Travel insurance - for UK/EU residents
 

Following my previous thread on WorldNomads, I've spent some time calling a lot of travel insurance companies and here are my findings:


1/ WorldNomads.com: – AS OF June 2006 Cover only 125cc for UK residents (They changed their underwriters in the UK)
2/ MedjetAssistance.com: only for US and CAD citizens/residents

3/ Clubdirect.com: bikes restricted to 125cc

4/ Trailfinders.com: cover motorcycling with no restriction, only add 50% to the quoted premium from their website to include motorcycling- Example £509pp for 10months worldwide excluding. CAD/US

5/ worldwideinsure.com: Cover motorcycling. Restriction: no compensation payment in case of disability as a result of a bike accident but will cover medical costs resulting from an accident on the bike.
Quote: £400 pp for 10 months worldwide excl. US/CAD

6/ hbinsurance.com: no restrictions. Quote: Nearly £500 for 6 months worldwide excl. US/CAD (max cover seems to be 6 months. Not sure it can be
extended)

7/ navigatortravel.co.uk: Gold and diamonds policies include motorcycling. Add 25% to the quoted price for >35yr old. Riders must wear helmet at any time and must hold licence- I was quoted £280 (I'm >35!) for 10 months worldwide excl. US/CAD and excluding luggage/passport/cash insurance (that gives you a 15% discount).

8/ Campbellirvine.com: cover motorcycling as activity for an extra 50% of the quoted price. No restrictions on bikes.

9/ Travelinsurance.co.uk: restricted to <500cc

10/ STATravel.co.uk. Their "Premier" Policy includes motorcycle touring. They confirmed on the phone that there is no restriction regarding engine size etc... Again quote was £309pp for 10 months for South America 2007

Cheers,

Maria

I got mine from Carol Nash (08002985588) for £78. One years worldwide cover to include motorcycling on any size bike. Cover includes helmet, leathers, panniers and tent.

Carol Nash Travel insurance
 

Hi Punkbiker, good tip for short trips. I just spoke with one of their advisers.

Indeed they do Travel Insurance! Here are my findings:

Annual multitrip for a couple, Europe= £102
Annual multirip for a couple, worldwide=£152
Same if 1 bike two up or two on two bikes.

Annual multitrip includes severals trips of up to 31 days on a go.

They did not quote me for 10 months of travelling. The girl I spoke with said that they would not provide cover for such a long trip. 31 days seems to be their limit.

Insurance provides cover for medical costs up to £10m.

If anyone else has more info......

Thanks Maria
 

Thats a comprehensive post - it does seem to be difficult to get an insurance company to cover travel insurance on:

Big bikes
Touring for up to 10 months
Complete medical cover
Baggage cover

Normal motorcycle insurance people really are pretty bad also at any trip lasting months, not days.

It's a real mission. I thought that world nomads would be the way to go, but alas I'm not off to NZ or Oz on my next trip,

Cheers,

Brian

World Nomads
 

Brian, it is worth giving WorldNomads a call.
I was told they provide cover if you intend to go via Oz/NZ (unless you are a NZ/OZ/US or CAD resident/citizen) and that some prove of "intend" would be required.

However, on another thread on "WorldNomads" (that I started previously) a chap was told that they do no require prove, only declaring that you will cover OZ or NZ....
Maybe it depend who you talk to!

So in theory you *could* "cheat".... I wouldn't try that sort of thing though.
Insurance companies are like the Tax man, they have no sense of humour!

seeing as i am that chap mentioned above...

I wrote to WN to ensure that I was covered. (i do intend to go to NZ and OZ.. but not for a long while into the trip. I also have no proof that i want to go - thats the whole point of this motorcycling adventuring thing.) I also offered to supply a contact address (family) for OZ (as i have it, and do want their insurance). the reply i recieved is pasted below.

I hope this helps. Seems relatively flexible and reasonable to me (esp for an insurance comp!), although i appreciate sod all use if you are not planning on going there.

dan

their reply>>"
Hi Dan

Thanks for your email.

You do not need solid travel plans to Australia or New Zealand to take out cover
with us; so long as you 'intend' to visit these countries then that's good
enough for us! We do not ask for proof of your intent at any stage. You can
insure with us for as long as you need (just be aware we wouldn't cover you
while you're in the UK though).

Kind regards
World Nomads

"<<

STA or world nomads or navigator
 

Has boiled down to these 3, thanks for the help and advice here, has saved much time.

Have to admit in liking a uk operation rather than oz or kiwi, just from a paperwork and money transfer perspective (ie: getting a payout if something goes awry)

Cheers,


Brian

I got my cover from World Nomads, no restriction on the engine size and they didn't even ask me if I was going via Oz or NZ and I am a UK resident......

We used Carol Nash for our 6 month trip, wasn't a restriction on 31 days then, but maybe things have changed or might be worth re-confirming with them ? Not cheap, but good cover.

Another to consider and quite cheap are Marks & Spencer! Read about them on another forum board and used them in Europe recently. Phoned them up and checked the bigger bike bit...

Charles

STATravel
 

Just been quoted £193 for STATravel's Premier policy, for 5 months, US/CA/SA - Seems too cheap to me! But it does cover unlimited medical, inc. air evacuation/ambulance, and 1200cc a bike, inc. USA.

Anyone have any experience of these, or any points I should look out for?

If your in the UK it may be worth trying the AA. Their standard worldwide policy is about £53 per year for unlimited trips of upto 45 days duration. There is the option to extend cover for longer trips for an additional premium, so it may be worth giving them a ring for a quote.

Check out Marks and Spencer
 

Thanks for all your help Maria!

I am a British citizen. I've gone for Marks and Spencer.

They've given me 5 month single trip worldwide exc USA. It's called the 'backpacker GOLD' policy. There is no excess and it includes repatriation.
That cost £104
I had to pay an extra £46 for an endorsement to include motorcycle touring (bike over 50cc).

Total of £150 for 5 month policy

Check it out!

Roll on Iran!

Hi Guys, if you are under 36 years of age you may want to try the following firm.

Just sorted my travel insurance for an upcoming 6 month European tour inc the former Yugoslavia with insure-and-go .com they quoted me their “Gold Backpacker” policy with only an additional £35 for adding a motorcycle of up to 1000cc. Total price £110, also there is zero excess on this cover so you don’t have to swallow the first 100 or 200 pounds out of your own pocket.

I spoke to a nice woman called Rae who was very helpful.

Cheers - Greg

Just got off the phone with STA, World Nomads and Navigator. STA was UK citizens only (I'm Swedish), World Nomads no longer cover "any motorsports including motorcycling" after changing underwriter as Maria mentioned. Navigator was very informative and friendly and I went with them, 150 pounds for 4 months worldwide including excess waiver.

TokyoCph-

Are you sure World Nomads no longer handles motorcycles??? Less than 2 weeks ago, I got an email from them stating that they were covered. Hmmmm.....

Must say that finding insurance that will unquestionably cover motorcycles seems to be a pain in the arse. I eventually went with Specialty Risk International. Not sure if these guys handle UK/EU residents though.

Rhino

Just bought w/wide travel insurance
 

Based on the wise words and comments throughout the previous posts on this thread: I've just been in touch with InsureAndGo and sorted out my 5 months w/wide cover - inc. a motorcycle riding cover endorsement - for the great price of £162.67.

The M&S premium quote was extortionate at £300+

Navigator wanted £187.26 - with a whopping £650 excess per claim.

STA required approx £195 for unlimited 'premier' cover.

So, I'm all sorted for London ~~> Hong Kong (36 hr stopover) ~~> ALK and New Zealand for 4+ months ~~> San Francisco, CA (48 hr stopover) in April '07 ~~> homewards to London next Springtime.

Thanks fellas - there's been some very good information on travel insurance posted here. :thumbup1:

Cheers

Keith

Thanks for all the advice above! - I just got my insurance sorted for my trip overland to Japan - went with World Nomads in the end. If you look on retailmenot.com here: World Nomads Travel Insurance Coupon Codes - all current coupons for worldnomads.com : there is a code that gives you 5% discount off your policy

Happy travellin' :D
mike

So, isn't there the restriction for motorcycles bigger than 125 cc?

Can we really get the cover we want?
 

Having been through all the info on HU and read the other messages on this thread, I still haven't been able to find an insurance company which will give the cover that most of us seem to need. I thought World Nomads looked good - motorcycle cover, age up to 65, renewable, cover available when trip already started, affordable - but on downloading the policy document, I saw that motorcycle cover was restricted to 125cc. I have asked about additional cover up to 600cc but so far have not had a reply! On checking the policy document for STA, again engine size restricted to 125cc. Other companies that were suggested on HU had age limits (I am 58). I have also checked out some US sites - premiums ranged from $2000 to $3500!!

So, are there really any insurance companies out there who will cover long trips, on larger capacity motorcycles and for older riders?

I would suggest caution at relying on information given on the phone - when you need to make a claim, only the wording on the policy document will count.

Try Travel Insurance - Buy Cheap Travel Insurance UK &mdash; Globelink Travel Insurance

The full link for policy info is Which Adventure Activities are automatically included? &mdash; Globelink Travel Insurance

A quote from their web site:
"Motorcycling over 250ccSubject to the policyholder being the owner of the bike"

My online quote works out at GBP 134,34 for 5 months cover.

J

STA Travel/Navigator/InsureAndGo - for UK Residents
 

I've been phoning this morning around as we're off soon. (Asked 1 year for 2, older than 35).

It seems STA travel have changed underwriters and cover motorcycles up to 125cc only! :(


I came down to 3:

Navigator still cover motorcycle touring (Gold or Diamond policy- I Added +25% as we're over 35!) It's possible to waive the Excess Charge by paying £15 pp. Total for 2 (removing Baggage and Money claim) is 295pp for 1 year worldwide.

Insure&Go quoted me £ 90.50pp for including motorcycle touring as permitted activity. Budget insurance for 2 (1 year ) £450 so total for 2 = £630.

Wordlwideinsure: £456 (no compensation in case of disability as a result of a motorbike accident, but medical costs covered)

Has anyone used and made a claim on one of these 3 above?

Cheers,

Funny, when I pretend on WN's site that I'm in the UK they still list motobikes as covered...

Navigator
 

will not insure you if you are over 50.....:censored:
Who said ageism is a thing of the past?.....:stormy:

I`ve just got basic health insurance (think its WorldWide) for 8 months for about 120GBPs and covers motorcycle travel on bigger bikes. There is really no point in insuring belongings in my opinion as I haven`t brought anything I can`t afford to loose (except my bike that is!). The amount of excess they charge would cover most things anyway. Also read the small print as there seems to be a quite lot of strict proceedures to follow/numbers to call etc when your arm or leg is hanging off as to what medical services you can use.

Another thing to watch is depending on what the Foreign Office is saying, the insurance co might not pay out. I understand that Colombia and maybe even Equador are classed as no-go areas in their opinion and I´m led to believe that a claim made here might not even be granted.

We recently met an english guy here who`d had a 750GBPs laptop stolen out his room and because he`s in Colombia and the Foreign Office says don`t go there, he can`t make an insurance claim.

Maybe someone else can shed some more light on this issue though.

It's the latest 'game' of underwriters to avoid paying out any compensation if you come unstuck..... if the FCO advises against travel to that town/part/city/country etc etc and you have an incident...you're not covered....... It has been stated that it is the insured's responsibility to keep checking the FCO website daily for any changes....like that's all people do when travelling....:confused2: -
So one minute you feel confident having purchased your insurance then a 'situation' arises and ...you're no longer insured....... :eek3: Russian Roulette anyone? better odds methinks!

MikeS is right IMHO. Look at this document....8 pages of explanations/exclusions/terms etc etc etc
http://www.globelink.uk.com/wording.pdf
And if you get past that and all is well...then there's always the FCO.....

world nomads, a warning.
 

hi people, from my hospital bed in xalapa, vera cruz, mexico a heads up. world nomads have just refused to pay any medical costs after a moto vs car in which i came off 3rd best, car - mini bruise, bike - few bruises, me, # fractured femur, dislocated shoulder and chronic indigestion from hospital food and lack of beer, their reason, my moto is too big, i.e. above 125cc. when i purchased this policy in aug-sep last year to continue with one bought the previous aug-sep they again said that size was only related to bike damage claims and not medical ones, it would appear that not only lawyers have the tongues of vipers. mexico is not that expensive compared with other places, i reckon this little incident is going to cost me between 7 - 10 thousand pounds, but if it had been 3 weeks later when i had planned to be in the usa, it would have meant selling the house so be warned, "all that glistens is not gold". if anyone is passing through over the next 3 weeks or so, smuggle me in a chilled one, cold turkey is no fun. ride safe.

Aaarg!
 

I too am having to delve into murky insurance waters to try to fish out a policy that covers me for what I want to get up to.

I am leaving the UK for Oz for 2 years+ and need to get cover for at least the first year.

Problems encountered so far are similar to those experienced by other posters in this thread - restrictions on motorcycle size (under 125cc); restrictions on length of policy (longstay and backpacker cover extends to a max of 18months from what I have managed to find); dodgily worded policy documents:
An exclusion in Direct Insurance policy (and I saw it in another one this evening, but can't remember which one it was... but look out for it):

'Anything arising from owning or using any aircraft, mechanical or motorised vehicles'

I did call to find out exactly what that meant, and Claire and her Duty Manager were unable to say - neither of them knew.

I have had insurance with Insure & Go before, but the motorcycle extension only covered a period of up to 30 days - that said however, I never had to give them the dates for those 30 days. Hmmm. Anywho, they aren't applicable for my current needs.

World Nomad ticks all the right boxes and appears to have been put together by people who have travelled and understand what we are faced with, but their policy document has this interesting General Exclusion:

'You are not covered for anything caused directly or indirectly by the following, unless you have contacted us and we have confirmed in writing that you will be covered.
1. ...
...
19. motorbike touring or where a motorbike is the main mode of transport'

Hi Maja,

Sorry to hear about your mishap and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Now you got me seriously worried, as I have just extended my WM policy for another year. But then, I'm an NZ resident and that may make all the diference. Must check that out, though.

All the best,
Peter.

Hi Maja
Get well soon. Sorry to hear about you.

Peter I just tried to get insurance from WN and they wouldnt cover any country on the FCO list that cancils out Iran,Pakistan,India, so that rules out the countrys that we wanted insurance for LOL

World Nomads - That's a NO
 

This is the email response that I got this morning from World Nomads:

Hello little Square One.:thumbdown:

Endsleigh Gap year
 

Endsliegh Gap year travel insurance

might be worth considering for those under 36 (i'm not :-( ) so have not bothered to check in too much detail but seems motorcycling is not explicity excluded...

Hmm another look indicates they only cover 'overlanding' in their Extreme Activities insurance. For a 40 year worldwide cover (not USA, Canada) the quote on the web was £778!

I just rung them and got it down to £508. Worldwide (not USA/Canada), luggage not covered, activity policy at essential level (not comprehensive) so I've gone with them as they are a name I know and respect

Insurance Carol Nash
 

If I just got an insurance policy from Carol Nash in Dublin to cover my m.c trip Europe/Africa 8 month for 104 Euro - initially the perosn I spoke with said they only provide 45 days max coverage - I asked this person to speak with her supervisor and the got back to me with the quote above, hope this is helpfull..Mike

Nice one Michael will give them a phone tomorrow morning

Travel Insurance
 

I got my cover from World Nomads for a 4 month trip. Premium was 201 Euros.

I am in the process of making a claim and I have to deal direct with the underwriter. Because I live in France, the policy is underwritten by IHI of Denmark.

Might be worth contacting them direct for a quote, even if you Do live in the uk

IHI - International health insurance, travel insurance, expat insurance

John

Carol Nash
 

No one knows how good their policy is until it needs to be claimed upon, but based on a number of seperate stories from people I actually know (not friends of friends) and from what I have been hearing about the excellent service provided by Carol Nash European recovery services I think I would tend to seriously give them a try for ALL my insurance needs

Just got me insurance with Carol nash Dublin, 485euros for 6mths this is for a single trip, said to them about michaelo quote, they said that this was there best price on a single trip, so had to cough up me cash, but at least i am now covered :-)

carol nash
 

travel insurance/called carol nash and was quoted £140 for a two month trip in morocco and europe.i mentioned on their website it says £90 worldwide cover for 12 months but this is for trips upto 1 month at a time and then back to base before you go again. cheap enough for them little run arounds! did change my bike insurance to them though as i saved £100 and got my gps and panniers covered also!:thumbup1:

still confused
 

Hi,
I’m planning a motorcycle travel (a 650cc) to West Africa. My idea is to leave Portugal (I'm a portuguese citizen) and go south to Marocco, RIM, Mali and maybe Guinea Conacry and Bissau. I guess a little bit more than two months it will be enough. I’ll be alone and maybe be doing some remote pistes (they seem remote for me, at least from my couch…). I’ve read different opinions on travel insurance and I’m still confused about it. Should I do one? And which company would suit me best? Can I do it on the internet?

Cheers

Just to keep this thread going, Carole Nash have quoted £71.95 for a six week west africa trip - excluding Algeria and Libya which I wasn't going to anyway. They specifically stated that it covered large capacity bikes.

Not sure if age has anything to do with it - I'm 50+, but it seems very good. They're going to send me out the policy document in the post so I'll see if anything else crops up

I have just had a quote from this company too, for 2 people 1 years cover to include motorcycle travel £644.39 both people are older than 35! out of interest Maria which one did you go with?
Regards

Steve

Steve, I went with Navigator, for the 2 following reasons:
The underwriters for the 2 others were one "unknown", the other was AXA, and AXA being a nightmare to deal with, it was enough to put us off.
Navigator underwriter is Lloyd Ins..
Second, when you phone NAvigator you get to speak to a guy straigh on, no bullshit call centres. and when you are in the otherside side of the world with problems, it is a BIG plus point! So far we made no claims. We had few health problems along the way, and we saw doctors, but all is so cheap that we preferred to leave it. Better keep insurance in case of big trouble, never know, they may cancel the policy if we make several small claims.

On the road again, maybe.
 

Hi People, if all goes to plan I will soon be back on the road again after my little contretemps in Mexico last year. Problem, being a pensioner and UK citizen I am finding it next to impossible to find any medical-travel insurance for me whilst riding a big bike, my recently repaired R1200GS. If there are any knackered old sods riding around the world with travel - medical insurance can they please let me know which companies they are with. I would like to finish the Mex-USA-Canada leg of my trip but the thought of having a similar mishap to the Mexican one in the US or Canada fills me with dread. Ride safe, Mike.

Insurance
 

Hi Mike,
If you haven't already got your insurance check Health Care International www.healthcareinterntional.com . We have had trouble getting cover, either to old!!!! or the bike is to big or because of the countries we intend visiting.

My Email to HCI

I am enquiring about insurance for a trip I am planning.
Myself and my Wife will be leaving the UK in Jan 2009 for a Round the World trip by Motorcycle covering:-
West coast of Africa from Morocco to Cape Town, South, Central and North America, Canada, Alaska, NZ, Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe. We are expecting the trip to last about Three Years.
We would like insurance to cover, but not be restricted to:-
1 Repatriation to the UK if neccessary.
2 Be renewable on the road out of UK (unlimited time).
3 Cover the use of a Motorcycle of 1200cc.
I would be interested to hear if you have any such product.

HCI reply

WorldNomads - my experience
 

I just had to go to hospital after 3 days of increasing fever and a bad cold. The hospital wanted to admit me straight away, so I gave them my insurance details. There were a few snags to begin with: seems the hospital's lines were toll barred, they couldn't call Australia. So, I called them from my mobile, but my credit got burned up in Mondial Assistance's waiting loop. I guess this is partly my own fault, as MA actually have an office with freephone number in Bangkok, which I discovered later.

The hospital then managed to call them using another prefix (don't know how this works...) and from then on it was all plain sailing. I was still in the process of being transferred to a ward and I got to speak with one of their doctors, who was friendly and gave the impression he was genuinely concerned about my welfare. After that I didn't have to worry about anything connected with insurance or payment any more. When I was discharged 2 days later the insurance arranged to pay the hospital directly and I only had to pay a small amount.

All in all a mostly positive experience and lesson learnt: collect all the relevant phone numbers before I need them.

Pity they don't cover UK people on bikes, but they will cover my Thai partner.

Global-link
 

Hey all.
I recently enquired with Global-link about Full (inc US/Can) worldwide 12 month insurance, 600cc bike, and 35 yrs old. here's there reply.............


"Mr Shingleton

Look forward to catching up about your trip when you get back to Edi. Try to put if off for a week then I can come for drinks too!
That's a good quote. I was more than that for my trip (non biking) with climbing etc cover.

Brilliant thread!
 

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this.

I was just about to spunk more than a grand with Campbell Irvine (12 months, unlimited CC bike, 42 years old, worldwide) when I read this thread. Have just arranged cover for medical expenses with Navigator for £280! No excess, and renewable while you're away. (Not covered for bags/cash etc).

Speak to Yvonne on 0161 973 6435 and mention the HUBB...

Hi People, put '1 stop travel insurance uk' into a search engine and you might get a nice suprise, I found them by wading through the compare type websites. Ride safe.

definitely check this one!
 

hi guys definitely agree with mike above...if youre uk resident, then these guys seem very good indeed. my quote for a one year 'backpacker' trip that includes:

8. Can I be covered to ride a motorbike over 125cc?
Our policy provides cover up to any engine size providing you hold the correct UK licence and you wear any required protective clothing or head gear.




Your Quotation Excluding Excess Waiver: £137.40

https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Insurance Premium Tax:
£20.46
https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Include Excess Waiver:
Yes No
https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Destination:
Worldwide
https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Duration:
366 days
https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Travellers by Age:
1 Travellers aged under 46
https://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co....nformation.gif Baggage and Money:
Excluded






Health Declaration

We can insure you provided that:
1. All persons travelling are in good health and not suffering from a pre-existing medical condition as defined in the Policy
2. You are not travelling against doctors advice
3. That persons not travelling but covered under the Cancellation and Curtailment sections of the Policy, such as close relatives or business partners are also not suffering any pre-existing medical condition that may cause you to cancel or curtail your trip
4. You are not aware of any reason that may cause you to cancel or curtail the trip
5. This insurance is not for a cruise booking unless Cruise policy type was selected
If you are unable to agree this declaration you can still proceed with this insurance but you WILL NOT be covered for any claim arising from the pre-existing medical condition.
Alternatively you should call us where in most cases we can arrange cover for pre-existing medical conditions through our medical screening and assessment service.



Travellers aged under 46


Key Benefits - Backpacker Insurance

Medical Expenses £3.000.000
Cancellation £2000
Baggage £1000
Legal Expenses £25.000
Missed Departure £800

hope this helps you all out. 1Stop Cheap Travel Insurance UK and Cheap Holiday Insurance UK

Ditto the above. Just got an online quote from '1Stop Travel' for a ridiculously cheap premium (by comparison with other insurers), e.g:

-----------------------------------------
Travel Insurance Type: Single Trip
Premium with Excess Waiver: £66.78
Premium without Excess Waiver: £62.51
Duration: 88 days
Destination: Australia & New Zealand
-----------------------------------------

So where's the catch? Surely there must be one ... mustn't there? ...
.. huh? .. :confused1:

KEITH

Simon, and everyone
Just a heads up for you. We just spoke to Yvonne at Navigator and their renewable on the road policy will no longer exist after the end of the year and they have no plan to replace it with another. :thumbdown:

We were originally going with Healthcare International which quoted a reasonable £329 each renewable on the road with repatriation but when we went to book the policy the price has gone to £1440 for both of us ... ouch!!
Now getting a bit desperate as we are leaving on the 2nd Jan and still looking for cover.

UK residents can get good discounts, (cashback), by simply signing up at the Top CashBack website:

Top CashBack - Referral

For example you can get 15% back on the "1 stop " insurance mentioned above.

Navigator Insurance
 

Hey All,

After 3 days of solid ringing around nit-picking the myriad of insurance policies ('you can pilot a small aircraft...but not ride a motorbike over 125...'). It came down to Navigator and Insure&Go for their longstay (10months) worldwide cover including personal accidents on a motorbike. I went with Navigator as they included cover of the fun stuff like Scuba, Snowboarding, whitewater rafting and Trekking above 5000mtrs etc.
Well it's not ALL about the bike, is it?
The policy was £205.00 total and underwritten by Lloyds.

And you also get to speak to the delightful Evelyn, not a call center geek (no offense, but you guys...).

Carol Nash was way more expensive

hope this helps as this insurance lark is a deep dark abyss swimming with sharks, it seams.

So I'm flying out this Sunday, if you're in Mexico, Central & South America in the next 10 months, would love to catch up for a brew or two.

Ride safe:mchappy:

dylan

insurance
 

Not sure if some-one has already mentioned TRAVEL NATION- we used them and they were great! You can start your policy over the phone ( so you could already be abroad- unofficially), it can be renewed on the road, it covered every country in the world for a full non stop 365 days trip, and it only cost 550 quid for 2 over 40 adults with pre existing medical conditions that were accepted and agreed to be covered.
The other half needed surgery in Turkey, it took only 2 phone calls and within 24 hours he was on the operating table for a non emergency operation!
Check them out.
Rose:thumbup1:

Just been quoted £337.76 by Carole Nash for two adults, 6 months, worldwide.

Can be done over the phone and obviously covers motorcycling using own machine, I say this because I could get cover using a hired machine but not my own.

No reply from 1stop travel or Campbell Irvine.

WorldNomads from California USA
 

I just got mine thru WorldNomads. Just to clarify, the wording changes depending on where you are located. I'm in the States. California. So I'm really buying the policy thru Access America and Jefferson BCS Insurance Company. Their wording is apparently different than UK version of WorldNomads. There is no limitation on the engine size here. Here is the only part that made me call them to clarify.

Under Sports Coverage, it says:

... you can participate in any of the sporting activities listed below and still be eligible for all coverage and assistance services, as long as the activity is:

* provided by a recognized company that is regulated or licensed where required
* not for professional competition or training for professional competition.

Further down the list under other sports and activities is motor biking among other things such as bungee jumping or caving...

I talked to Lara(dot)Burchett(at)accessamerica(dot)com today and explained her that my trip was NOT being provided by a professional company and it was going to be my main form of transportation around the world for 6 months.

She clearly stated that there were no such licence requirements for motorcycling around the world, and my trip would be covered under this policy. (Feb 6 2009 ≅ 12:30 PM)

Basicly, they are trying to exclude the expenses occuring from people jumping into canyons with home made bungees. It sounds fair to me.

I paid $258.00 and got it for 6 months worldwide.

I like their operation. I feel good about having bought my insurance thru these guys. :thumbup1:

4wd overlanding update
 

We are travelling for over a year to countries that are on the FCO bad list, so have found that very few will cover us. So far this is the response I have had:

Campbell Irvine £412 each
M + S - No cover as we have to be returning to UK
Globelink - No cover for FCO countries
Navigator - No cover for FCO countries
Healthcare Int - £1275 each
1Stop Travel Insurance £188 each - but only for one year

We are going to get the 1stop paper work and check the small print

I will update when I ring some more.

NOTE We are in 4WD not a motorbike

travel insurance
 

Just to update - We called Travel nation today to set up a new policy for our next trip and, after reading some of the issues mentioned above, we asked some specific questions:
Q 'Do you cover us for FCO essential travel only countries?'
A 'You are welcome to take out insurance that covers these countries and we will continue to cover you - if, for example you have a genuine health problem BUT if you are injured as a result of a riot in a area that they state you should not be- then we cannot cover that'
We also asked about pre- existing conditions again.
Q ' Do I have to cover pre-existing conditions?'
A 'No, it is entirely up to you whether you want to extend your policy to include these conditions or not.'
Our basic policy costs £289 per person for 365 day cover on a standard package. For Rose to cover pre-existing conditions will cost an extra £14, and that's for some major health issues! For me to cover my one illness will cost an extra £551 pounds!!!!!!!!!!! Gob smacked!!! Reckon we'll give mine a miss.
The bonus is we can renew over the phone for a further 12 months as many times as we want- so long as we don't use it as medical cover permanently live in one country.
Hope this helps. Dave :innocent:nately

That's true and worth thinking about. A few years ago I questioned 4 of the insurance companies mentioned here to ask them what part of the FCO list is included, as there is kind of 4 lists: Do not go at all, do not go to parts of, only go if you really have to, only go if you really have to to this part of the country.

They all said that any mention of the country on the list excluded that country. At the time the likes of Mali, India and Thailand (recent coup)were all on the list so you weren't covered.

They should be challenged on these points and this highlighted in bold when you buy etc

Travel Nation
 

we are currently in the process of challenging Travel Nation on their policy. Because Rose and Dave had such a good experience we have decided to go with them, especially as they let you extend on the road. So I spoke to them about the FCO list, same as Dave, and they said the same thing to us. So I have asked for this in writing, and the agent, Karl, asked me for a list of countries we are going to, and is going to get that OK'd by the underwriters. I have yet to hear back, but I will update here if we do get this.

Thanks to all contributing, this is one handy thread!

Hi Ollie / all

FWIW, we used Campbell Irvine (contact: Mike Berry) due to a number of conversations I had had with insurance companies on the FCO-blacklisted issue.

The best I was able to get was an assurance from Mike that we would be covered in such places subject to the following:-

a) Underwriters were informed of our intention to visit such places by way of a declaration to that effect on the proposal form, or
b) In the event that plans changed once on the road and we wanted to go to a place we hadn't put on the proposal form, Underwriters consent was obtained prior to us going there.
c) In any event, cover would NOT be applicable for claims that arose out of the reason a place was blacklisted. Eg - if we got shot/kidnapped/caught in a bomb blast in Kashmir we would not be covered, but if we were involved in a road accident, or any other incident that could have happened anywhere, we would be OK.

This is an improvement on most standard companies, which simply exclude all cover in such places no matter what.

Yes - if we can get that sort of assurance we will take it, although Travel Nation comes in cheaper than Campbell Irvine ...

Ollie, I looked into this seriously a few years ago and am now starting to again now. CI offered a very high standard of insurance from what I remember, very comprehensive and they are a good solid 'name' from what I can gather.

So perhaps don't base you decision 100% on costs (if you are, I don't know ;-) as you may need to use the insurance in a real emergency etc

Just a thought!

hi good point but we have used travel nation for 3 years now and guess who was the under writer yes campbell and irvine, so you get good cover for a good price instead of a high price, just because you havent heard of the insurance company doesnt mean that they are sub standard.
travel nation now use axa for under writing now but we have had no problem with their service for three years of constant overlanding.

so to sum up you could get your insurance from BIN LADEN EXSPLOSIVE INSURANCE just because the name is a bit iffy dosent mean the under writers are:oops2:
dave

No worries, I was trying to make a generic point that not all policies are the same, rather than a specific point about one company. Trying to get across the point that comparing the costs should be part of the assessment.

The Bin Laden's probably do offer insurance by the way. They own quite a few companies!

Travel Nation
 

Right - looks like we will be going with Travel Nation, for 4 reasons:

1. Rose and Dave have already had a positive experience with them
2. Their price is pretty competitive
3. We can renew on the road
4. They have given assurance that the insurance will cover us for all our countries (within reason) in writing.

Below is the response I had regarding the complete list of our countires. included in this list were

Pakistan, Iran, China, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, East timor etc etc

Many thanks for your email enquiry below, I am delighted to confirm your client’s planned trip itinerary scheduled to visit all of the countries listed below during the course of their planned 12 month drive from the UK to New Zealand would be covered subject to the standard policy terms and conditions of both the Standard and Superior policies.

In relation to General Exclusion 10 of the policy, I am able to confirm that provided your clients are aware of the current FCO advice and wherever possible avoid any specific areas where the FCO advised not to travel, then the policy will remain valid throughout the entire duration of the trip. Please however note that insurers would reserve the right to decline any claims which may arise from the reasons why the FCO advise against all but essential travel to certain regions. Therefore if an individual were to suffer an unforeseen insured event which gave rise to a claim whilst travelling to a region against FCO advice, the insurers would honour any such claim provided the event which gave rise to the claim was not as a direct result of the reasons why the FCO advised against travel in the first place.

I trust that you find this to be in order, however should you have any questions or require any further assistance please feel free to contact me.

keepin' it safe...key word for mexico is: slow
 

hey all,

just thought ide throw in that Navigator can be bought over the phone, and you can extend on the road...

in southern mexico now, Puerto Angel, lovin it! Done 3500 miles from Fort Myers, Florida and glad i went for the KLR650, still runnin' sweet; and no need for the insurance and touch wood we never will...

anyways hope you all get it sorted and we'll see down here in mexico - south america if you're down here in the next 8 months.

stay safe all

dylan

sorry everyone somehow missed this if your after a good company check out the post in trip paperwork

Hard, but we got there...
 

My girlfriend and I are in India and were looking to buy new insurance that covered us for riding motorbikes. We also wanted to be able to extend it from abroad. Below are the three companies that we could find (having tried pretty much everyone on this great thread). Hope it helps. We ended up going with the Navigator policy.

Navigator Travel (T: 0161 973 6435 - contact Yvonne) - they've got a new scheme coming out within the next 24-48 hours which might well suit. The main proviso is that you have to have a full UK bike licence to cover a 350cc? She reckons it'll cost around £240 per year exc USA. 'Personal accident' isn't covered; this means loss of eyesight/limb/compensation etc but medical expenses are covered.

World Wide Insure (Cheap worldwide Travel Insurance. Holiday Travel Insurance) (T: 01892 833338 - contact Alison) who do a 'long stay overseas' policy of a maximum of 18 months which would cost £450. Minimum is 2 months for £50. Check their long stay section: Worldwide Travel Insurance - Longstay Travel Insurance, instant quote
'Personal accident' isn't covered; this means loss of eyesight/limb/compensation etc but medical expenses are covered.

Cambell Irvine (T: 020 7937 6981) can do it for £556. They point out that you won't be covered for any areas in India that the FCO have deemed unsafe to travel, or 'essential travel only' This will be the case with all insurance companies.

Hi Solomon

Read your post with interest. When did Campbell Irvine say they would no longer entertain ANY cover for FCO-blacklisted places? And who did you speak to? This sounds like a change from what I and other people have been told by them.

Mark

Crazy
 

I was in the process of making a note of all my details before we set off on our trip, and what did I notice ... that our insurance policy is actually underwritten by campbell invine. So two things to note:

a) It's a lot cheaper to get their insurance through a broker
b) They have explicitely written to me to explain they will cover the FCO areas, as long as the problem is not caused by what the FCO are warning against. See my post above.

Saw this on TV in the gym recently....
 

DON'T leave home without travel insurance - you may have to copy and paste this into a browser
http://collections.europarchive.org/..._030_mpeg1.mpg

1 Stop Travel Insurance
 

Hi all,
Am quite new to all this but got the heads up from Maria. I know I am replying to her posting back in 2006 but I am sure you'll all agree that travel insurance is as relevant now as it was then. We are actually overlanding with a 4x4 and will be starting off from Montreal all the way down to South America, so I hope this is ok, seeing as though this is a motorcycle forum:innocent:

After several days of calling and web surfing, I finally decided on 1 Stop Travel Insurance. Why? Price. I paid £283 for both of us for 12 months (excluding personal belongings and excess). I did this on line after reading the small print and was all done in 15 minutes. I am now covered (whatever that really means).

World Wide Insurance came in second at around £370 for the both of us. Similar cover so price was the decider.

I have to say that I really wanted to go with Navigator. I really like their business and the fact that they were down to earth and honest. I enjoyed their website and found it easy to understand. They even have a fools guide to the small print which is a good read: Things you should know about travel insurance, but probably don’t

It's an honest assessment of the rip off that is insurance. I also spoke to a really compitent and very nice guy (didn't get his name). You do speak to experts, not just call centre folk, which makes a difference. If price is not such an issue (their 12 month cover came in at £264 each) then I would really consider them.

I hope I made the right choice. Just like someone in the thread, 1 Stop just seems to good to be true, I am waiting for the catch. I hope I don't regret not taking Navigator, or else, I hope I will never actually need to use it anyway. Isn't that what we all want?

IMPORIMPORTENT! Travel Nation and roundtheworldinsurance.co.uk
 

I emailed Travel Nation/roundtheworldinsurance.co.uk to get the same agreement as Ollie did above for my trip down the West Coast of Africa in a 4x4.

Travel Nation replied that they would +not+ cover me.

I pressed them on why not and the owner of the company phoned me and we had a constructive conversation which I will paraphrase below and Haydn the owner said he will add his comments from his side in another posting.

Briefly:

- Current policy owners will be covered.
- Travel nation were apparently unaware that overland travelers like us were using their polices for these kinds of trips (even though people like Ollie had emailed them and received the replies posted above - I was just doing the same and wanting the same reply in writing like Ollie).
- This decision is on my trip - they felt it was too much of a risk compared to somebody back packing around Australia for example ( a drunk 19 year old is less of a risk than a teatotaler like me! I'm insulted ;-).
- They may cover your intended trip, but suggest you email them first to recieve a yes or no.
- They will put a note on their website shortly to make this clearer.
- Their policies are really aimed at 'normal' travel use rather than 'niche' travel like us overlanders.
- I suggested overland travel is not so niche anymore and they look into creating a policy for us. They are only a small company and this probably wouldn't be possible for them.
- They suggested getting insurance through Campbell Irvine. I noted that this was much more expensive!

I'll add anything else I have forgotten if I remember it!

So, the search goes on for me at least - shouldn't have sent a bloody email......!!!!

Once again I have just renewed my medical only travel policy with "1 Stop Travel", £277.00 for 10 months all world, a UK based firm with a web site and once again I re-emphisised the fact that I was traveling on a big bike and was a pensioner. They were, once again, happy with this and, once again, a very good price. Ride safe.

Yip, but the other key factor is the FCO list. Half(?) of my intended route is through countries listed on the FCO website, so I want cover in those countries as well.

I'm happy if it excludes the actual part of the country with problems and/or the thing (car jackings for example) that the FCO warns about. But if I slip over whilst walking on flat ground then I'd like to be covered for that regardless of it it happens in Morocco (not on list) or Nigeria (on list).

And that's why Travel Nation were good as they offered that cover.

Still, my last two trips were without any insurance and I'm starting to remember why now!

so far so shit for me, money supermarket came up with just 2 quotes for me, each greedy f**ker wanting just under a grand, and bikers travel insurance (tgic) want the same, or 650 if i don't wanna do any snowboarding. Essential travel (axa) want 341 with an excess of 650 and personal liability isn't covered cos the bike makes it a grade 3???? :censored: and carole nash has just managed to take 30mins to confuse the hell outta me. Muchly hating all insurance people!!! now in dire need of a fag and a lay down.

I went with Navigator Travel Insurance. No Personal Liability either, but I don't mind that. As long as I'm insured for medical/hospital costs, that's fine with me.
You can take out vehicle insurance/3rd party liability insurance in most countries anyway, if you really want to (I did so in Iran, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia).
Everything else (i.e. long-term effects on your own body): life insurance? (Personally, I don't have one)

i would love to do that, but i think if i went without life insurance and the best cover i could find, my parents would come find me and kill me, or actually hide all paperwork so i couldn't leave, until i sorted out the kinda cover they want me to have. No choice really, unless i wanna be riding in my garden pretending it's the sahara....

From the Is My Holiday Destination Safe? - 1Stop Travel and Holiday Insurance website:

"Please note that our Policy does not cover customers who travel to a country against Foreign Office Advice."

So you currently aren't covered in the following as of today, 18 August 2009:

Countries the FCO advises against all travel to

* Somalia

Countries the FCO advises against all travel to parts of

* Afghanistan
* Albania
* Azerbaijan
* Burundi
* Cambodia
* Cameroon
* Chad
* Colombia
* Congo (Democratic Republic)
* Djibouti
* Ecuador
* Eritrea
* Ethiopia
* Georgia
* Haiti
* India
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
* Italy
* Lebanon
* Mali
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Russian Federation
* Sri Lanka
* Sudan
* Thailand
* Uganda
* Venezuela
* Yemen

Countries the FCO advises against all but essential travel to

* Burundi
* Central African Republic
* Congo
* East Timor
* Guinea
* Mauritania
* Yemen

Countries the FCO advises against all but essential travel to parts of

* Afghanistan
* Algeria
* Angola
* Armenia
* Bangladesh
* Chad
* Comoros
* Congo (Democratic Republic)
* Ecuador
* Ethiopia
* India
* Iraq
* Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
* Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)
* Kenya
* Kosovo
* Lebanon
* Liberia
* Libya
* Mauritania
* Nicaragua
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Pakistan
* Russian Federation
* Rwanda
* Sri Lanka
* Sudan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Uganda
* Uzbekistan

So, no insurance in Italy! India! Turkey! Russia! Ecuador! Thailand! Venezuela! Mali!

could you do a list of places that are ok to travel to, then there's a little positivity and it won't make me cry to think that i'm now basically going nowhere unless i wanna sail between three countries and call it a rtw tour??

add: East Timor! Cambodia! - to the noticeable and significant ones (for me)!

I'm dissapointed .. :(

Good info though. Thanks for posting.



.

Luckily Navigator take a sensible approach:

"Hi, Your site mentions that you cannot provide cover if a country is mentioned on the FCO list. At the moment India, Mali and Thailand are on the list. So your policy wouldn't cover me in any of those countries? Or is it just the part of the country that is warned about by the FCO, or just the activity/danger?"

"Hi Darrin, It's just the specific parts that the FCO are warning about. They just want to ensure that you follow FO advice. Regards - R*****

So happy days (just stay up to date with the FCO list etc)

Link to Navigator Travel
travel insurance uk, backpacking, student travel, gap year holiday insurance

Thanks for sharing the fruits of your labours roamingyak :thumbup1:

I saw a link to Downunder Insurance - www.duinsurance.com - over on the Thorn Tree. No reports about whether people rate them or not, but after a couple of emails re: FCO advice they've confirmed:

"If it relates to areas part of then it is just in those parts of that country, and not the whole country"

Not the clearest explanation, but seems like they're willing to play ball.

They have a couple of different policies, prices around about the same range as Navigator.

Another possibility, also mentioned on the Thorn Tree, is ACE - http://www.aceinsure.com/backpacker/default.asp - I emailed them about the FCO advice and got this response:

"I can confirm that ACE excludes cover for any costs resulting from an insured person travelling to countries or regions to which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travelling. The current FCO advice for Africa can be seen at The FCO website Please select he link below to view this:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/

Obviously this advise does not apply to the whole of Africa, but to clearly listed regions and areas, where the advisory is against all travel or all but essential travel. In either case, ACE would not cover any costs incurred for travel to any area listed under it's website online.

I hope this clarifies the situation for you but should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me."

So looks like another option to consider. I should mention for the bikers that I'm in a 4x4 so haven't asked the question that seems to come up regularly about bike size to either of the two companies I've contacted.

Carole Nash
 

Apparently, Carole Nash now covers bikes with NO LIMIT on engine size.

I was on the phone to them last week about travel insurance for a 4x4 trip and I was told it made no difference what vehicle I was traveling with. Out of curiosity, I asked about bikes, specifically 'big' bikes, and was assured they would provide cover.

Could be another option....?

Just had a look at the CN site, no sign of a link to "long term" trip ? How many months are you travelling for ?

Not sure how many other people have been using WorldWideInsure, but discovered today that they wanted an *extra* 190ukp/person for "Overland" motorcycling on World trips.

After a scan of this forum I had a look at 1 Stop Travel and American Express.

I decided I liked the look of Amex and rang and discussed the ( 8-9 month) trip (it started as 6 but it keeps getting longer :-) ), they were happy to cover the motorbike use and did the trip for 466ukp in total (yes, 233ukp/person).

I'll report back if I have any issues once I have read the docs :-)

Hi Bruce,

I did it over the phone, didn't look at the website.

I was looking for 12 months cover. IIRR, I was quoted £600ish for two people.

I was assured the vehicle made no difference, car, bike etc and any size of engine would be covered.

However, as others have found, this could be a case of the guy on the phone telling you one thing but the actual policy wording being quite different...!

I never did follow it up as I had to cancel the trip, but as I said, it could be an option.

Good luck with Amex though, looks a really good price..:thumbup1:

Sorry to hear you had to cancel, the trip.

I prefer to do insurance over the phone as "calls may be recorded for training purposes" and they often remind you during the call.

This way you can freely ask for such details, they also get to ask you about your health.

However, if there is ever a dispute, you just need to ask them to refer to the recording of the conversation. If they cannot produce it, any dispute will fall in your favour.

thumbs up for Navigator travel
 

I have just got off the phone to Navigator Travel (0161 973 6435 - In the UK).

What a thoroughly delightful and helpful experience....

The bloke talked me through all the policies and instead of pushing me onto the most expensive, actually pushed me onto a cheaper but more comprehensive package.

£138 for 7 months accross Africa. He said it covers ALL sizes of motorcycles and the underwriters for the policy DO NOT exclude travel to the FCO countries.. Although,

"You are not covered for the specific reason that the FCO warns about"

Eg. If the FCO says there are bandits on the border of Sudan and you then get robbed by them, you're not covered..

If you fall off your bike and break your leg in the same place you would be, even though you are in an FCO warning zone.. :thumbup1:

THIS IS WHAT MANY COMPANIES DONT TELL YOU... Many will just refuse you due to where you are... Navigator doesnt do this on "most" of their policies..

Dont bother booking online, phone them up and get the facts and the info..

Wait till you read the small print Ted :confused1::confused1::confused1: :rofl:

Actually if it's all that your post suggests it might be then they may well be the first port of call in the future. I've had soooo much trouble finding out of Europe travel insurance for my bike trips in the past - either hoping any claim will be for something not bike related or not bothering at all.

Well, im not the first.. There are a few recommendations on the hubb for them.

I have all the documents in PDF form if anyone wants to read them over.

The bike IS NOT insured nor are 3rd partys. Thats the kind of insurance you pick up at borders.

Still, its half the price I paid for Endsleigh insurance for South America in 2007/8.

Hi Ted

Would you mind sending the PDF(s) to me please, I am looking to sort this out soon. carinatauk@gmail.com

When do you go?

:thumbup1:

Sent !!

Our ferry to Santander is booked for 1st September ... :cursing:

Hi,

I have just bought 6months worldwide travel insurance through Carole Nash (underwritten by AXA) for £320 FOR 2 PEOPLE (it is a 'couples' policy). That works out as £160 pp.

I dont have much patience when it comes to booking stuff like insurance, so I didn't interrogate the T&C's too closely. But I can confirm that it is genuinely worldwide - no restrictions on countries and it does cover us for using a motorcycle as the main form of transport (no restriction on engince capacity.

I'm, posting mainly so people have a price comparison - I have no idea or interest in knowing what they are like in handling a claim and so do not reccomend or discourage anyone to use them.

Hope this is of use.
G

I've just got off the phone with Carole Nash. They offered me an annual worldwide policy for £86. On closer interrogation the maximum trip length under that policy was 31 days... When she calculated what it would be for a 5/6 month trip, it come to about £460.... ouch.

you could try these, it's not cheap , but if things goes tits up it had better work !! Travel Insurance