Travel Insurance for European Tour

[earthuman]

Hey all...about to head out on my tour to Istanbul...but just realised that I don't have any travel insurance. How necessary is this? I do have a European health card, but would anyone here recommend getting separate travel insurance from the BMC or something? Also, would this cover the cost of the bike, panniers, etc. in case of theft?

 

[Dave Davenport]

I've used the ctc for insurance before as most standard policies don't cover loss of your bike/replacement hire etc.

 

[Crankarm]

You can get house insurance contents cover extended to your bike when away from home, anywhere in Eurrope, provided it is locked up when left unattended and the bike is named on the policy. My policy is with Nationwide which I think is Churchill. There are restrictions though one of which may scupper your plans - duration of your time away, the length of time you might take to cycle to Istanbul ......... and back.

 

[climo]

Yes buy travel insurance, it's vital.
I had a bad accident in Italy for which the hospital bill was AFAIK 87K euros - which HMG paid. BUT the flight home was a further 11K euros which the travel insurance paid for. God knows what would have happened in a country without reciprocal health arrangements and no insurance.

Make sure that the insurance company speak English plus other languages. Mine spoke bad english as they were the Austrian Alpine Club There were communication problems which the British Consulate eventually helped with, but do not expect any help from the embassy - they are extremely reluctant. It was my wife plus local MP who got me home.

Coincidentally my wife is in Dublin right now. All her money & passport have been stolen (hotel room break in). The British Embassy will not issue her with a new passport as they need photo ID. Basically they are bloody useless and don't want to know. Just what we pay them for I just don't know.
Thank god for credit cards and someone at home (me) who can email a copy of her passport out.

What I'm saying is, in a crisis, you can't always help yourself.
BMC have a good reputation for sorting out any problems.
Stuff the bike insurance just get health, repatriation, emergency money & help with the lost passport insurance.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Health insurance is 100% vital. EHIC covers some costs, but not all. As Climo points out, an air ambulance home is one thing not covered, and so is helicopter ambulance from the scene of an accident. EHIC also doesn't cover the so-called 'hotel' costs of a hospital stay (ie. the charge made for the bed and food), only the actual medical charges.

For bike insurance, the worldwide all-risks section of your household contents policy is the way to go. Way cheaper than cycle-specific policies for usually better cover (cycle-specific policies often specify Sold Secure Gold locks, for example, where household contents policies usually just say 'locked').

 

[earthuman]

Hey all. Thanks for the advice here. I went ahead and took out the insurance with CTC - covers me and the bike...
So....I've just finished my final pack...leaving Brighton in the morning to take the ferry to Dieppe! The tour is beginning!
I'll be in touch and thanks for everything to all on the forum.

 

[Domestique]

CTC is a good starting point and quite reasonable.

Yes buy travel insurance, it's vital.
I had a bad accident in Italy for which the hospital bill was AFAIK 87K euros - which HMG paid. BUT the flight home was a further 11K euros which the travel insurance paid for.

Is that 8700e or 87000e/1100e or 11000e , glad you had insurance

 

[climo]

[QUOTE
Is that 8700e or 87000e/1100e or 11000e , glad you had insurance [/QUOTE]
87000 euros & 11000 euros plus the helicopter rescue, fortunatly free in Italy. A week in Italy for my wife & friend trying to get me home, which was extraordinarily difficult. Six weeks in a UK hospital (I made the fastest recovery that they'd ever seen).
After care rehab was private as the otherwise excellent NHS (to whom I am forever indebted) gave me 6 hours once out of hospital. 30 months outpatient rehab cost us at least £25000. Don't even think about lost earnings.

But hey! I can ride a bike. Just relearning to drive again so keep off the roads.

Yes insurance is vital but make sure that it covers extensive physio rehab. Even a broken limb may require physio to minimise the damage. I've not seen one a policy that does, or for that matter any private health care plan that does either.

But you'll have a good trip so don't worry.

 

[earthuman]

[QUOTE
Is that 8700e or 87000e/1100e or 11000e , glad you had insurance

87000 euros & 11000 euros plus the helicopter rescue, fortunatly free in Italy. A week in Italy for my wife & friend trying to get me home, which was extraordinarily difficult. Six weeks in a UK hospital (I made the fastest recovery that they'd ever seen).
After care rehab was private as the otherwise excellent NHS (to whom I am forever indebted) gave me 6 hours once out of hospital. 30 months outpatient rehab cost us at least £25000. Don't even think about lost earnings.

But hey! I can ride a bike. Just relearning to drive again so keep off the roads.

Yes insurance is vital but make sure that it covers extensive physio rehab. Even a broken limb may require physio to minimise the damage. I've not seen one a policy that does, or for that matter any private health care plan that does either.

But you'll have a good trip so don't worry.[/QUOTE]

It was your post that totally convinced me to get insurance. It sounds like you have been through a horrendous experience. Thanks for waking me up to reality - and I really do mean that.
Cheers
Vinko