Can you get round the world insurance?
 

Hi Everyone,

We are just starting to plan our round the world trip, which we hope to start later this year.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere you can buy 1 bike insurance policy that covers you for riding round the world or do you have to buy separate policies for each country you visit?

Thanks for your help

Ant and Nikki

what do you want to insure yourself against ?

I have just purchased a travel insurance for the world covers you on the bike and all your gear, on and off road , but i have not heard of any insurance for the bikes that is world wide.

Insurance is pretty pointless on these sort of trips, look at the counties you're going though and if the FCO advises against travel in any of them (and there will be several) and you're needing to claim for something, you can bet your insurance co will have an exclusion clause on paying out.

Just get some worldwide medial/repatriation insurance (that does actually cover you for riding bikes - check any limitations on cc's, many exclude above 150cc) and don't bring anything with you that you can't replace. And do bring a good chain/disc lock etc

We're confusing several different types of insurance here. Medivac insurance--the type which will fly you home in cases of medical emergency is one thing. Other forms of travel insurance which will, for example, compensate you for thefts or canceled tours is another. Your own medical coverage, which might pay hospital bills (or at least reimburse you) is a third. Then there are the various kinds of insurance which cover your bike and/or the things you might damage in an accident.

Some of these might be voided in places which are declared danger zones, and others might be voided if you engage in high-risk activities....like motorbike riding. Some are total scams, and will do whatever they can to avoid paying you a cent despite all the promises they made before collecting your credit card information. Read the fine print and you'll usually muddle through.

For your bike, basic third-party insurance of the sort which might be wise while driving or riding a motorbike is usually locally-regulated. That means you can't buy American insurance in Mexico (for example), because it has to conform to the laws of whatever American state it's sold in, it has to be registered with the authorities there, and yada yada yada. Likewise, you can't buy third party insurance in England which will be valid in Colombia; you've got to go to Colombia. There are groups of countries which band together so that a single policy will cover you in several countries: the whole southern tier of South America; much of West Africa; Canada and the USA; the EU. But generally, you buy third party insurance as you enter a given country....or you decide not to bother, where this is allowed.

Other sorts of insurance, including that which would cover you or your bike--but not other people--in an accident is sometimes available internationally. I've never used it, but some people do. One disadvantage is that it's not valid everywhere, which I take to mean that in some countries it's not legal. For example, apparently you can buy a policy in Europe or the USA which is valid in a lot of places....but not Mexico, and not Costa Rica, and not various other countries. Again, read the fine print.

Personally, I don't bother with most of this stuff: I buy third party insurance when it's required, medivac insurance in case of dire emergencies (I now use DAN, Diver's Alert Network, since it's cheap and apparently pretty reliable), and insurance which will pay my hospital bills once I'm home.

I don't know whether this is clear, or whether it might answer the OP's question. I'm fully expecting an onslaught of exceptions, errors, omissions and disagreements. Bring it on!

Mark

insurance
 

Mark

We plan to buy third party bike insurance when required in each country or group of countries as you suggest, our question is do you need to have "valid/current" insurance in your home country to buy this third party insurance? IE if my Canadian ICBC bike insurance (good for a year) expires can I still buy this third party insurance say in Columbia? In British Columbia myself and my bike needs to be there to reinsure it to get a new sticker for the plate (though i will still have the plate). thanks Sara

No one will care if you've got insurance elsewhere, including at home. No one will care if your plate has expired (if they notice, just tell them that's the beginning date, not the ending date). For the most part, no one will even notice if your registration has expired--I had one person notice in about 50 border crossings on my most recent trip. For such occasions it's worth carrying a current registration if you can manage this. I was using my expired registration all year, just because I figured I might as well get the old one all tattered and worn and save the new one.

Hope that helps.

Mark

thanks
 

Thanks so much. I did see your other links with photoshop suggestions too. We leave ATW August 2012. I will add you to my buddy list so I can pick your brain later if needed.

Sara

Markharf,
couldnt have put it any better, the insurance i have that is worldwide is for medivac hospital bills stolen gear etc, it is a purpose made insurance for bikers and does cover any CC in any terrain.
It does not cover third party in a road traffic accicent, most of these can be bought at the borders in my experiance , not sure if they are worth the paper they are written on as i have never had to use it, but it does satisfy the police and no questions on previous history one price for all.
Europe has a mutual agreement protocol which means one insurance will cover you for all the EEC member states, sometimes it is time limited and at a reduced risk , i e for 30 days at third party not fully comp.
I have never been asked for previous countries insurance , ae Markharf said there not bothered don't care.

Which policy is this Mark? and who is it with?

Just to stick in my sixpenneth, (1 fortieth of an old £) In Latin America the legal system is mainly a spin off from the Spanish system and those of you Europeans who are old enough will remember having to get a 'Bail Bond' when travelling to Spain. This kept you out of custody after an 'incident' whilst the local justice decided who did what to whom and was (is) far better than being in a foreign slammer rather than on/in a foreign beach/bar/bordello. From personnel experience in Mexico the minimum insurance cover + legal assistance will do the same should you be involved in a stushi and is well worth having. To add to what Mark said, it is also possible to get a multi country insurance, a 'Yellow Card' or COMESA to cover most of Sub Equatorial Africa and some good posts on the HUBB will tell you how. I'm in Botswana at the moment bimbling around and it has saved me a lot of beer coupons so far. Ride safe.

Deana,
Got my travel insurance through H C Travel , it's not cheap but it is taylor made for bikers and you can have add ons , at a price .

As soon as you leave Canada / USA, cancel your ICBC insurance - it's not valid anyway. If they want the plate back, you can make one to replace it. European plates are clear plastic with stick on letters from the back, with a stick on backing. Make one up before you leave and stick it on in Mexico and mail the old plate back to get your refund on the insurance.

No one cares if it's the "official" plate - so long as it looks good and the numbers are there and clear.

Make sure your registration doc doesn't show an expired date though! ;)

See you in Nakusp for the HU Travellers Meeting and we'll tell you a tale...

thanks
 

Thanks for the info. see you in the summer! We might drive you nuts asking questions! Cheers Sara Pedersen