Travel Insurance - any recommendations?
 

Anyone know a good insurer...

We've been using World Nomads for the past year but have been frustrated with the service for various reasons (trying to get payment for small claim which was approved last August - still nothing despite lots of messages to and fro - makes me wonder about how they'd be in emergency situation)

We're both from the UK, but cannot get insurance from there as we've not lived there for years, and are now fairly rootless.

Can anybody recommend an insurance co similar to World Nomads who will cover bike travellers?

Thanks,

Em

oops, just realised should have posted this elsewhere - on 'staying healthy' section.

Oops, I've just put a small claim in with them, let's see how that works. I must say that I haven't had much fun with the emergency number, ended up in a long waiting loop and gave up. But: emergencies are handled by Mondial Assistance, not WN. I think many, if not most insurance companies use MA, so you will probably get the same deal from them.

If you are rootless you have to ask yourselves: where can we get medical treatment without having to pay for it. Because, in an emergency an insurance co. may want to evacuate you to your country of residence. From the moment you have landed they stop paying.

I've just queried World Nomads about cover for motorcycle touring, and they are a no for any motorcycle over 125cc.

However WorldWideInsure have no problem and offer a fantastic rate of 144 for worldwide inc USA for 4 months !

Thanks
 

Thanks all.

A guy from World Nomads e mailed me and seems to be on the case - lets hope! Yeah I tried the helpline too, no go, they said to do everything on line.

We undrestood we were covered on our bike (having checked when we took the policy out). Will recheck, perhaps things have changed? They seemed great, covered extras like iPods and cameras, as well as good health cover...

My worry is, if this is what they're like with a small claim, what about in an emergency...

So no other ideas for good insurance.... ? Will check out WorldWideInsure. Anyone used them?

Em

The policies we looked at and asked about covered motorcycles, upto 125cc. But only as a holiday hire/day excursion/event.

Ask if the insurance covers use of motorcycles when the purpose of the trip is a motorcycle tour.

Endsleigh.
 

Hi,
I've just taken out travel insurance with Endsliegh for our forthcoming RTW trip. Two people on an Africa Twin worldwide inc Canada&USA with repatriation, 1290 GBP for 2 years. Around 320 each per year. Cover can be extended on the road. Very helpful folks. Address:- Car Insurance, Home Insurance, Travel Insurance, Life Insurance UK Well worth a look at:thumbup:

Cheers Derek.

ta mate from me too
 

Thanks Del-Boy, twas the next thing on my list to do.:thumbup1:
I hope to catch up with you somewhere on the road for a beer, but since you'll have at least a month and 7500miles start on me, we may have to wait a while.

Does that include any CC limits ? A lot do. Grant would probably appreciate a report

hi

I am using Cambell Irvine and a back up with Helivac in case i have a crash. They seem very reliable.

Link for Helivac ?

No engine size limits:thumbup:

Regards Derek.

With regards to my claim with World Nomads I am happy to report that I have been paid. I filed my claim online on 13/3, they recieve my paperwork on 29/3 and the money was in my account on 20/4. I'm happy with that.

And yes, as an NZ resident I am covered on bikes.

I'm with Worldwideinsure. Haven't needed to claim, so can't speak for that side.

Tim

i have also just taken out a policy with worldwideinsure.com for a month trip to morocco/rim/senegal on a motorcycle.
they quoted me a price of 57 pounds per person (im EU resident, might be different for UK).
They cover motorcycling with no restriction on engine sizes etc, and they will cover medical expenses in case of accident, but will NOT give compensations for injuries resulting from the use of a motorcycle. in short, if you fall and break a leg, they'll stitch you up, fly you home, but you wont get any money after that. seems reasonable to me at that price.

I've looked at the Endsleigh, World Nomads and the WorldWideInsure websites mentioned above.

Endsleigh appears to be the only one that covers biking (it specifically lets you choose an 'extreme' type of policy that mentions overlanding by name).
World Nomands says "Motor Biking (full UK licence, up to 125cc and helmet to be worn)" so that's no good and WorldWideInsure says they don't cover "participation in activities of a hazardous nature such as (but not limited to) potholing, white-water rafting/canoeing....motor-sports" which I assume a motorbike is counted as?

The drawback being that it is coming out at £622 for a year rather than the c£320 mentioned above...

Another thing to remember is that most/all of these policies seem to have in the small print that they will not cover you for places where the Foreign & Commonwealth Countries (FCO) advise you not to travel. That therefore rules out a lot of the countries I'm looking to travel through in Africa.

At the moment some of these include (countries relevant to me taken from Home*Foreign & Commonwealth Office):

Algeria: against all but essential travel to the administrative districts (wilayas) of Boumerdès, Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia, which are east of Algiers and Blida, Medéa and Ain Defla, which are south west of Algiers.
Angola: against travel to North and South Lunda Provinces.
Cameroon: against all travel to the area bordering the Central African Republic and Chad, against all travel along the Meiganga-Ngaoundere road and to the Belel area, against all travel to the area bordering Nigeria in the region of the Bakassi Peninsula.
Congo: against all but essential travel to the Pool region, including using the Brazzaville-Pointe Noire road and railway, against travel along the Ubangi river in the Likouala region, where the river forms the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
DRC: against all travel to eastern and north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This includes entering DRC from Uganda and Rwanda. Against all but essential travel to the rest of DRC at present because of continuing tension and insecurity. The situation can deteriorate at short notice, as happened in Kinshasa in March.
Ethiopia: against all travel to areas off the principal roads/towns within 50 kms of the border areas with Eritrea (landmines). Against all travel to the Danakil desert area bounded by the Dessie-Adigrat road, the Dessie-Djibouti road and the Ethiopian/Eritrean border. Against all travel to the Gambella Region. Against all travel to areas off the principal roads/towns within 50 kms of the borders with Sudan and Kenya. Against crossing the Ethiopia/Somalia border by road, and against all travel in the area east of the Harar to Gode line.
Libya: against all but essential travel to all areas bordering Chad and Sudan.
Mali: against all travel to the north and west of Timbuktu, the north and east of the Niger River along the line of Timbuktu, Gao, Ansongo and Labbezanga and towards the western border with Mauritania and eastern borders with Niger and Algeria.
Mauritania: against all but essential travel to the area near Mauritania’s border with Algeria, and the area near Mauritania's northern border with Mali east of Nema.
Niger: against all travel to the Aïr Massif region and on the road linking Assamaka, Arlit and Agadez.
Sudan: against all travel to Malakal and all but essential travel to the rest of the Upper Nile area. Against all travel to the Eritrean border, and against all but essential travel to Kassala. Against all travel south of Juba in Central and East Equatoria. Against all travel in West Equatoria within 40kms of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Against all but essential travel to all other parts of southern Sudan, including Juba. Against all but essential travel to Darfur.
Zambia: against all but essential travel to the rural parts of the North Western, Copperbelt, Central and Luapula provinces that are close to the border areas with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Not wrong Chris,

Looked in to insurance for our overland trip to Aus and its not worth the paper as the main countrys of concern are Iran,Pakistan & india. my banks travel insurance covers us for 90 days so will use that to get to Iran.

... I can confirm the Endsleigh deal, you can use 'extreme' if you're doing overland by bike, or regular long stay if you're using the bike as 'normal transport' ... I quote, "just like you would be driving a car, erm, but on a bike!" I assume if it's a 'marked road' I'll be sorted.

... £256.00, 45yr old single male, No CC limits, 5 months SthAm, includes an extra cover for my guitar (val £500, which will stay will the girlfriend in BsAs). No limits medical including evac and repatriation.

... Carol Nash quoted £426 excl the guitar.

I have used Atlasdirect for my backpacking forays, including N America. They cover all the adventure sporty-type things, and also motorcycles up to 500cc in the basic basic package (useful for xr250's in Thailand/Enfields in India etc). I took Atlasdirect due primarily to their rates and they cover up to 40yr-old... ahem!

Worldwide Insurance: £150 for 6 months. You will be covered for medical and repartiation if motorcycling BUT excludes Personal Accident and Liability while on the bike:

"Personal Accident is a lump-sum compensation payout in the event of permanent disability or death resulting from an accident. Therefore if you were injured whilst riding your motorbike, you would be insured for any medical expenses, plus repatriation if medically necessary, but you (or your estate) would not receive the additional compensation"

So if you loose a foot while biking they will pay for the amputation and the treatment but you won't get compensation for "loss of limbs".

They wont cover you for liability of loss of property or injury of others if you drive into someone or something. That's what you take 3rd party insurance out for on the borders or Green Card or Comesa Yellow card...

World Nomads
 

At the end is World Nomads any good for motorcycle touring? They don't seem to mention motorbike travelling in the small prints.

Endsleigh?
 

Anyone currently have travel insurance with Endsleigh? Just rang as a result of this thread and they say they won't cover for motorcycling... any?c?one?

Are you sure? I got a quote off them 3wks ago, try the girl at Endsliegh at Manchester University, I,m going in to pay this week and I,ll get her name, she was very helpful, Pete

Yes, they do. You need to read the exclusions, listed at the bottom of the page under "what we cover".

UK residents are NOT covered. (Not even on a 125 with licence and helmet, unless the riding is "incidental" to the trip, i.e. you are renting a bike for a week)

NZ residents ARE covered.

I didn't check the others.

World Nomads - What's covered

Result!
 

But i have a result for travel insurance from CaroleNash. 123 days in Europe (including the Balkans) with no cc restrictions (or any others, in fact, except that sporting kit not covered - so no golf clubs:rofl:).And all for the princely sum of £76!! Sold!:clap:

Just to clear up the Endsliegh confusion, I was in there yesterday and they definately cover any bike you are licenced to drive in the UK. Hope this helps:thumbup1:

Re the Carole Nash policy which arrived today (only bought it yesterday!). "Motorcycling" is the catch-all Hazardous Activity yet is in the lowest bracket (Cat 1), and Europe cover seems to encompass most everywhere on the continent - even Montenegro/Azerbaijan/Georgia. Seems like a sweet deal:thumbup1:

Liaison Traveller
 

This policy includes Emergency Evacuation, Repatriation, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Personal Liability coverage for the International Traveller. If you already have medical coverage outside your home country, Liaison Traveller can provide protection against non-medical situations when travelling abroad. Liaison Traveller provides Emergency Evacuation, Repatriation, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Personal Liability coverage to the international traveller.
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oliviaharis

Travel Deals

Travel insurance, cheap annual travel insurance uk

Endsleigh sells a policy called "extreme activity Insurance"

It states that it covers Overlanding.

Like all other though, if you travel to a country deemed unsafe by the foc, it will probably be invalid..

On the plus side though, they paid out quickly and with argument when my camera, cash and wallet were lost/stolen in South America.

Thanks for all the advice here.

I've just purchased a 10 month policy from Navigator for £155 which is a bargain.

Key exclusions:
Within FCO advice/recommendations
Must wear a helmet
Death & disability benefit excluded.
Third party liability not covered
A bit of a grey area if riding off road (not stated as excluded but optional extra to insure for off road bikes <250cc). What is 'off road' anyway? Unsealed/unmarked/unused?