Insurance
Family visiting
How temporary car insurance can help you get around without hiring a car
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 05/08/2026
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 05/08/2026
Forget about hiring a car when you have family coming to visit. Take out temporary car insurance so they can get around.
With temporary car insurance, you can cover your son, daughter or any other relative to drive your car for a set period - any time from one hour to 28 days - without affecting your annual policy. It can work the other way, too. If you’re the one visiting, you can arrange short-term cover to drive a parent’s or relative’s car instead of hiring one.
While some annual policies include driving other cars (DOC), this is increasingly rare and is often only third party. Tempcover’s policies come comprehensive as standard and you only pay one price for the time you need. You don’t have to factor in rental charges, excess or mileage limits.
Another advantage of using temporary car insurance is you’re driving a familiar car. You can ask someone you know and trust if you have any questions and you can be on the road in minutes. There’s no long and boring paperwork to fill out, just a few simple questions to answer.
If you’re planning on staying for longer than a month, you may want to look into adding a named driver to an existing annual policy. You can then consider what works best for your situation.
Yes. Temporary car insurance covers your son or daughter to drive your car for a set period, without touching your annual policy or no claims discount. It's usually quicker to set up than adding them as a named driver, and you only pay for the days you need.
Tempcover’s temporary car insurance policies run from an hour up to 28 days. That covers everything from a single trip to an extended visit. For anything longer, you'll usually need to look at adding a named driver to an annual policy instead.
Yes, if you meet the insurer's age and licence requirements. Temporary car insurance works both ways. You can cover yourself to drive a parent's car for a day, a week, or up to 28 days, without going on their annual policy.
Yes. You must be insured to drive any car, including a parent's, either as a named driver or through a separate temporary policy. Driving without valid insurance is illegal, even with the owner's permission.
Yes, insurance is always required, whoever owns the car. Some annual policies include limited cover to drive other cars, but this is rare and shouldn't be assumed. Check with the owner's insurer, or arrange your own temporary cover, before you drive.
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