Borrow a car for the weekend and insure yourself on it, from Friday pick-up to Sunday drop-off.
Weekends rarely run to the minute. Covrly’s weekend car insurance lets you set cover around your actual plans, whether that’s leaving straight after work on Friday or getting back late on Sunday. It’s fully comprehensive and completely separate from the owner’s own policy.
Start cover when you collect the keys and end it when you hand them back. There’s no fixed weekend slot.
Cover the full weekend in one go rather than piecing together separate days.
Any claim goes on your own policy, so the owner’s insurance and No Claims Discount stay as they are.
The weekend is when most of us actually go places, and it’s often when we need a car that isn’t ours. Maybe yours is too small, not up to a long drive, or you don’t have one at all.
In each case, the need is short, clearly defined and doesn’t justify changing anyone’s annual insurance. Temporary insurance for a weekend away covers that gap neatly.
The most common mistake with weekend cover is cutting it too fine. Friday traffic is unpredictable, and Sunday afternoons on the motorway can be worse. If your cover ends at 6pm on Sunday and you’re still on the road at 6.20pm, you’re driving uninsured.
A few practical tips:
With Covrly you can choose any length from 1 hour to 30 days, so a Friday-evening-to-Monday-morning policy is no problem.
Yes. Every driver on a UK road must be insured to drive that particular car. Having your own annual policy on a different car doesn’t automatically cover you. Many policies no longer include ‘driving other cars’ cover, and where they do, it’s often third party only and comes with conditions. Check your own certificate before assuming anything.
Driving uninsured can lead to a £300 fixed penalty and 6 points on your licence. If it goes to court, you could face an unlimited fine and disqualification, and the police can seize the car.
Our blog post on borrowing a car for the weekend goes into more detail on the conversations worth having with the owner before you set off.
Being added to the owner’s policy is an option, but it ties your driving to their record. If you scrape the car on a tight country lane, the claim goes on their policy and could affect their No Claims Discount, which makes for an awkward Monday.
A weekend policy from Covrly keeps things separate. Any claim is made on your own policy, and the owner doesn’t need to contact their insurer or make changes they’ll have to undo later. Your details go onto the Motor Insurance Database and your documents arrive by email straight away.
Insurance protects you if things go wrong, but there are a few other checks worth doing on a car you don’t know well:
Remember that cover is for social, domestic and pleasure use in Great Britain. If your weekend involves a ferry to France, this isn’t the right policy.
Yes. You can buy a temporary policy that covers exactly the hours you need over the weekend, on a car you have permission to drive. Eligibility criteria apply.
You choose both. Many people start on Friday afternoon or evening and finish on Sunday night or Monday morning. The exact times are shown on your certificate.
Yes. Covrly policies are fully comprehensive, subject to the excess and the terms in your policy wording.
Yes, but every person who drives must be insured on that car. If you’re both using temporary cover, each driver buys their own policy.
No. It’s a standalone policy, so any claim is made on your policy rather than the owner’s, and their No Claims Discount isn’t affected.
If you need to keep the car longer, arrange a new policy before your current one ends. You can get another quote online in around three minutes, subject to eligibility.