Hi All,

Looking at a trip to Morzine for 5 days next year and need some insurance.

I suppose there are travel insurance packages that cover the usual stuff and Mtb’ing, so what recommends do you have??

Bikes are covered on the house insurance.

Cheers
Carl

insurance for you crashing ? repatriation ? or bikes being stolen ?

insure and go cover you for mtb, as long as its not extreme terrain- they define extreme terrain as not on a track..

TBH
Most people only need to consider whether or not they need cover to repatriate them if incapacitated

Health care should be covered under the EU reciprocal agreements

All off the above/comprehensive travel insurance I imagine.

I get worldwide travel insurance through my bank account with Santander, it cost £6 a month and I get free European breakdown and a few other benefits too.

Not sure what it excludes. But I’m interested in what you find out.

Does passportes de soleil in june/july class as a race or would you get away with saying its just a mass ride? I certainly won’t be trying to set any records but want to be covered.

I’ve used a company called 4 counties insurance for motorbike racing and they’ve been excellent.

Another called CICA is very good and pays out well if you hurt

Cheers. Looking to cover injury and repatriation (just in case) as the bikes are covered on Home insurance for theft/damage.

Going to be doing the Passportes de Soleil, but as above not trying to set any records.

A word of warning is that lift assist locations such as Morzine can be considered as downhill racing etc and therefore your standard holiday cover policy may not pay out. It may pay out but I guess that if they consider mountain biking as you riding down fire track and you have to get air lifted of the Pleney you may end up paying for it yourself.

Whilst health care might be covered under reciprical european agreements, being choppered off the mountain is not. Look at something like Snowcard as you can tinker with levels of cover for sports kit, other kit, insurance excess and so on which might help bring the price down

Personally, I just use the EHIC and purchase a Carré Neige,

depends a lot on your circumstances I suppose

Does passportes de soleil in june/july class as a race or would you get away with saying its just a mass ride? I certainly won’t be trying to set any records but want to be covered.

PPDS entry includes insurance for the event.

As per Mark N. Health insurance isn’t the biggie, paying for being rescued off the mountain is. I’ve always used Dogtag.

A word of warning is that lift assist locations such as Morzine can be considered as downhill racing etc

this has been mentioned several times on forums over the years (in varioyus forms). last time i was going away it was suggested that the alps = downhill. I have it in writing from snowcard that if i was on a XC track and XC bike it was not downhill.

other insurers may vary. Best to email them and confirm – where you will be what you will be riding (bike/ track wise wise) and let them advise you of the level of cover reqd.

😀

EDIT: used snowcard and dogtag in the past. never had to claim on either so couldn’t comment but been happy with the service provided.

As per Mark N. Health insurance isn’t the biggie, paying for being rescued off the mountain is

If that’s the case a Carré Neige would be easily the best choice in France

endsleigh, cheap and will pay out.

I’ve used Snow Card. Never needed to claim though.

I use and unfortunately have had to claim from Dogtag. The were very good at settling the claim quickly and fairly in my case. I will be re-insuring with them.

Dogtag, they cover extreme mtb’ing including racing.

I emailed them to double check as I was doing the Mega, prices are good too plus you get a ‘dogtag’ to go round your neck so you always have your info on you.

another for dogtag here !

I have it in writing from snowcard that if i was on a XC track and XC bike it was not downhill.

Aren’t all the blacks/reds/blues in Morzine classified as ‘downhill’? The XC stuff is the ‘tour VTT’.

they define extreme terrain as not on a track..

Where you take off, or where you land?

Cheers for the replies. Some good points to consider

Dogtag quotes between £40 & £60 which isn’t that bad, I’ll have a look round and through the policy t&c’s before commiting though

Carl

I would not go thinking an E111 will cover you! Mr MC got stretched off Le Pleney by trumptons in 2009, speaking no French he ended up in a private French hospital having the top of his knee (tibial plateau) screwed back on … and 5 days in a nice hospital, where he got proper 3 course meals. We forked out the minimum upfront .. which was still probably £1000, and that was what the E111 covered us with!!!

2007 we also claimed from insurance as he tore ligaments in ankle crashing out Morgins way or some outer bumble PdS region, long one legged cycle back…remember you pay for EVERYTHING with French Dr/pharmacies, you have to buy your own crutches, medication, bandages and dressings. Oh and most local Dr’s can X-ray you but you still have to pay a couple of hundred quid up front for that!!!

So get insurance .. although unfortunately I cant’ recommend a company as I get it through work!! Just trying to point out importance of it as this is another long running debate. oh and mate helicoptered out of Les Gets bike park in about 2005 or the likes .. it would’ve cost him thousands ..except any accidents within the park were sponsoered and paid for by Kona..result as he had no health insurance just the E111 he would’ve been screwed!

No vote for Dogtag from me – took more than three months to settle a straightforward claim, and even then they stiffed me on the payout.

The claims handler they use are useless – no answer to voicemails or emails despite when I made it clear I was making a complaint.

Incidentally, E111 are extremely necessary as your travel insurance actually only covers the first small proportion of costs. In France I think the patient contribution is something like 20% of the total cost, the rest is free/covered by the E111. That came as a shock to this idiot who forgot to arrange an E111 in advance, and had to get the DoH to issue an emergency one before I could escape from le hospital (thanks DoH in Longbenton!).

We walked in to swinton insurance in kendal, told them what we were doing (mountain biking off piste in the alps). And they insured us for £15 each. Done this deal twice now but never needed it.

3 months that isn’t long at all!!

The BMC does insurance that covers mountain biking (Rock).. however it states that the activity can be ‘on a recreational basis only’.

You may find that the all but the most specialist of policies will also exclude anything competitive (even if you’re only doing it for fun)…

PPdS event insurance works. My mate helicoptered off on the sunday this year near the col de chesery, sorted out at Thonon.

All FOC.