Author Topic: Travel Insurance (Read 3805 times)

Karla · « **on:** 20 April, 2010, 05:45:22 pm »

A friend and I are touring in France at the start of June. I've never organised an international tour before, so this travel insurance lark is new to me. Another friend recently told me they had trouble finding insurance that included cycle cover when they went to Lanzarote recently. What should I look out for? The CTC's page links to Citybond Suretravel, which quotes me £75 or £88 for the two of us depending on whether we want £500 or £2000 baggage cover, though I'm not sure whether or not that includes the bikes - the premium cover is obviously the only option if the bikes are included in that figure.

Does anyone have any particular recommendations or tales of woe to do with cycling travel insurance?
Thanks

Karla · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 April, 2010, 06:40:30 pm »

The Environmental Travel Association seem to do cheap cover at £11.25 for each of us, I found a recommendation on the CTC boards. Does anyone have any experience with them?

MSeries · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 April, 2010, 06:46:09 pm »

Snowcard cover cycle touring. never claimed from them though

Regulator · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 April, 2010, 06:52:48 pm »

I've found the CTC recommended people overpriced and with limited cover.

I've used the ETA ebfore - but again their cover can be limited and you really need to read the wording carefully. With pre-existing medical conditions the premium went up a fair bit.

Somebody else recommended M&S Travel Insurance - but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

bikepacker · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 April, 2010, 07:04:25 pm »

This company has just given me a quote £100 less than Citybond.
EHICPlus Travel Insurance: holiday insurance with EHIC, E111; annual travel insurance; travel insurance for over 65

roddalitz · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 April, 2010, 10:25:28 pm »

I have used Snowcard for many years. They may not be the cheapest, but it is absolutely clear what they cover: if you want to do downhill competitions, you tell them, and they cover it. If you go to someone else, they just might hold up their hands and tell you they never intended to cover THAT.

tatanab · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 April, 2010, 12:52:29 pm »

I just compared Snowcard and CTC. Snowcard showed a single trip premium of £40 for cycle touring for a month in Europe. I have worldwide annual coverage from CTC for a little over £60. CTC also repatriate your cycle if you need repatriating yourself.

CTC travel insurance does not cover your cycle in the initial quote - that is a further (expensive) option because many people are already covered through house contents insurance etc.

Many bank accounts include free travel insurance, including cycle touring. Mine does, but I still buy the CTC policy for repatriation of machine if needed. I also buy the economy end of the scale because I don't have expensive baggage, I'm cycle touring so have a few clothes and little else.

I've kept the CTC policy for about 5 years now; maybe I should look into other options a bit further.

bobb · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 April, 2010, 01:23:27 pm »

What about your bank? I'm not sure if mine covers bicycle touring, but it covers "Winter sports" - even in the USA! You usually have to pay through the nose for that.

I just went to my bank and upped the status of my account as the small monthly fees worked out cheaper than getting separate travel insurance. IIRC there were also choices on what sort of thing you wanted to be insured for....

Regulator · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 April, 2010, 01:28:34 pm »

Quote from: bobb on 21 April, 2010, 01:23:27 pm

What about your bank? I'm not sure if mine covers bicycle touring, but it covers "Winter sports" - even in the USA! You usually have to pay through the nose for that.

I just went to my bank and upped the status of my account as the small monthly fees worked out cheaper than getting separate travel insurance. IIRC there were also choices on what sort of thing you wanted to be insured for....

My bank's insurance covers cycle touring - but not the theft of the bike (mind you neither does the ETA or Citybond), or rather they're all limited to a single item maximum of between £300 and £500, which isn't much use when I'm touring on the Van Nicholas... $:-\$

bobb · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 April, 2010, 01:37:08 pm »

Quote from: Regulator (a.k.a. DUG) on 21 April, 2010, 01:28:34 pm

.... when I'm touring on the Van Nicholas... $:-\$

Whenever I see that make of bike written down, I cannot get the following out of my head:

"Moving up on second base behind Nicholas Van What's-his-face......"

Charlotte · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 April, 2010, 01:44:24 pm »

Quote from: Mr Nesbitt on 20 April, 2010, 06:46:09 pm

Snowcard cover cycle touring. never claimed from them though

ISTR that Mr Larrington might have had a less than positive experience with these chappies after PBP.

Karla · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 April, 2010, 01:52:24 pm »

Hmm, thanks for that. I'm with NatWest so unless something's changed since 2008, they won't cover bike touring. EHIC and the Post Office looked quite good, but I'll check out Endsleigh.

Regulator · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 April, 2010, 02:09:29 pm »

Quote from: Lady T on 21 April, 2010, 01:52:24 pm

Hmm, thanks for that. I'm with NatWest so unless something's changed since 2008, they won't cover bike touring. EHIC and the Post Office looked quite good, but I'll check out Endsleigh.

Interesting... I'm with Nat West and they say my cycle touring is covered (except in the UK). Mind you, I am paying an arm and a leg for Private Banking...

bryn · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 April, 2010, 08:46:17 pm »

Just to stress what other folks have said, read the small print *very* carefully.

Last year I found several policies which covered cycling, they said, but it turned out only if it was not the main part of the holiday. They let you try out various things provided it was not more than once a week! The previous CTC policy did not cover the dangerous(!) sport of rambling without special dispensation, but they have switched insurers and things are now a bit better - but don't go over 3000m on foot.

Apart from the issue of repatriation of what is left of the bike, also check that you can ride on, for instance, unsurfaced cycle paths, and that, if you don't want to use one, helmets are not compulsory.

An insurance anecdote not cycling related: a friend had a heart attack while motor caravanning in Greece. The "free" bank insurance got him home, but it cost him a fortune to fly someone else out to pick up the motor caravan. I'm not too worried about my bike, but I want my own hospital Learjet to fly *me* home

--
Bryn

bryn · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 April, 2010, 09:48:01 pm »

Volcano stuff:

Just had a trawl around some of the travel insurance sites and saw some ominous words that anything booked after 14 April might not be covered for volcano related disruption, even with an existing multitrip insurance already in place.

The concern is that the volcano or its neighbour has another burp in a couple of months time, airspace closure starts again, and the insurance companies wash their hands of it because it was a known existing risk.

Exact wording for instance from the EHIC site:
Quote:Underwriters are reviewing their terms and conditions and are considering an exclusion of claims arising out of cancellation of flights due to the consequences of volcanic eruption.
If, after the airspace has re-opened, the terms remain un-amended and there is a further spate of closures of airspace arising out of a later eruption/s or unforeseen movement of the existing ash cloud, then a claim can be made subject to all terms and conditions of the policy held by an insured.
Unquote.

There is a fairly important "If" in that quote

--
Bryn

Karla · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 April, 2010, 09:56:08 pm »

I booked the ferry a few days ago and the TGV/Eurostar yesterday, so flights are thankfully not a worry!

Redlight · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 May, 2018, 02:29:50 pm »

Bumping this up from 8 years ago....

Can anyone recommend an insurer that will cover a few days' road cycling over 1000m without hitting me with a hefty premium?

I was quoted an extra £600 to "top up" my current "premium" policy so that I can ride my bike over that altitude*. The CTC policy (as an example) does allow it but is a ridiculous amount of money to, in effect, mainly duplicate what I already have with that one added benefit.

* for some bizarre reason, they classify road cycling in the same risk category as rock climbing!

Karla · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 May, 2018, 06:16:49 pm »

Hey, wait, what, did I start this thread

ETA are my go-to short trip insurers who cover cycling - though I've never had to claim on them so don't have the misfortune to be able to review them from the other side. They're linked up there ^^

jsabine · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 May, 2018, 06:35:32 pm »

I'd try Pedalcover.

No experience of their travel policies but their home insurance is - at least at the purchase stage - refreshingly sensible about bikes and other bling.

toontra · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 May, 2018, 06:47:03 pm »

As Redlight points out, most travel insurance companies have the ridiculous 1000 metre altitude exclusion clause somewhere in their T&C's if you dig deeply enough.

What's the point in cycling abroad if not to take on a few hills!

rr · « **Reply #20 on:** 10 May, 2018, 10:20:37 pm »

Holiday safe offer various levels for different activities and don't seem to do rediculous markups for cycling.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Redlight · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 May, 2018, 12:03:08 pm »

Bingo! My wife's employer offers travel cover as a staff benefit and it can be extended to cover me too. The policy covers cycling, with no altitude restriction.

It's with Aviva.