Do long term travellers keep up travel insurance?
 

Good morning everyone. I wasn't sure where to post this so I thought this would get the widest audience.

When I left last July to travel I took out an annual policy, from Campbells I think, I would have to check. My travel is open ended, I have no set return date and to be honest no real route planned, just a rough outline that has firmed up a little as I have bumbled my way along.

Now I may well extend my time in Africa and as I said I have no return date set. I am looking long term to move on and just travel for some time to come. Possibly looking to work at some point so I can continue this lifestyle for as long as possible.

So are their people out there who travel without annual insurance. If you live on the road with no permanent address, is there a point at which you just live and do not tie yourself to your mother country?

Sorry this sounds a bit vague, I know what I want to ask but am not sure of the best way to put it. I do not want to categorize travellers, I don't like that sort of thing.

I would strongly recommend against not having insurance. It costs yes, but everyday your life is in the hands of people who dont check their mirros =P

in your home country you should at the very least having your mail sent to a family member or very close friend. Be sure its all in line with your insurance company's fine print tho. A friend of ours recently was taking a swim in mexico and a wave hit him sideways on a rough day and broke his back, thankfully his insurance was all in line and the 40,000$ Medical Evac + treatment was covered, and he was a young fit smart guy who was sober just going for a swim at the age of 28.
Random things can happen to anyone at anytime, that could leave you homeless in poverty stuck in a 3rd world country for the rest of your life if you don't take the WHAT IF into account.

Ride far, but ride safe.

Annual Insurance
 

I wouldn't dream of travelling without insurance and I'm currently look for insurance for an upcoming overland trip from the UK to Oz.

It might seem like a waste of cash if your trip goes well and you don't make use of it, but you only need to make one tiny mistake and you'd be lost without it. There is always someone back home to use as a base for your address.

However, My experience of annual travel insurance is that it usually has trip limits (30, 60 90 days etc.) that are no good for overland travel unless you buy some special expensive 'adventure travel' insurance.
Slight Hijack but anyone recommend cheap travel insurance for motorcycle overland?

Do long term travellers keep up travel insurance?
 

Depends what country are you a resident of. For the UK you can try AA Travel insurance, Post Office travel insurance or Navigator. Mine ran out not insured now and can renew policy from outside of UK nor can purchase new one. All the insurance that can be bought whilst abroad do not insure motorcycle as primary means of transport.

Its not just one small mistake we should be worried but what if some SOB hits u and catches u unaware. Its a third world and I would not every venture out without one. After all SAFETY HAS NO HOLIDAY.

We use World Nomads. Cover just about anyone from most countries and to anywhere and it can be taken out for periods of up to a year and then extended on-line using a credit card. They have a couple of levels of cover that should suit most.
Can even start coverage even if you are not in your home country.

Worldnomads.com but they do have country specific web sites depending on your home country

What is infinitely scarier is having an accident in the USA and having no insurance.

We are planning to use travel insurance provided by our credit card. Only limitation is- it cover first 90 days, but you have to use credit card to pay for your travel. After that, you can start use another credit card insurance. In theory you need 4 credit cards for all year travel.
Does any one use card covered insurance?

Tony - world nomads do not cover motorcycle travel for UK citizens.

Eshark - make sure they cover "motorcycle travel as primary means of transport" as many don't by default.

As some of you may have noticed from other threads, I work for a company doing medical assistance for insurance companies customers. When they get sick or injured we are asked to step in and manage the case.

I would definately advise against travelling without insurance. Even in countries with recipricol agreements you may need insurance to cover repatriation. Some EU countries (notabaly Spain) are refusing to accept the EHIC and demanding you pay. Also, if you have an accident in Europe, and you don't have insurance, you will be billed for treatment if you don't have an EHIC, but the big new thing is, if you apply for an EHIC retrospectively, YOU WILL NOT GET THE MONEY REFUNDED like you used to.

If you aren't covered, you will pay, and you won't get it back.

And if you are really sick or badly injured, we're talking life changing, lose your house type amounts here, so, make sure you apply BEFORE you leave these shores.

Even then, in some countries you may be asked to contribute a percentage of the cost, and in some you have to pay for the ambulance. So, the gold standard is, get insurance.

In most even if you have insurance you may have to stump up a fair bit in advance, like several thousand, and the insurance won't set a guarantee of payment immediately, there is a process that has to be gone through first to make sure you have a valid policy, so make sure you have access to a decent amount of fundage for emergencies, say a credit card with a 5k limit.

I would strongly advise against getting multiple policies and stringing them as described above. If you are out of the country for longer than the allowed amount you aren't covered, regardless of whether you used that particular policy for some of the time. They will ask for evidence of travel dates and telling them you only left last week, but now your in Thailand without an air ticket to explain how you got there so fast just isn't going to wash. Also, lots of credit card policies require you to pay for your holiday using the card, tricky if your on a motorbike.

Declare EVERYTHING they ask for. Some companies will take the slightest non declaration as an excuse not to pay. The cheaper the policy, the more likely they are to try and weedle out of paying, because the tighter their margins are. Before treating you for an illness and some accidents they will require a comprehensive report on your medical history from your GP so they will find out. This will also delay cover being inplace, so as above, make sure you can cover the initial costs.

Also your GP will charge you for this report and generally the insurance company won't pay for it, so make sure you have made arrangements for it to be paid. Almost no GP surgeries will take a card or internet banking payment, they are really that backward!

READ THE SMALL PRINT. make sure the activities you are doing are covered and that the countries you are travelling in are covered, there are often exclusions (typically the USA). we are currently managing a case for a guy in the British Virgin Islands. His policy excludes the USA and Caribbean. he will probably have to pay for an air ambulance to move him to Martinique where he can be treated on an EHIC, cost will be knocking on the door of 100k by the time he's finished.

Don't assume only the states is expensive. You get put in intensive care anywhere and your looking at life changing amounts of money.

Your not just paying for medical care, your paying for us to move you in an emergency, either home or to a place of safety. Our most common moves are from African countries to South Africa. We had to move a girl who had an appendectomy in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the Zimbabweans delayed giving us the permits to fly in long enough for the surgeon to go back in and have another bash sorting out the mess he made the first time when he inadvertently nicked her bowel and gave her life threatening peritonitis. Even after reconstructive surgery in SA she was a mess. She's only in her 20s, if she had been older she probably wouldn't have survived.

Also, we will recommend you what clinics to go to. Even for Turkey we have a list of what clinics will rip you off or have a high risk of malpractice or poor quality treatment.

Insurance is a rip off, and everyone who works in it crooks, right until you get that $900000 American medical bill (as one man had recently, who wasn't covered) or your laid in a hospital bed in Botswana with a broken back, multiple internal injuries and not much skin left (like a 19 year old we recently moved to SA)

I can't recommend specific companies for this type of insurance because it's not what we usually look after, Our customers are holiday makers and business travelers. But I would strongly suggest finding one. It won't be cheap, not because the insurance companies are ripping everyone off, it's far too competitive a market for that, but because (big shock to those spoiled by the NHS!) medical care isn't cheap. I saw a bill recently from an American hospital for a guy who was admitted for 24 hours with gastroenteritis. Cost, $20000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To echo the others...

Don't leave home without it. It's just not worth the risk.

A few things to mention:

You need to arrange it before you leave your home country. Most policies do not allow you to extend it from abroad (as you are usually taking out a new policy once the term has expired and the rules state you have to be in your home country when you take it out.) There are a couple of providers that have got round this and you can effectively extend on the road but you have to take it out initially when you are in your home country.

Most annual policies only cover individual trips of up to 30 days (sometimes up to 60) after which you must return to your country of residence. As Moggy said you have to be able to prove that the planned trip was for less than that period to be covered. The credit card insurance mentioned above will not be valid in a long term travel scenario. You wouldn't even be covered for an incident on day 1 of your travels if you can't show your planned trip is within the allowed period.

Try searching for gap year cover. I got good cover for two years with Amex, at a reasonable price but it couldn't be renewed from abroad.

Make sure it covers medical evacuation, that's what you're really paying for. Don't get bogged down in cover for belongings etc.

As Moggy also said declare any relevant info. They will often still cover you if you have a pre-existing medical issue.

It gets increasingly hard to get long term travel insurance the older you get. A lot of policies only cover under 30s and a few go up to 50. After that it's really difficult.

Good luck.

PS Rules and regulations regarding insurance differ depending on your country of origin. The above applies to the UK (and most likely other countries in the EU).

Strange since they do provide cover for Australians and Canadians on their "adventurer doing stupid things" plans, and that cover is actually provided through LLoyds.

Few conditions apply as you would expect so don't expect full cover if you have a head on because you have crossed double lines on a blind bend.

Try alphatravelinsurance.co.uk :thumbup1:

I've been investigating this lately. The two companies I short-listed were:

• 1Stop - underwritten by Cigna Europe Insurance Company; and

• Holidaysafe - trading name of Infinity Insurance Solutions Ltd - underwritten by Union Reiseversicherung AG (Germany)

Both will cover m/c overlanding without c.c. restriction subject to holding an appropriate UK licence.

I have it on good authority that Cigna '.. are generally fair and pretty good. [but can be a little slow at times]'

I notice that Alpha Travel Insurance's plan - suggested by trackdayrider (above) - is almost identical to Holidaysafe's offering in nearly every detail; both policies are just different 'white label' contracts as far I can tell. The slight exceptions between the two regarding 'motorcycling' definitions are:

Holidaysafe: 'Motorcycling with appropriate UK licence (excludes track days)'

Alpha: 'Motorcycling with appropriate UK licence'

Both will also include 'MotoCross' as an activity, providing you are prepared to pay an additional premium.

Incidentally, 1Stop's motorcycling definition is: 'Motorcycling on public roads (no racing) safety helmet to be worn and must possess a licence allowing You to ride an equivalent motorcycle in the UK'

I guess therefore, by definition, 1Stop excludes any off-roading activity whatsoever. In other words, you must stick to 'public roads'.
NOTE - the policy is silent regarding the particular make-up of 'roads' - therefore I assume it includes all surfaces - e.g. tar-sealed, gravel, even dirt - as long as you are travelling on a recognised 'public road' (.. and not racing.)

Finally, it's worth noting that 1Stop were prepared to include cover for a minor health condition I have, whereas Holidaysafe insisted on excluding it.

You cannot be too very careful with an insurer's policy wording! :yes:
.

I have been travelling soon 3 years and all the time with travel insurance.
In Indonesia I had accident with truck, broke both of my hands and one arm.
Hospital in Indonesia could not fix my broken wrist because it was too badly damaged, so I needed to fly back to Europe to get it operated.

My insurance company (ADAC) paid everything, even flight back to Europe without any problem.

You do not need to make mistake, it is enough that someone else does something stupid... So, my warm recommendation is to have travel insurance :D:scooter::thumbup1:

Thanks for all the replies. A topic worthy of the good discussion it has created. I asked because I will soon be at the end Of my first year of travel, and I fully intend to carry on. I will have a lot to sort out in order to continue, insurance is just one of those things.

I am at present with Campbell, really should check the paperwork to be sure but it's late and I am in the tent. I can now check out a few others as well. the big problem as some have mentioned is the travel by motorcycle part. Lots of the companies turned away at that point.

Your answers and comments have reinforced how essential this is.

Good Advice
 

Rather strangely, the subject matter tends to crop up in various threads.

With the good advice given over the past few days and the real-world anecdotes to reinforce the message, this thread deserves to be a sticky in a "better", i.e. more appropriate, location such as:-

"Staying Healthy on the Road

Medical info, e.g. malaria, vaccinations, travel medical tips, medical insurance, where to find a doctor."

Then there might be more attention paid to this form of insurance alongside the legal requirement (in most countries) for motor vehicle insurance to indemnify third parties involved in accidents.

Maybe a mod or 3 could oblige?

Motocross is entirely different.. Classed as "competitive" off road motorcycling rather than simply off road motorcycling..
:scooter:

BTW
Alpha covered me including an historic heart surgery a few years ago

if travel a lot then u need travel insurance. ur actually meeting different people, various cultures and of course u are having a great time traveling but u should have at least some protection if anything untoward thing happens.

Have you read the policy conditions thoroughly?

probably not!! because they won't be covered for the reasons I gave above

Incidentally, we have just had a case rejected by the insurers for someone who is seriously ill in Asia. they decided to extend their holiday so bought a new policy online. However, the policy requires that you must be in the UK at the time of taking it out, they weren't, they were already in country, so the insurance is invalid and they are faced with the possibility of having to pay themselves for an air ambulance that will cost in the region £70000, not including the medical expenses they have already racked up in hospital.

The Nitty Gritty
 

Perhaps the real beauty/raison d'etre of the HUBB is best portrayed by Moggy 1968. Here we have an insider willing to share his experiences and expertise in the field of international medical care coverage.

This is what the HUBB offers overlanders, not only in terms of medical care, but in virtually every aspect of overlanding by all means of transportation.

There always exists a percentage of any population who, on a downward spiral continually make decisions that hasten their demise. These are the poor souls who neglect to even consider purchasing insurances, have no concern for those who they trample on their fast track to the bottom.

No matter what logic or common sense dictates, those who impose unnecessary risks upon themselves and others might never be stopped, until reality itself stops them.

All those who post here like moggy 1968 are survivors and want to help others survive. We should listen. We should certainly use this valuable and free of charge resource. People usually pay for the same advice moggy 1968 shares freely for no other reason than to help others survive.

I have always advocated insurance for overlanders and have sorted out a relatively inexpensive medical plan that covers "motorcycles" on or off road, but not while being in a structured competitive event.

We, (Elisa - from Spain and I from USA) are permanent residents of Argentina, and therefore purchased a local plan offered for expats via one of the numerous expat organizations here. Unlike U S policies there is no upper age limit or limit on amount paid, and no deductibles. I am well over the 65 year old cut off and enjoy full coverage for about $175.00 US/month. Elisa pays much less as she is younger. A book of the company's own hospitals and accepted doctors etc is provided and since we purchased the high end coverage includes the best specialists in the the country. Our medical care has been exemplary - including yearly physicals etc etc and limited dental. Prescriptions are paid on a percentage basis - about 80% is covered.

Our policies cover us outside of Argentina for a period of two months with a $50,000 dollar limit on care and a repatriation clause that gets us back to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the event of life threatening injury or illness and once we cross the border into Argentina, our regular policy picks up all medical expenses as described above.

Since we travel to Spain every couple years, I also purchased, prior to turning 65, an expat policy similar to what I have in Argentina from a company in Spain. This policy covers me outside of Spain for three months with repatriation to Spain included. My cost is about $250.00 US /month and Elisa has a less expensive policy offered to Spanish citizens.

So, we are covered on the two continents we travel to frequently and limit our visits to the United States, where we own a ranch, to two months if we depart from Argentina and three months if we depart from Spain.

We were on the road for the full year 2014, so our Argentine company sold us a "travel policy" good for a year with multiple discounts based on our expat coverage with the same company and I paid about $600.00 US
for the year and Elisa paid $400.00 US. This policy, as the other two policies covered injury, illness, limited dental and riding motorcycles.

There could be a catch. If you or I was operating the motorcycle or vehicle illegally - without a drivers license valid in country of accident without 3rd party insurance, expired registration or plates, illegal or even questionable title transfer etc your insurance could be declared null and void - just read the small print on literally every medical insurance policy.

As for the United States, although spending the most on healthcare, is now ranked #37 by the World Health Organization when compared worldwide, Spain is ranked #7 and Argentina #75.... but with access to the finest care available in Argentina, the U S is the last place I would like to return to for medical care. Medical malpractice in the U S is the third leading cause of death.

During the past ten years all of my medical has been excellent and paid for by the local insurance companies covering me as a expat in Argentina and Spain. And when Elisa fractured three toes in southern Colombia - she slipped on a muddy trail, all expenses were quickly reimbursed once we returned to Buenos Aires.

Comments and questions welcome

Eat, Drink and buy insurance

xfiltrate

Fantastic thread and great information.

US citizen here pondering longer term travel as well - and highly agree with the sentiment of carrying insurance full time. We do indeed spend the most on med care here - at least in terms of %GDP - without carrying the best care necessarily. I know folks who are struggling through medical crisis (s) WITH insurance - and they are still being slowly depreciated financially. Not headed in a good direction.

I'm after travel medical/repatriation/emergency evac as well and have only begun my investigations. One that's renewable and works in concert (transition) with purchased policies in the states. Figuring out who covers what and when is a real chore, and only starting to become clear.

I'll be paying attention to this thread for sure!

Thanks for the kind wordsbier

Good morning everyone.
Ok time to return to this topic as I am now back in England preparing for the next stage. My last years insurance with Campbell Irvine has run its course, time for a new quote.

Next years travel is set to be South and Central America. Same plan, travel by motorcycle as the primary means of transport. A phone call to Vanessa at Campbell has produced a quote of £883. Now my plan is to go through the thread contacting each company mentioned and seeing how it pans out. the aim is to ensure I get an appropriate level of cover for myself, not cheap insurance. the price war issue is something else. I want to be safe and adequately covered not paying for a worthless piece of paper. To this end I ask some very specific questions of each company.

So as I go through it I will post results back up here. as usual any comments and questions are welcome.

First company, Alpha Travel insurance. They are unable to quote as to qualify the insured must have lived in the UK for at least 6 of the last 12 months. As I have been away for a year I am excluded.

Next is 1 Stop Travel insurance. At 46 I am unable to use the backpackers policy and have to take out a single trip policy. Cover for the bike ( 950cc ) is ok. I questioned their wording as it stated " incidental use " within the wording of the policy. I explained that the bike was my home and principle mode of transport. I gave last years mileage of 20,000 as a guide to the use I expected. The gentlemen checked and confirmed this would be acceptable. I questioned their definition of a road due to the off road nature of overland travel. Again this was checked and the consensus is that if it is shown as a road on a map it's a road. I have the policy document to look at. But, for me there are 2 sticking points. First the quote is almost half that of Campbell Irvine. this makes me question the level of cover hence getting the document to read. And secondly I cannot return to England whilst traveling for a visit, to do so ends the policy as it is a single trip. I always hope to return for my daughters birthday, this means two policies over the year.

Lots more to do. Not as much fun as the travel but important stuff.

The UK travel insurance industry is a rip-off like most things. Many just won't cover you on a motorcycle, so you're fine unless you are in a bike accident. Holidaysafe (who I used for Morocco) do cover bikes which is good as it applies even to their their longstay policies as well as their bike specific ones.

Now things get interesting when talking about an extended trip. Sure many companies do long-stay insurance, but often they require proof of a return ticket (which man overlanders won't have) or proof of intent to return to the UK. What counts as proof will be up to the varying insurance companies.

Longstay insurance form most companies is up to 12-24 months. So after two years maximum you need a new policy, which in a lot of instances you can't buy if you're already out of the UK. Those that do allow you to purchase insurance when already abroad, hike up the charge. I've seen this be up to four times as much as the initial policy.

Another thing to note is, don't rely on travel insurance for anything other than medical cover. The values and excesses on property and items are pitiful, you'll need separate cover for those if you're worried. On the subject of medical cover, don't be fooled by the big numbers e.g. £5m, £10m, £20m cover. In the history of the earth there has never been a medical expense claim on a travel insurance policy over £2m, so don't pay extra for cover you don't need.

@Zedsded - I don't know your circumstance, but your quotes so far seem pretty high. Make sure you are only covering what you need to. I'm expecting to pay around £75 for 6 months in South America, but then I'm only treating the insurance as health cover so not concerned with lost baggage, stolen phones, additional payouts for injury etc..

Ok, Monday morning and back on the trail. Lessons learnt so far; It would seem that I cannot get a policy that will allow me to return to England during the year for a visit. Multiple trip policies have time restrictions on travel and single trip is exactly that, a single trip. I can pay for six months, return and then renew the policy on leaving again. Not the best scenario financially.

So for now I am asking for two quotes. One for a year and then another for six months.

So far;
Trailfinders. No problems with covering the bike, it is a 50% loading on the premium. One year is £733 and six months is £444. Policy documentation is on the website for me to read and confirm.

World Nomads. Cannot over cover if you are motorcycle touring, or the motorcycle is your main means of transport.

1 stop. Well I checked this out again this morning. £270 for a year cover on their standard policy, again asked the question about the bike on the phone and was told it is covered on the standard policy, they do not make an additional loading. Also interestingly when I explained the difference in the prices between themselves and other companies the young lady said that I should make a note of the time and number I have called from. She explained that all calls are recorded and I should be confident that the cover for the bike is included. Any questions after the event the call could be referred back to.

So at this point I am going to read through the policies I have received and see what I make of them. Starting with 1 stop!

zed, I've taken out numerous policies with 1Stop over the last few years - at least 10 times on different occasions since July 2008 - BUT never had to make a claim, therefore I can't really vouch for the company's integrity if you ever get into trouble.

Prior to July 2008, I used to always insure my travels through the Post Office. I forget who the underwriters were at the time. The PO was comparitively expensive back then - probably still is, I don't know, because I've never bought from them since that time. I thought prior to July '08, that insuring through a trusted high street organisation, such as the PO, that was (and maybe still is) prepared to include travel by MC without engine size limits .. then you would be in safe hands if anything went wrong.

More Background
In July 2008, returning from Toronto to Gatwick airports, on reclaiming my baggage from the carousel, I notice that my then expensive (£1K) laptop, plus all my software discs and other peripherals, had been nicked from my checked-in bag by some thieving b@stard baggage handler 'air side' at either YYZ or LGW. All my photos, diary notes etc, on the hard drive and back-up discs .. gone!

I reported the incident to the police at both airports, and attempted to make a claim from the PO for the stolen items .. only to be told that computers + accessories and software are defined as 'Valuables' by the insurer, and should not have been packed within my checked-in bag; I should have carted these items in my carry-on bag instead. The policy wording confirmed this .. and therefore I had no choice but to abandon the claim.

I've checked all the independent [so-called] reviews I can find from the various consumers sites about 1Stop. Mostly okay opinons .. a few disgruntled customers. Very typical stuff really.

Upshot is, from July 2008 onwards I have thought, 'why bother with expensive crap insurance, for instance, the PO's offering .. when you can just as easily buy cheap potential crap?' Hence I've been effecting cover with 1Stop most of the time since July 2008.

Anyway, good luck with your insurance decision. I hope you never need to use it, claim-wise, whatever you end-up buying into.

Keith

One problem is, the world is now ruled by mediocrity. If you don't fit into the majority, i.e. 2.4 kids, mondeo, estate house and 2 weeks in spain each year, then the computer has trouble recognising you as human. That then means you have to go for a specialist, which means more overheads, so more expensive, and less competition, so more expensive.

The fact that someone didn't read their policy wording and so wasn't covered doesn't mean the insurance is crap, it means you didn't do your homework. Personally, I would never check something as valuable as a laptop with all my travel pictures into the hold, it's asking for trouble, which is why it wasn't covered, your expected to take 'reasonable care' to mitigate risk. I've had a few 'discussions' with some of our flight staff recently about checking their medical bags into the hold on their way out to a job, it's ridiculous. We have had drugs go missing that way and we've now made it a disciplinary offence to check your drug bag into the hold. I really wouldn't have thought it was necessary to take that step, these are supposed to be intelligent people, but we have!

That of course is before we get onto the matter of how baggage handlers treat your bags, I really wouldn't put anything more fragile than a brick in there!!

The reality, whether you like it or not, is motorcycling brings a higher level of risk, as does being older, as does being away for longer. Thats why sub £100 policies cover you for 30 days and don't let you ride anything bigger than a moped, won't cover you for America etc etc!! It doesn't mean insurance is a rip off, it means your a high risk! It takes a lot of £200 policies to cover a million dollar claim.

By the way, check the size of bike covered on your policy. We had 2 in 2 days declined last week because the bikes were over the covered size. Fortunately they were in Europe so treatment was covered under EHIC, although one was in Spain so he still had to stump up £3k and they won't get the repatriation they really need without having to pay.

Ok, firstly thanks for the replies. Moggy I know exactly what you mean about ruled by mediocrity! Just asking some questions of the insurers has stumped a few of them.

On each occasion I state the bike is a British registered 950cc motorcycle and is to be my primary means of transport. My mileage last year was 20,000 and I expect a similar amount this year.
As for the returning issue. Well I am still not fully decided on that, however for financial reasons it may well be impossible anyway. Extra flights have to be included as well. So to keep things simple I am just getting the single trip quotes at present.

Currently;
1 Stop. I have read the policy and motorcycle use is covered with the wording stating incidental use. Their definition of incidental being occasional or casual use. They insist my usage is acceptable and that the recording of their saying so is proof. I have asked them to confirm the acceptance in writing and this is where it has been left. I will wait and see. The gentleman on the phone didn't like being pushed into a written response and said I could buy the policy and then ask for the written confirmation. So for me one stop is probably not the place.

Trailfinders. I asked again about the bike and was put through to the bespoke team. I have a clearly worded email to confirm cover for the bike is acceptable; " We are able to provide cover for a 12 month trip where your primary mode of transport is a motorcycle, for a 50% additional premium. This would not cover you for liability or the bike itself as this should be covered under your motor insurance. There are no mileage restrictions but the cover would be under the condition that you wear the appropriate safety gear including a helmet. " This is the same loading Campbell Irvine are imposing. Cost, £733.

So far Trailfinders are in the running. More calls to make over the next few days.

I should also point out that for me in all this it is really only the medical cover I am concerned over. I travel alone and want to know that if the worst happens I am covered. It may sound a little flippant but losing my stuff is of no issue. I have in my mind written off all my gear anyway. I live on the bike, all I own is there but it is just stuff. I am not precious about a few hundred pounds worth of tent, cooker and gear. However if I am unconscious and in a foreign hospital I do not want my family to be arguing with the insurance company about the level of cover, 20 years in the emergency services has maybe given me this approach. I also believe in you get what you pay for. I Stop's cheaper quote but reluctance to provide clear wording is a case in point, but I will await their response.

Check Holidaysafe. All of their longstay policies cover bikes, and are a sponsor of Bike Chat Forums, so definitely cover bikes. They even have bike specific policies to stump up money in the cost of a breakdown etc.. Not that I bothered with those.

You'll still have the problem that you won't be able to return home without the policy ending though.

Yes we live in a mediocrity and the UK is particularly bad for it. Just try getting green card insurance for your bike. Insuraers in France, Spain,Germany, will hand them out no problem. In the UK only LV, Aviva, and Carole Nash (underwritten by Aviva) will offer them (at a massive price hike). In my case Aviva then backed down as they though Morocco was full of Jihadists.

I paid around £200 with AA Travel insurance Backpackers policy for a year in South America. I actually crashed and needed medical attention and Global Response dealt with the claim. I found them to be very good actually. However claiming back was a very drawn out process though to be fair this wasn't anything to do with Global Response who paid up front but the awful "Rightpath Claims". I think AA have dropped them now and it's not hard to see why.

If you're a UK citizen and looking for extended motorcycle coverage some options are, as far as I know;

AA travel insurance
Post Office travel insurance
Navigator travel insurance.

For a year all would be in the £200-300 region. Obviously double check all this before buying a policy.

NFU always gave me green cards, no problem, including for Morocco

They no longer cover bikes.

A few more calls has resulted in these replies;

Holiday Safe. In order to offer cover I have had to spend six months of the previous twelve in the UK. So a no go for me.

AA Travel insurance. Single trip policies are only available for up to 185 days. So they are a maybe if I choose to return during the year.

Post Office. To provide cover I must have a return flight booked!

Navigator. They have the same residency rules as Holiday safe, so no again.

Carol Nash was suggested by one of the other companies so I phoned them. Cover is available but only for 92 days.


Still looking...............Hahahahahaha.

zedsdead did you go with TrailFinders in the end?

There is also Carole Nash, and LV.

Hello again. Ok time to put the answer to my original question up. I have sorted the insurance. The company I used was STA. I am not sure if I contacted them a year ago when I started this travel lark.

They confirmed they cover bikes and that touring or using it as the main means of transport is not an issue.
My having been abroad over the last year was not an issue. I am a UK citizen with a passport, that was enough for them.
Also they can offer cover whilst abroad for up to two years. For me this is important. My cover does not include the States, however I can now travel to there and with one phone call continue the cover for another year. All this without having to fly back to England. This may or may not happen but to have the option is important. It also means I can if needed just extend the South America cover with a phone call. Great no insurance imposed time limit to travel.

All this was in their standard policy and when I checked a branch in a town near to me in England. So real people to talk too.

I believe and I hope I have it all sorted. They have my money and I am in their hands if something goes bad. As I said at the start it was not about price. I travel alone and need medical back up. In short if I get in big trouble I will need good help. I hope I never have to find out.

Cheers for all the input from everyone, it was a big help.

Thanks for posting your conclusion. Question: is your cover limited by the UK government foreign travel advice?

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Cam belt. Hmmm, now that one I don't know. It was not a question I had ever thought of or asked.

So off the top of my head I will say this. Having looked at and used the UK.gov website for foreign travel advice I would say it is too fluid to warrant the worry. When I was in Dakar last year I looked at it regarding travel across Mali. The website showed a map covered in portion by red. The advise was not to travel within this zone. I then went to the British embassy in town to get clarification. They told me I should not travel anywhere as it was unsafe. This also included Mauritania, Senegal and Mali. So I respectfully asked them how they thought I should proceed. As Dakar was in Senegal, how should I travel back to my campsite. They were not terribly inspiring or helpful. So I believe unless a system of evacuation for travellers is put into place, eg as in after the terrible events in Tunisia I need not worry. I guess time may tell..........

Generally I've never worried too much about FCO travel advice in West Africa / the Sahel, or anywhere else really - it's really overcautious as the govt needs to cover its arse from the media frenzy that happens if people get into trouble and there wasn't any kind of warning. But in the context of travel insurance it is important, and unfortunately it's not just the red "advise against all travel" areas that you need to worry about. Most travel insurance policies will be invalid if you travel to the yellow "advise against all but essential travel" areas (except where it has just changed from green and you are making arrangements to leave).

One question I have -

All the insurance policies which include motorcycle travel state that you are only covered if you are on a public road. Does this mean;

If you were driving out of someones private property and fell off (say a large property like a ranch, farm or large hotel complex) and broke your leg, you would not be covered?

And what is a public road defined as? If it is on a map would you say it's a public road?

I'm always covered when I travel, though I don't know if I qualify as a long-term traveler necessarily. It's just not worth the risk, especially if you're in an unfamiliar area.