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Dayinsure, which is backed by Aviva, offers short term van insurance cover for vans up to 3.5 tonnes for drivers aged 19-75. Standard policies cover driving UK-registered vans on UK roads, with options available for driving in Europe.
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Tempcover compares short term van insurance from multiple insurers. Cover for 21-to-75-year-olds, with policies available from between one and 28 days. There are business and leisure options available, subject to a 7.5 tonne weight limit.
What’s temporary van insurance?
Temporary - or short-term - van insurance covers you to drive a vehicle for just a few days or weeks.
Standard van insurance is annual and runs for 365 days, which is more cover than you need if you’re just borrowing a van for the day.
Temporary van insurance can run for a set time period, from a single day to a month.
Why would I need one-day van insurance?
There’s only so much you can fit into a regular car. If you know someone with a van you can borrow it can work out a lot cheaper to just insure it for the day than to hire one:
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If you’re moving house
Save on the cost of removal companies - just make sure your things are insured during transit
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Transporting large items
Useful if you’ve bought or sold furniture on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay
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You need a van for work
If you’re self-employed you might need to take stock to an event, or to move customer goods
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Renting a van for a day trip
Most rental companies will include insurance in the rental, but short-term van insurance will cover you if not
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Buying a new van
If you haven’t yet sorted out an annual policy, one-day van insurance will let you test drive a prospective purchase and drive it home if you do go ahead and buy it
Pros and cons of temporary van insurance
Short-term van cover isn’t the best option for everyone. It might work out cheaper to be insured on someone else’s policy as a named driver instead.
Advantages
Disadvantages
You can get immediate cover which is quick to arrange. Adding an extra driver to an existing policy can be time consuming and there might be an admin fee to pay each time you do it
You’ll pay for just the time you need, which can be convenient and cheaper overall
Most policies give you comprehensive cover in the UK and third-party cover in the EU as standard, with the option to upgrade to comprehensive cover in the EU
It’s likely to be more expensive than being added to the van’s main driver’s policy as a second driver
Short-term cover is proportionately more expensive per day than paying for an annual policy
If you need use of a van a few times over the course of a year, arranging short-term cover is less convenient than being covered on an annual policy
Policy extras on short-term van insurance
Check policy details before you buy to find out exactly what’s included in your cover.
Some policies might include things like cover for your personal belongings or legal cover as standard, or you might have to pay extra for them.
These elements of cover are generally charged as optional extras, so don’t add them if you don’t really need them:
Breakdown cover
Some policies will bundle temporary breakdown cover with your insurance.
Just make sure this is good value if you’re paying extra for it and that you’re not already covered by the vehicle owner’s breakdown cover.
Courtesy van
If you’re unlucky enough to end up with your borrowed van spending time in the garage for repairs, courtesy van cover will make sure you still have a vehicle to use while your temporary van insurance is active.
Your replacement vehicle should be fit for what you need it for but might not be a direct equivalent to the van you were covered to use.
Driving abroad
Even short-term van insurance usually gives you the minimum legal level of cover for driving in Europe - which is third-party only.
You might be able to pay extra to upgrade your insurance abroad to comprehensive if you’re planning a trip overseas in your borrowed van to import or export goods.
Van insurance guides and tools
[1]We do not offer a full comparison service on short term van insurance at Gocompare.com but instead have provided links to some companies that offer short term van insurance. These companies are not listed in an order that indicates that one is better than another but are instead ordered in line with our commercial arrangement with each one. Please remember, as different companies offer different policies, it is up to you to choose the one that best suits your needs
[2]Gocompare.com introduces you to Dayinsure.com Ltd to provide short term van insurance quotes. All providers are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Gocompare.com's relationship with Dayinsure.com Ltd is limited to that of a business partnership, no common ownership or control rights exist between us