Travel Insurance - yes or no?

I have booked a trip to the Assen MotoGP next year and am (obviously)
going on my bike. What do you guys reckon to getting some travel
insuance sorted? Is it a wise move or just not really necessary for a
5 day trip to Holland?

 

E111 as a start, but I frequently travel sans insurance.
--

Cheers!
Fr Jack
96 Tiger.
FRJACKUKRM AT GMAIL DOT COM

 

Don't suppose you've got an Egg card? They're doing annual European
cover including 17 days winter sports coverage for £20 - it'd be rude
*not* to have insurance at that price!

 

Alliance and Leicester bank account, pay in more than £500 per month,
free cover world wide, as many times per year as you like.

 

I looked at their cover when I was trying to find annual cover. There
were exceptions which for me made it not a good deal. I unremember
what they were now.

 

A few years ago, those nice people at Britannia Rescue took me and bike
back from Holland after I got a nasty puncture on a Sunday. Trying to
find a tyre on a Monday was too challenging, since all the bike shops
were shut, and the ferry was on Tuesday, so the bike went on the back
of a truck. Needless to say, I heartily recommend breakdown cover.

You should also get an E111, from the Post Office, which should ensure
that you get medical treatment at the same cost as the locals. Be
aware, that doesn't mean free, so travel insurance can still be
worthwhile. Generally travel insurers will waive any excess on medical
claims if you have the E111. Travel insurance will also get you home if
medical disaster strikes, the E111 doesn't.

 

Possibly, do you find that insurance needs to cover such
eventualities?

Actually it was most likely related to hiring/traveling on motorcycles
and/or Scuba and taking holidays with the sole intention of
undertaking 'dangerous'[1] activities.

[1] from the POV of an ins co[2]
[2] WTF they think of 18-30 where a stranger shagfest is the principal
reason gawd knows.

 

It's *always* worth having. If you travel abroad more than twice a year,
get an annual policy. All inhabitants of the Chateau are covered on a
BUPA one, which inncludes something like 3 or 4 weeks' skiing, and costs
just ukp99 a year.

 

Bear wrote:

All of which is fair and reminds me that getting the initial response
was patience testing, to say the least, and involved a fair few calls
at international roaming rates. I'd forgotten all about that.

Once the recovery bloke actually turned up it was pretty much plain
sailing.

 

David Toft emerged from their own little world to say

A&L won't cover you if you sustain injuries whilst riding a bike over
125cc

I find this bizarre as they are happy to cover someone riding a hired
scoot in Ibiza, as long as he/she wears a helmet, but not an experienced
rider on their own larger machine.

On my last long weekend trip to France I did not bother with extra
insurance. The A&L policy would cover the routine medical stuff and if I
binned the bike then the E111 would cover the emergency stuff.

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say
snip "uselessness of Mondial"

Best I've come across in France was Green Flag. Freephone no. I used a
payphone which immediately located me. The operator spoke excellent English
and a bloke on a Peugeot scooter arrived in 30 mins. He had one of those
instant battery chargers in his pannier which got me going again.

 

Coop Bank does something similar
http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?cid=1075795185058&page
name=CoopBank%2FPage%2FtplPageStandard&c=Page

 

Lloyds TSB do what is called a Select account, that gets you things like
mobile phone insurance, travel insurance, breakdown cover and other
stuff, for about £5 a month.

 

Okay then I think it has been established that travel insurance is
worth getting. I don't currently plan to travel abroad again next
year after going to Assen so I think a single trip insurance package
will be adequate. I don't really relish the idea of opening bank
accounts/credit cards just to take advantage of any free travel
insurance (seeing as it isn't that expensive anyway) but does anyone
have any recommendations for companies that offer travel insurance
that doesn't have any stupid clauses about trips involving the use of
motorcycles not being covered etc?

 

BUPA