Moving House or Going On a Road Trip? Temporary Car Insurance Makes Sense

Susan Difford - Clean Green Compare Personal Lines Insurance Expert
Written by  Susan DiffordUpdated  9 May 20252 min read

Table of Contents

There are times when you might need the use of a car for a specific purpose, whether you’re going on a road trip or need car insurance moving house. In such cases, you might not necessarily need a long-term policy and can benefit by getting temporary car insurance instead. In this guide we’ll be looking at temporary car insurance in more detail, including why you might need it and the factors that affect cost.

Key points

What Are The Main Uses For Temporary Car Insurance?

  • One-off trips: Temporary car insurance is ideal for any one-off trips, for example if you’re moving house.
  • Emergencies: Another thing that temporary car insurance is useful for is emergencies. For example if you had to drive a friend or family member to the hospital.
  • Road trips: It’s also great for road trips although it’s important to know that you cannot get temporary cover for hired cars.

stack of twenty pound notes

What are the main types of temporary car insurance?

The main types cover you can get are:

  • Third party only: This will make the car legal to drive but doesn’t provide cover for your own car if it were damaged.
  • Third party, fire and theft: The same as above but fire damage and theft are both covered too.
  • Fully comprehensive: This will cover your car for all types of accidents, including those where you are liable.

How much does temporary car insurance cost?

The cost of a temporary car insurance policy depends on a few factors. The main ones are:

  • Length of the policy: You can get temporary cover for as little as one hour and as much as 28 days. Of course the longer you need it for, the more it will cost.
  • Level of cover: As you would expect, a third party only policy is cheaper than a fully comprehensive one.
  • The value of the car being insured: The value of the car you’re getting cover for will be a big factor that affects the cost of cover too.

Can I get cover on a friend's car?

Yes, provided the car isn’t hired, you can absolutely get temporary cover on a friend’s car.

In Summary

  • You can choose the exact level of cover you want with a temporary policy, just as you would with regular car insurance.
  • The cost depends on things like the length of the policy and the value of the car being insured.
  • You can get cover from one hour up to 28 days.

Compare Temporary Car Insurance Quotes!

Don't have your registration number? No problem, click here

DEBUG OUTPUT
max_posts: 4
posts_per_page in Query: 4
Posts found (paged query): 9
Posts found (all): 9
WP_Query args:
Array
(
[post_type] => guide
[posts_per_page] => 4
[post_status] => publish
[tax_query] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[taxonomy] => guide_category
[field] => term_id
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 3509
)
[operator] => IN
)
)
)
Young Lady Driving Car

Can I get car insurance for one day?

DEBUG: Excerpt from excerpt: Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Read More

Related guides

Young Lady Driving Car

Can I get car insurance for one day?

Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Read More

Can a Non-UK Resident Get Temporary Car Insurance in the UK?

Yes, it is possible for a non-UK resident to get temporary car insurance for non-UK residents in the UK, although…
Read More

Can I Get Temporary Car Insurance as a Young or New Driver?

If you’re under 21, newly qualified, or still on a provisional licence, getting temporary car insurance is possible—but there are…
Read More

How Does Temporary Car Insurance Work?

If you need to drive a car for just a few hours, days, or weeks, temporary car insurance is a…
Read More
checklist

Temporary Car Insurance Checklist: What Information Do I Need?

If you’re looking to take out a temporary car insurance policy, then you’ll need to know what information you need…
Read More

Emergency Short-Term Cover: What to Do if Your Annual Policy Lapses

Most people will try to get a better deal when their annual car insurance policy comes to an end. This…
Read More
Van on the road

Temporary Insurance for Replacement & Courtesy Vans

If you’re a tradesman or your business relies on the use of a van, it’s essential that you always have…
Read More
House in the UK

Moving House or Going On a Road Trip? Temporary Car Insurance Makes Sense

There are times when you might need the use of a car for a specific purpose, whether you’re going on…
Read More