[Closed] Alps insurance

Snowcard

Friend we rode with in the alps last year got insurance for £17, I'm glad he didn't need to use it!!!!

Snow card seems to tick all the boxes, cost seems to have gone up slightly but at least you are covered.

Snowcard.

Slight hijack but does anyone know if you need your European health card as well as insurance or is insurance enough?
My card has run out and I'm not living in the UK and having difficulties getting one.

Thanks for the replies,I'll be getting in touch with Snowcard.
The Pilot,not sure now, but last time I went (2007) we all used the E111 card as well as insurance.I'll be renewing mine.

Yes, you need EHIC card as well.

Snowcard were pretty good with me & my broken arm last year, although they did check with my wife 3 times that I hadn't been taking part in the Megavalanche (I was in Bourg-Saint-Maurice hospital; quite a drive from Alpe D'huez).

Read the small print & make sure you've got the right cover. My €3250 hospital bill was reduced to €125 with the production of my EHIC & excess is waived for medical bills on doing so. I don't think you have to have an EHIC, but worth checking the terms to make sure.

Snowcard are way too expensive! Better deals if you look around, just make sure you're covered for mountain biking...simple really

German Alpine Club (DAV)

Any recommendations chris85?

Slight hijack but does anyone know if you need your European health card as well as insurance or is insurance enough?
My card has run out and I'm not living in the UK and having difficulties getting one.

Phone them - they will renew it and then if you need to use it the foreign hospital should be able to get a copy faxed to them if need be. Had to do this myself last year.

Some insurance will stipulate you have to have EHIC then they will pay any extra as some countries will only use the EHIC for some of the cost.

I used dogtag last year but i've used Perkins Slade plenty of times previously. It's £20 and yes those who pay snowcard prices will scorn at it (like above) but as long as you make sure you're covered for what you need to be and know the differences in cover they're not going to refuse to pay out just because it's cheap...

Have just got a quote for less than half the price of Snowcard from Insure&go, with the same or better level of cover. Anyone got any experience of claiming through them?

I read up on this here with a search the other day and older threads were saying dogtag insurance?

Dogtag pi€€ed all over Snowcard if i remember rightly.

Check the small print carefully, ask them what is covered and at what altitude? Over previous years I've had things quoted that either had an altitude ceiling for coverage or discounted the use of "vertical paths"!

Seek clarification if unsure before you go?

I bought a policy with dogtag but can't login to their website to fill in next of kin and other details. I've had no reply to an email, a phone call led to a long wait on hold and then an email confirming my policy but not giving my password or resetting it. Right now I'm really hoping I don't need dogtag in an emergency and don't think I will be using them again.

Post hijack too!

I've got a Nationwide Flex Plus account with world wide travel insurance. When we went to the Pyrenees I paid £20 for hazardous activities cover. What I am not sure on is whether this actually covers you if you aren't guided. Anyone any ideas?

I use dogtag and EHIC, dog tag provides cover for recovery from slopes or MTB trails. When you get to hospital if you have EHIC that covers it. The doctors were only interested in the EHIC. It's important your covered for the 'recovery' to hospital bit as your remote and it might involve helicopters etc which aren't free. I go abroad a few times a year so take out world wide and yearly cover. Dogtag also provides basic holiday cover and medical as well repatriation, third party etc.

Like that ahsat up there ^ I'd be interested to hear the experience of anyone who has made a claim.

Anyone any ideas?

Ask the insurer. It is a minefield of ways for them to wriggle out of a claim because of altitude, guided/unguided, uplift (even by van), etc. Best to know for sure.

claimed off Snowcard a few years ago. Paid up almost instantly too.

I wasn't so injured that i couldn't make my way to the hospital though so bill want astronomical.

Note that most insurers differentiate mountain biking on trails from off-piste / freeride type riding. Check you're covered for whatever it is you're going to do.

rondo101 - Member
Any recommendations chris85?

POSTED 2 DAYS AGO # REPORT-POST

Essential travel.
£20 with grade 2 sports which covers all mountain biking except competition and raceing.
Snow card was £70 for the equivalent payouts..
I think snowcard and dogtag are basically taking the piss trying to 'specialize' it all too much.

Dogtag were a ballache when I had to claim and took ages (before turning me down).

Just saying.

Belated thanks for the replies, will get on with getting that health card 🙂

I've got the free Nationwide Travel Cover that ahsat mentions too and looked into the Hazardous Cover add-on for last year's trip. Was told straight that lift-assisted riding wasn't covered. Went with Snowcard instead.

Ah Milky, thanks for the update! That was ok when we went to Spain then, but isnt going to work for this summer!

Wow...I just looked into a snowcard quote for the 2 of us, for 2 weeks biking this summer = £211!! What on earth!

Cheers for the Essential travel steer, just undercut snowcard by c£160. 😀

I use staysure for my work trips involving mountain or road biking in the mountains. Not had to use them for a claim yet. *touches wood*

Can someone point me in the direction of the page detailing level of cover on the Essential Travel website? I want to know I'm covered if I fall of my bike at the top of the mountain and need choppering off.

I'm having a blonde moment and can't even see where to add optional extras 😆

get one that covers you year-round. Lots do these days, that sort of cost for just 2 weeks is a bit steep. they better serve champagne in the helicopter and hospital for that 😉

Slight thread hijack as I'm after insurance for the Megavalanche
I was about to sign up with Dogtag but a couple of comments above are concerning, anyone else any experiences with them?
Their website also states they will shortly be introducing a new category 'extreme plus' just for the Mega, that would put it above the Marathon des Sables in extremeness! A bit of profiteering me thinks and I wouldn't want to take the policy out to then find they change the goalposts afterwards and I wasn't covered

(Snow ard was very very expensive)