Insurance considerations when traveling outside the USA

[StephanSF]

Not sure whether this post is relevant, but as a relatively new Super Tenere rider intending to travel outside the USA (Baja) with the bike in the near future, I am trying to get a handle on insurance and am hoping some of you US based world travelers have some insight. My questions are meant so I can understand what all I need to think about. I may not necessarily want every insurance i talk about, but I do want to be able to think informedly about what all to consider. This would apply to a trip elsewhere as well, but currently my upcoming trip is purely Baja. For the record, this is coming from the perspective of a US Citizen traveling outside of the USA

So first you need vehicle insurance and I see that the insurances offered range from just liability to higher levels including theft etc. depending on what you feel necessary. In the case of my trip to Baja, two names have come up.. Baja Boun d and Ride Baja

Secondly, one might want to consider some coverage to get out of a bad situation. As I understand it the Inreach type SOS devices are the mechanism whereby you contact such a service, in the case of Garmin Inreach that service is GEOS which is search and rescue service and is the entity which arranges for you to get help (people hiking in or helicoptering out) and they pay for the costs associated with your rescue. But they do NOT cover what happens after that, if you are in a hospital, those expenses are not covered (in my case Im going to assume that my health care doesnt cover me outside of the USA in a emergency situation)

So what kind of insurance do you get for that ?

Then Ive also come across some other names -- Global Rescue and MedJet. As far as I can tell, these two both offer similar services, get you to a hospital near your home.
So beyond insurance for your bike/accident, and insurance to get you out of a bad situation to safety, how does one get covered once one is safe but needs treatment aborad ? And should one layer that with the evacuation insurance ?

Is there one insurance provider that covers all this for one fee ? One other thing I found is that Medjet in their coverage offers an additional option to get your bike back home to you if you cant ride/transport it home.. Havent seen that anywhere else.

Thanks for your input, Stephan

 

[MattR]

You may also need an international driving permit as well as your licence if you want to drive in Europe. You also need a”green card” that can be obtained from your insurance company for a small charge. The green card explains in several languages what type of cover you have. I would also take out some sort of breakdown cover but remember to include bike repatriation as this could be very expensive.


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[Checkswrecks]

Insurance is mandatory in a lot of countries and you will lose the bike or go to jail without it. I'll let the guys who have crossed the Southern border more recently go into detail.

I absolutely subscribed to MedJet till last Spring and will again. It's darned cheap for what it is when you need it, and I've known guys who have, including from Arizona to Maryland.

Garmin beats SPOT coverage and I carry the Mini. Also don't forget to have a way to use your phone and T-Mobile is one of the cheapest ways to go for that.

 

[StephanSF]

You may also need an international driving permit as well as your licence if you want to drive in Europe. You also need a”green card” that can be obtained from your insurance company for a small charge. The green card explains in several languages what type of cover you have. I would also take out some sort of breakdown cover but remember to include bike repatriation as this could be very expensive.


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I have driven extensively in Europe and not ever once have I been asked for an International license... I think thats from another era.

 

[StephanSF]

Insurance is mandatory in a lot of countries and you will lose the bike or go to jail without it. I'll let the guys who have crossed the Southern border more recently go into detail.

I absolutely subscribed to MedJet till last Spring and will again. It's darned cheap for what it is when you need it, and I've known guys who have, including from Arizona to Maryland.

Garmin beats SPOT coverage and I carry the Mini. Also don't forget to have a way to use your phone and T-Mobile is one of the cheapest ways to go for that.

Thanks for the input. Yeah I wouldn't ride without insurance, here or anywhere else. I've looked into medjets offerings and while I wouldn't call it cheap, its definitely affordable .. I think longer term plans work out better, for 2 weeks its a little on the pricey side if you don't end up needing it, and an absolute bargain if you do LOL.

How do you like the mini ? That's the one I am considering...I don't see the point of the larger units that have navigation built in, the screens are so small you cant really see anything and with a little planning you should be able to always navigate with a phone or a tablet. I do have TMobile, I think all the services are good in some areas and not in others, but that's the one I have.. doesn't help much when there's no cell towers though (that's where the mini comes in).

 

[StephanSF]

Weird, this thread got moved into "Tall Trails" for some reason.. Im not following the rationale !

 

[Checkswrecks]

Weird, this thread got moved into "Tall Trails" for some reason.. Im not following the rationale !

Because you started it in the main "Super Tenere Discussion" thread where it didn't belong. If we had a trip planning thread it would've gone there, so Tall Trails is the closest thing. We appreciate starting threads in an appropriate sub-forum so we mods don't need to clean up after you.

The Mini works fine and you can link it to the phone for mapping and such. The only downside is the little battery barely makes it through a day.

 

[WJBertrand]

I have driven extensively in Europe and not ever once have I been asked for an International license... I think thats from another era.

Me too, maybe not "extensively" but I've rented cars in Italy, Netherlands and Ireland without so much as a blink from the rental agencies. I always buy Mexican insurance at the US side border before crossing. I think Mexican law requires liability but you can buy more comprehensive coverage. I've so far not bothered with that, at least not in Baja. I'd reconsider if I were going deeper into mainland Mexico. Most US companies will cover you in Canada in my experience. When I had Progressive insurance they would issue you a yellow proof of Canadian coverage for the asking.

 

[Ss1]

And CORNET? If you go through Pakistan to India, for example, you will need CORNET! And it is very expensive, and it repels many people from a trip to Southeast Asia. By the way, if I want to visit Canada, USA, Mexico on my motorcycle, do I need a CORNET?

 

[Cycledude]

Medicare doesn’t work in Canada so for my last Alaska trip I bought one month of trip insurance for up $500,000 coverage cost less than $100. If die on trip they are supposed to return body home and $50,000 life insurance . Never needed any coverage so I really don’t know if it was actually any good.

 

[Don T]

And CORNET? If you go through Pakistan to India, for example, you will need CORNET! And it is very expensive, and it repels many people from a trip to Southeast Asia. By the way, if I want to visit Canada, USA, Mexico on my motorcycle, do I need a CORNET?

You mean a Carnet (de Passages en Douane) - and no, you don't need it in The Americas.

 

[Ss1]

имеете в виду книжку (de Passages en Douane)

Yes, it is she! Спасибо!

 

[WJBertrand]

Medicare doesn’t work in Canada so for my last Alaska trip I bought one month of trip insurance for up $500,000 coverage cost less than $100. If die on trip they are supposed to return body home and $50,000 life insurance . Never needed any coverage so I really don’t know if it was actually any good.

Interesting. My Medicare plan will cover emergency care world wide for a $90 co-pay up to $25,000. I would be responsible for care above that amount. There is however a call in authorization number that will evaluate your case. $25K isn't much for anything catastrophic, at least in terms of US healthcare costs. You should check with your Medicare provider if you have one.