Travelling in Europe

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What do people do for travel insurance? DO you bother when your riding a bike? Most policies only cover for 125cc or bellow. Just got a quote from travel and go and they said £93.60 for two and a half weeks in europe. Seemed a bit step. What do you guys think?

Bupa covers me for medical on anything i have a license for, though not accident benefits (which the motorcycle insurance covers).

The European Health Insurance Card (E111) is your friend...
 
I had one go once. Easier/cheaper just to carry a normal bulb and use that for emergencies.
If you only have dipped beam converted the high beam bulb can be switched until you get to somewhere to get a replacement.
Great idea tim, it always winds me up when people drive past me with one headlight out! I thought it was just me! :)

Anyhow seeing as there is already an active europe travel thread I thought I would ask a question! :)

What do people do for travel insurance? DO you bother when your riding a bike? Most policies only cover for 125cc or bellow. Just got a quote from travel and go and they said £93.60 for two and a half weeks in europe. Seemed a bit step. What do you guys think?

Apologies for slightly highjacking the thread! :hide
I also hate vehicles with only one headlight working.
My bank gives travel insurance and it only states must hold a licence of the vehicle.
Agreed Tim, but blame the manufacturers for building cars that you can't change the bulb on; 50% of cars need their front bumpers or other parts taking off first!

When I had my Vauxhall I had the offside light go and I cut my hand to shreds fitting new bulb. if it had been the nearside It would have meant stripping the air-box and housing out of the car to reach it. I think the manufacturers should make lights easy to get to the back for replacing, on the buses they have to remove the complete headlight from the bus.
 
I would go even further

Totally agree, but I would push it even further. Some years ago, in Czech republic, government made it obligatory after Scandinavian style to have car lights on during the winter months. And guess what - accident rate dropped signifficantly. So they went even further and made the lights on compulsory all year round. Believe or not - it helped.

Sometimes when driving in Scotish highlands at lower visibility, it is quite difficult to spot a car in complex terain and some drivers dont realize that lights are not only about to see, but also being seen.
 
Insurance

According to the european law, you are entitled to the emergency healthcare (NHS standard) in the member states. This includes all the expensive parts like helicopter transport, ambulance etc and vital life saving operations.
In my opinion:blagblah - that is what I want and need, wherefore dont have any other travel insurance. - just the european insurance card issued free of charge by NHS.
 
In my opinion:blagblah - that is what I want and need, wherefore dont have any other travel insurance. - just the european insurance card issued free of charge by NHS.

Are you really that stupid..

You won't be repatriated home :rolleyes:. If you break a leg or hospitilised your stuck in wherever you happen to be until you can walk out of the hospital. And if your bike is fecked or you're in no condition to ride it you've then got to get yourself back home .....

Something to think about when you're stuck in a foreign country while your family is back in the uk. Never mind, look on the bright side, you'd have saved yourself £30. :D

And if you should kick the bucket your family will be lumbered with the fecking huge bill to get you back, or plant you in a local plot...

There was a fine example last summer, remember, tourist broke her back in greece with no travel insurance, just an EHIC . It cost her £16k to get back home.
 
Do you need to still get the headlight angle adjuster stick-ons like you used to for cars? And a v silly question but I'm presuming you 'legally' require a GB sticker somewhere on your rear so to speak... I'm off to France for a battlefield tour with some 4 wheeled friends with myself wombling along behind and don't fancy any Gendarme attention if I can help it as I'll be too busy concentrating on which side of the road I'm supposed to be on... :augie

I did a week around Normandy last year. Took a h/light bulb but did not adjust/tape the H/light. Had no problems. Enjoy the trip. Really interesting.:thumb2 This year I will be taking my own food. Food in france is awful:barf
 
This year I will be taking my own food. Food in france is awful:barf

thats just the stuff they give to foreigners :D :D :D

they do some lovely stuff horse stuffed with frogs legs and a jus of snails, with a glass of cheap sarsons to wash it down...

it is formidable and may i say realy - c'est autre chose


:blast

mind Macdonalds is a fave :D
 
Well, it is all about the probability

Are you really that stupid..

You won't be repatriated home :rolleyes:. If you break a leg or hospitilised your stuck in wherever you happen to be until you can walk out of the hospital. And if your bike is fecked or you're in no condition to ride it you've then got to get yourself back home .....

Something to think about when you're stuck in a foreign country while your family is back in the uk. Never mind, look on the bright side, you'd have saved yourself £30. :D

And if you should kick the bucket your family will be lumbered with the fecking huge bill to get you back, or plant you in a local plot...

There was a fine example last summer, remember, tourist broke her back in greece with no travel insurance, just an EHIC . It cost her £16k to get back home.

Well, 16k sounds like private jet to the doorstep. The probabily of breaking a back is quite low and in such situation (if it would really happen), I care about the healthcare and nothing more.
I don't want to go into a comparison of quallity of NHS with other national systems, but basically what I wanted to say, peace of mind that travel insurance offers is nothing I am interested in. Despite the risks.
In event of kicking the bucket there is nothing to worry about anyway.
Repatriation flight prices are nothing my family can't afford :augie
http://stevenmearsgroup.businessreinvented.co.uk/MJ/repatriation/repatriation-flight-prices.htm
 
Cheers for the advice, Im def gonna get some travel cover. Can safe allot of worry in the long run! Those of you that have read Sam Manicoms books will know how much he used his! :)
 
lWell, it is all about the probability

It happens. Every single person who it's ever happened to hasn't invited it...... They've also thought, like you, that it'll never happen to them.





Well, 16k sounds like private jet to the doorstep. The probabily of breaking a back is quite low and in such situation (if it would really happen), I care about the healthcare and nothing more.
I don't want to go into a comparison of quallity of NHS with other national systems, but basically what I wanted to say, peace of mind that travel insurance offers is nothing I am interested in. Despite the risks.
In event of kicking the bucket there is nothing to worry about anyway.
Repatriation flight prices are nothing my family can't afford :augie
]



I was there when [URL="http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182993&highlight=dakar"]THIS[/URL] happened. Dom would have been in the shite without insurance. Plus one phone call and it's all sorted out for you, private plane, in flight doctor etc etc.

And i've also been present in two other similer instances in the last 30 years of riding abroad.
It's a great relief to just pick up the phone make one call and everything kicks into action. And you can then get on with your holiday/trip :augie

There have been several incidents on UKGSER showing the absolute necessity of travel insurance. Including the death of a UKGSer in an accident in the south of france a couple of years ago..

Believe me it's not clever going without.

Of course, it'll never happen to me, i'm far too arrogant and clever to have an accident . :rolleyes:

And what about riding outside of europe ??????????
 
According to the european law, you are entitled to the emergency healthcare (NHS standard) in the member states. This includes all the expensive parts like helicopter transport, ambulance etc and vital life saving operations.
In my opinion:blagblah - that is what I want and need, wherefore dont have any other travel insurance. - just the european insurance card issued free of charge by NHS.
Bit naive.

Firstly if you don't have an EHIC you'll be paying full retail for everything. For a bike accident with moderately severe injuries, you can count on a min of €50K. The EHIC will cover you for emergency care only. After that you're on the meter and this meter eats money like you cannot believe.

6 weeks in a hospital in France with some broken limbs and internal injuries and you'll soon be looking down the barrel of another €50K.

Want to come home? Not less than €15K for an air ambulance and attendants.

Insurance starts to look quite cheap now:augie
 
Living dangerously

To those insurance lovers - well, those are all very relevant comments.

I do believe that accidents happens and it could happen to me as well. My personal experience with the travel insurance (minor claims) was that the company was trying to make the things overcomplicated to avoid the claim. Therefore I travel just with the Euro card...

Certainly - having the insurance is better than not having a one, espetially when someting serious happens.

Maybe, I will reconsider my life philosophy and get one as well :rob
But there is certain good feeling of living dangerously.:cool
 
It happens. Every single person who it's ever happened to hasn't invited it...... They've also thought, like you, that it'll never happen to them.









I was there when [URL="http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182993&highlight=dakar"]THIS[/URL] happened. Dom would have been in the shite without insurance. Plus one phone call and it's all sorted out for you, private plane, in flight doctor etc etc.

And i've also been present in two other similer instances in the last 30 years of riding abroad.
It's a great relief to just pick up the phone make one call and everything kicks into action. And you can then get on with your holiday/trip :augie

There have been several incidents on UKGSER showing the absolute necessity of travel insurance. Including the death of a UKGSer in an accident in the south of france a couple of years ago..

Believe me it's not clever going without.

Of course, it'll never happen to me, i'm far too arrogant and clever to have an accident . :rolleyes:

And what about riding outside of europe ??????????

Let him find out the hard way. I know the costs for one week in hospital, without major operations, ambulance fees and repatriation by road. The EHIC only covers 75 % of the hospital fees it does not cover repatriation with attendant doctor, it does not cover prescriptions for drugs on discharge from the hospital (270 euros in my case) It does not cover the ambulance fees (130 euros)

My insurer shelled out over £6k above the ehic cover. More importantly my insurer organised everything when I couldn't. One phone call and they did everything.
 
Headlight adjustment 650gs

We are off to Europe on Friday, my wife riding her 650gs. I was looking at how to switch from Left hand drive alignment to RHd. Easy on my old 1150 gs. I have read some of these posts which idicate a new unit or masking tape. The manual says take the bike to a BMW authorised dealer ? Is it possible to adjust, correctly, a UK spec unit ?
 
A simplistic solution which I have used for the last 20 years is to not drive in the dark. I park up at 18.00h latest and enjoy a few beers. I have never had a problem with the wrong beam on a dipped headlamp, If in doubt unscrew the securing bolts and tilt it down a bit.
I last painted my headlamp yellow in 1988, I also fitted a set of Bosh beam deflectors to the H4 7" headlamp. With that kit you would not be able to drive in the dark anyway.
By the way French law says you must have a spare bulb, I was questioned once by a Traffic cop on a bike, I explained the main beam also fits the dipped. I spoke no French, he spoke no English so perhaps he just gave up.
The law also states a day glow jacket should be accessible, I always carry one but have never used it. Its amazing to see the number of cars with very plush interiors yet have a day glow vest draped over the drivers seat.
 
...I don't think anyone can harass you for the beam of your headlight. As far as I understand all vehicles in the EU are manufactured to the same road and safety standards and it is accepted that the Brits in all their "madness" insist on riding on the left hand side of the road.
A UK registerred bike can swithch numberplates to most EU countries no questions asked, no road tests needed provided it has a valid MOT so...... the beam is a non issue.
 


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