for a quote. To request your quote, you will need to provide a few details. You'll require your UK address, phone number, occupation, date of birth, registration number and GB licence number. Setting up your cover can take just 15 minutes, though it can sometimes take up to one hour.
This temporary cover provides the same full advantages of standard annual policies, ensuring you can drive the car with a fully comprehensive cover.
9. Marmalade
For temporary car insurance needs as a young driver, Marmalade is a good option. This provider offers options for cover if you're a student or need to share a family member's car. We found that receiving cover for between one and six weeks is possible when you need to be insured on a friend's car.
We also discovered that Marmalade offers two types of temporary insurance for cars.
The first is pay-as-you-go insurance, and the second is short-term cover. The pay-as-you-go option works well if you've accumulated low mileage. It's also ideal if you need cover for your vehicle or your parent's car; it will give you comprehensive cover if you have a full licence.
Short-term insurance for cars is only available to university students or students at boarding schools. It enables you to borrow a car just as a one-off and is eligible for students aged between 18 and 27. We found that you must be a full license holder to receive this insurance policy.
Marmalade's short-term cover can work for up to six weeks for a parent's or friend's car.
For each option, you'll need to request a quote to determine the temporary car insurance cost you'll pay. This process doesn't take long and will give you almost instant access to student car insurance.
Cover starts at one week with the temporary insurance option, but if you require cover for just a weekend or short period, such as day car insurance, you can use Marmalade's pay-as-you-go insurance cover.
Best Short-Term Car Insurance Options in the UK: The Verdict
Multiple options for temporary car insurance are available in the United Kingdom.
Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so it's always worth comparing each option to get comprehensive cover at the best price. Some top options include Admiral and AA, but look closely at each option available before making the final decision.
Begin with our list of options in this article to get the fastest shortcut to the ideal options. Ensure you enquire for more information before you take out a policy and shop around to match your requirements to what's on offer. Use temporary car insurance to protect the car you drive temporarily and stay safe on the roads.
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