I can't believe there is a generic answer to this. You will need to contact your insurance company again and negotiate extra cover to include Switzerland - surely you aren't the first of their customers to require this. And no doubt you will be charged an extra premium.

If you're planning frequent visits you might want to change your insurance company when the time comes for renewal; I have driven through Switzerland several times on various insurance policies under their "European cover".

On my current policy (LV) I did not select "foreign use" and would therefore expect to pay extra for it. Had I done so, the relevant clause in the policy states, "The full benefits of this policy apply in EU countries and any other country that follows EU directives." I imagine that would apply to Switzerland.

On contacting my insurance company (HSBC) about whether I could travel into Switzerland I was told it was not covered by my insurance.Generally breakdown and health insurance policies seem to automatically include Switzerland since they have signed up to many of the principles without actually joining the EU.The small print of my policy lists all the other european countries but not Switzerland and the only advice I received from HSBC insurance was 'Sorry Switzerland is outside the terms and conditions of the policy'.

I am driving to Switzerland to visit my grandchildren in August and would welcome suggestions.

First of all if you read your terms and conditions ( I have just got a quote from hsbc to get proof) you are covered normally 3rd party liability in the EU on your standard policy and "by law" (their words) "they must extend that 3rd party cover to certain other countries"

What I suspect they are asking you for is an additional premium to extend your fully comprehensive insurance for the EU AND switzerland. This is normal. I pay Provident, (who have excellent customer services by the way) an extra £30 annually and I am covered for all my journeys.

Don't forget to buy your motorway vignette for switzerland! There is a nice route from calais to dunkerque to lille-valenciennes (all toll free motorways) then maubeuge down to reims chalons -st dizier-chaumont-langres-gray (very pretty town)-besancon-vallorbe on the swiss border, toll free and lots of it dual carriageway, that's how i go when going to western switzerland.

Edited by OldRoverboy on 28/07/2011 at 09:09