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Bike Insurance for the Balkans - Croatia Albania etc Bike Insurance for the Balkans - Croatia Albania etc
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  #1  
Old 12 Apr 2008
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Bike Insurance for the Balkans - Croatia Albania etc
Hi, we are heading to Greece for a month long trip from the UK.
We are insured as far as Slovenia under our UK policy.

Can vehicle/bike insurance be purchased at borders for the rest of the trip. We are typically following the Adriatic coastline, so, Croatia, a bit of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania to Macedonia & to Greece.

The insurance company doesn't issue a 'Green Card', but whenever I phone I always get a different answer as to where I am covered!!!

Opinions appreciated.

Phil
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Last edited by shandydrinker; 12 Apr 2008 at 12:49.
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  #2  
Old 12 Apr 2008
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Hi Phil,

HAK
(+385 1) 4640 800

this is a link and a phone number of Croatian Auto Club, ask them, they sholud know.


Nikola
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  #3  
Old 13 Apr 2008
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If you are inhabitant of EU you don't need "green card" for Croatia.
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  #4  
Old 14 Apr 2008
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Insurance
I too am (was?!) planning the same trip from the Highlands of Scotland leaving on 17th May. So far, despite trying for weeks, I have not managed to find comprehensive insurance cover for countries that are not in the EU. I do not fancy at all getting insurance at the borders as I believe it will at best only be 3rd party (I value my bike and my skin!). Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK that could help?
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  #5  
Old 14 Apr 2008
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Normally you would only be covered 3rd party as you know but most insurance companys will extend it to comprehensive for a small fee.Mine did (Hastings)This covered non EU countries too.Do try and get a green card from them otherwise you will have to pay on border for not having one.Bosnia was 20 Euros,as mentioned Croatia will be ok not sure about others but plenty of threads on here about Albania etc.
On my return I contacted Hastings and explained to them I had to pay because they didn't issue me a green card.They refunded the cost so i don't know if they and others are now giving out green cards.If they get pestered enough they might.
I don't know why they are reluctant to hand them out in UK.Other EU countries still issue them.
Although we are suppose to be a European Union we dont all 'sing from the same song sheet'.
Which is what i like about Europe,We are all different !
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Old 15 Apr 2008
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Ok, thanks for all your replies.

After (yet) another call to my insurance company, they now tell me that I am covered in Coatia but not Austria!!!

They say that they don't issue Green Cards as they are no longer required for the EU???

I guess I'll just set off & see what happens!

Phil
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  #7  
Old 15 Apr 2008
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Are you sure they said you were NOT covered in Austria?



Quote:
Originally Posted by shandydrinker View Post
Ok, thanks for all your replies.

After (yet) another call to my insurance company, they now tell me that I am covered in Coatia but not Austria!!!

Phil
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  #8  
Old 16 Apr 2008
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The reason some don't bother issuing a green card is that local authorities know that a UK cert provides minimum cover - and thats all they care about. I think most of them list all the countries on the back of the cert ??

They must be wrong about Austria - thats on the 'very easy' list !!!! Complete rubbish.

When I did my last long trip ( which was before a lot of the Eastern Europeans joined the EU ) the only country they wouldn't cover was Serbia. So I decided to go round it and through Romania and Bulgaria instead - and I'm very glad I did. That was with Carole Nash, who I think used Royal Sun Alliance for it ? But I guess the best choice will also depend on your age and the type of bike. I think RSA worked because I was 40 and on a Pan at the time. I know that because as soon as I got back and switched back to my normal sportier stuff they didn't want to know
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  #9  
Old 19 Apr 2008
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Your policy document should state where you are covered - times like this you have to read the boring small print!! I'm insured with Carole Nash and they insure all EU member states as well as Croatia.

Did they mean you're not covered for Austria or Australia?! A couple of years ago I wanted to extend my cover to Bosnia - they kept mixing it up with Bolivia!!
I got there in the end .... £27 per week extened my fully comp. to include Bosnia.

I was told I didn't need a Green Card so didn't worry. I had no probelms anywhere (including Bosnia) and didn't even have to show any paperwork other than my passport.

By the way, I'd recommend seeing more of Bosnia .... it was a great place and Sarajevo was fantastic.
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Old 7 May 2008
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insurance
As I had no green card (Devitt would not provide despite 3 requests) I had to pay (also week/this week, so recent information)

Montenegro: about 10 Euro I think
Albania: very little

Macedonia : 50 Euro!!!

Turkey: about 7 Euro for 2 weeks

Syria: 25 Euro for a month

Croatia were not bothered, Slovenia there was no one at the border (Wurzen pass).

As you can imagine I will be moving from Devitt as they are very unhelpful!
regards

Simon
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  #11  
Old 20 Jun 2008
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Got charged 50Euros for Macedonian 3rd party insurance at the Greece/Macedonia border yesterday for a 15-day period. In hindsight i should have asked for a 7-day period, but there may not be flexibility on that 15-day period.But as things are sooo much better value here in Mace then it helps reduce the blow... Friendly and efficient border crossing (20mins).
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  #12  
Old 23 Jun 2008
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Green card
Hi
- This is no help to the OP, but I've just returned from some of those places....

To those of you struggling with other insurance companies/brokers, my policy is with Carole Nash, and they were very helpful and efficient in producing a green card for me at no charge.

As already mentioned, my policy already covered Croatia, it was specifically mentioned on the certificate, I guess because they're "almost" in the EU now.
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  #13  
Old 23 Jan 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shandydrinker View Post
Hi, we are heading to Greece for a month long trip from the UK.
We are insured as far as Slovenia under our UK policy.

Can vehicle/bike insurance be purchased at borders for the rest of the trip. We are typically following the Adriatic coastline, so, Croatia, a bit of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania to Macedonia & to Greece.

The insurance company doesn't issue a 'Green Card', but whenever I phone I always get a different answer as to where I am covered!!!

Opinions appreciated.

Phil
I am just about to start applying for green card and wanted to know if anyone out there is planning a trip through western balkans (Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia) and what they have discovered are tariffs for each border. My trip starts in Dubai and ends in Cambridgeshire
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  #14  
Old 24 Feb 2010
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Hi, i travelled in these countries last summer and had to switch my insurance to AXA which issued me with a green card that covered all European countries & Turkey (not Russia). I was told by a number of companies that green cards are no longer issued (crap ). I was asked for it in a number of countries. Andy B
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  #15  
Old 24 Feb 2010
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No direct experience of this myself but I have heard of several people printing or photocopying their insurance certificate onto green paper. This I was told was accepted no questions asked, rarely more than glanced at.

I am not suggesting avoiding insurance but if you know you are covered (a list of countries I am covered in appears very clearly in my policy documents) it may prevent you having to pay twice.
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