Daily car insurance
Instant, comprehensive car insurance by the day.
Get a price in under 60 seconds!
Why choose
Covertime?
- Do everything online
- Comprehensive cover
- Protect existing No Claims Discount
- Get on the road in minutes
- Insure only for the time you need
- Docs available right after purchase
- Cover from one hour to 28 days
- Quick and flexible
What is
daily temporary car insurance?
Daily car insurance is short-term cover purchased by the day. You choose a start date and the number of days - one day, three days, a week - and pay for exactly that window. No annual contract, no ongoing commitment, nothing to cancel when you are done.
It runs as a completely separate policy from any existing insurance on the vehicle. The car owner's annual policy, their no-claims record, and your own existing insurance are entirely unaffected.
What situations suit daily cover?
- Sharing the driving on a longer trip. You are away for several days in someone else's car. Your own daily policy covers the specific days you are at the wheel.
- A vehicle that sits unused most of the time. A household second car, a classic, or a campervan driven only a handful of times a year. Committing to annual insurance on something rarely used can be disproportionate - daily cover on the days it moves is more cost-effective.
- Bridging between policies. You have just bought privately, your existing cover has lapsed, or you are waiting for a longer policy to start. Daily insurance begins immediately and runs for as many days as you set.
Why daily cover rather than being added to someone else's annual policy?
Getting added to an annual policy is a mid-term adjustment that affects the premium for the rest of the policy year. Daily cover is precise: pay for the days you need, leave everything else untouched, and the cover ends automatically when your period is up.
How much does day to day temporary car insurance cost?
The price of car insurance by the day varies depending on a few things:
- Duration: Longer cover will generally cost more.
- Your vehicle: The make, model, value and power of the car all feed into the calculation.
- You and your licence: Your age, driving history and experience are also taken into account.
Our quote process only asks for what's needed to calculate your premium, nothing surplus.
For a specific single occasion rather than a recurring arrangement, one day car insurance covers that precise 24-hour window.
Our daily insurance policies are comprehensive
What is covered?
- Damage to the car you're driving
- Theft or attempted theft
- Fire damage
- Third party: damage to other vehicles / property / injury to others
What isn't covered?
- More than one driver on a temporary policy
- Delivery, courier or taxi work
- Theft or damage due to neglect; such as leaving the car unlocked
- Sole damage to the windscreen
How to get daily temporary car insurance
Getting a quote for daily car insurance takes under a minute. Just answer a handful of questions, no lengthy forms, nothing unnecessary.
We only ask what we actually need to know. Everything else happens behind the scenes, keeping the process short and straightforward.
Need to get insured for a day starting today? Just select immediate start and you'll be on the road shortly. Do make sure you read through the terms and conditions before completing your purchase.
Prefer to plan ahead? You can schedule cover to begin at a specific date and time, up to 30 days in advance.
Who is
temporary car cover suitable for?
Benefits of car insurance by the day
Your cover, your duration
Choose exactly how long you need, from one hour to 28 days. No need to pay for time you won't use.
Comprehensive cover
Daily car insurance from Covertime covers you, your passengers, the car you're driving, and any third-party damage or injury.
Useful when buying a car
Need to drive a new purchase home? A daily policy gives you cover from the moment you take the keys, while you sort something longer-term.
Straightforward from start to finish
Get a quote in under a minute and have your documents available immediately after purchase. Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Can Covertime provide daily car insurance?
Covertime's daily car insurance is built around your schedule rather than ours. Pick the start time, choose how long you need cover, and you're sorted, no annual contract, no guesswork.
Each policy runs for exactly the duration you select, starting at the time you choose. Whether that's cover for a single day, a couple of days, or a long weekend, you set the parameters.
There's no need to commit to anything beyond what you actually need. Car insurance by the day puts you in control of how long you're covered and when it starts.
Who needs daily car insurance?
Daily car insurance suits any situation where paying for a specific number of days makes more sense than committing to an annual or monthly arrangement.
Multi-day scenarios where daily cover works:
Sharing the driving on a road trip - you are covering mileage in someone else's car for several days and want your own policy for that period.
An occasionally-used vehicle - a household second car, a classic, or a campervan that only moves a handful of times a year. Annual insurance on something driven that infrequently is expensive relative to actual use; daily cover on the specific days it needs to be on the road is more proportionate.
Filling a gap between policies - just bought privately, existing cover has lapsed, or waiting for a longer arrangement to start. Daily insurance bridges the gap for exactly as many days as you need.
Looking for something more specific?
For a single defined occasion on a particular calendar day, one day car insurance is the more focused option. If you need exactly 24 hours from a precise start time - including overnight - 24 hour car insurance gives you that precision.
For the full range from one hour to 28 days, see our temporary car insurance hub.
How to keep the cost down with daily car insurance
One way to keep costs manageable is to only take out cover for as long as you genuinely need it. There's no obligation to round up, pay for what you'll actually use.
You choose the start time and duration, so the policy fits around your actual plans. Cover runs from as little as one hour right the way up to 28 days, use the duration slider when getting your quote to dial it in.
Daily car insurance FAQs
Can I get car insurance for one day?
Yes. A daily policy can run for a single day or for several consecutive days - you choose the duration. For a single defined occasion, one day car insurance is a natural fit. For a precise 24-hour window that may cross midnight, 24 hour car insurance is available.
Can I get daily insurance to drive a friend's car?
Yes, provided your friend gives you permission. The daily policy is in your name, completely separate from their annual insurance. If they make a claim while you are driving under your own policy, it goes through your cover - their no-claims discount is untouched.
How will I know when my cover expires?
Your start and end times are fixed at the point of purchase. You will receive a confirmation email with your policy documents straight away, and a reminder as your cover approaches expiry.
What happens if I need to extend my cover?
Policies cannot be extended once active, but getting a new one is straightforward. Get a fresh quote for the extra time you need - there is no restriction on consecutive policies. You can do this from the app if you are already out.
Is daily car insurance the same as one day car insurance?
They are related but have a different focus. Daily insurance is about choosing the number of days - it suits multi-day arrangements, second-car use, and gap cover. One day car insurance is more occasion-driven: a specific event on a specific calendar day.
Did you know?
Taking out your own daily policy means any claim is handled entirely through your policy, not the car owner's. Their no-claims record and annual premium are unaffected. Cover ends precisely when your selected period is up.