But that freedom can turn into a weight around your neck if things go wrong. Apart from screaming children frustrated by traffic jams as you approach the coast, there are three specific problems that motoring holidaymakers want to steer clear of. The freedom of being able to go wherever you like continues to make taking a car to the Continent extremely popular, writes Michael Drewett. If you do not want to invalidate the cover you have bought, do look before you leap.q Europ Assistance 01444 44 22 11; Berry, Birch and Noble 0800 318553; Bupa 0990 858585.. A package with baggage and cancellation extras costs pounds 99.Standard clauses in most insurance policies exclude injuries arising from being under the influence of drugs or drink - such as diving accidents in the hotel pool. People in high spirits have a greater tendency to take the plunge without checking the depth of the water.

However the latter allows individual trips of up to 60 days, and a partner can be added to the policy for pounds 35.Europ Assistance quotes pounds 44.40 for a 14-day policy for one person (with basic medical and repatriation cover) going to the USA A worldwide policy for a year compares well at pounds 64.35. If you are travelling tomorrow, you are unlikely to need it."Frequent travellers should consider annual policies, most of which allow individual trips to be 31 days long. Familiar names, including Direct Line, are joining the competitive annual policy market, many with options such as including business travel. For example, Barclays' single person annual policy with winter sports is priced at pounds 96, and Towry Law's new Premier Executive Travel policy costs pounds 105.