A short update on my preparations for this year’s pan-European trip, where I’ll be tracing Hungary’s borders.
First on the checklist was making sure my vehicle insurance is recognised in, and actually covers, Ukraine. This small stretch of the journey is by far the most interesting from a planning perspective.
The good news: my liability insurance explicitly includes Ukraine (UA). That removes one major possible roadblock.
Next step: ensuring transport. I had to move quickly to grab one of the last available slots on the car trains. Having used these routes many times before, I decided once again to splurge on single cabins – well worth it for a bit of rest and privacy during these night-time trips.
To be on the safe side, I also got myself a new International Driving Permit. Most sources list it as recommended, sometimes required for Ukraine. Interestingly, the Swiss TCS does not explicitly mention it. Given the ambiguity, it feels like a sensible precaution.
Another topic I’m currently exploring is how to insure against residual war-related risks. Even though my time in Ukraine will be brief – around 150 km – it’s still a factor that standard policies often exclude.
Realistically, the route should be low-risk, but the situation remains fluid, and it’s worth understanding what protection options exist, especially regarding damage, theft, or unforeseen disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict such as Hungary suddenly deciding to pull ‘a Crimea’ with the Uzhhorod Region and claim that they need to liberate the repressed Hungarian-speaking minorities.
Anyway—this is the type of additional coverage I’m currently looking into:
I’m really looking forward to this trip—it’s shaping up to be one of the more logistically interesting ones so far. If you know any must-see points of interest along the route, feel free to DM me!