The annual holiday has been agreed with the employer, the anticipation is great and now it's time to book the trip.
But some uncertainty remains: What if the trip cannot take place because of Covid? What happens in case of illness, quarantine or if travel warnings are issued?
A necessary disclaimer before going further in the topic: this is not insurance advice. I recommend seeking advice from a qualified insurance broker before taking out any insurance.
Is there a Corona travel insurance policy?
There are a number of travel insurance providers that generally exclude the pandemic event. With some travel insurances, various risks due to the corona virus can be covered by an additional insurance. Some travel insurances include risks due to corona, but it is important to check whether this also applies to countries for which a travel warning is in effect.
The tourism industry has become quite accommodating since the Corona pandemic, and cancellations are often possible at shorter notice than before. This is often the case with hotels or in the catering industry.
But especially transport companies, such as airlines or ferry companies, usually only allow a postponement of the booking with payment of a fee, but often no cancellation.
So in the event of a case, it can be expensive if the trip cannot take place but still has to be paid for to a large extent. Also with rental companies (car, motorbike, caravan, motorhome, boat), cancellations are usually not possible at short notice or then at considerable cost.
In the case of package tours, the basic feasibility of the trip is usually assured. If the trip cannot take place at all because of Covid-19, you can usually cancel, but may have to pay a cancellation fee.
However, if you cannot start the booked trip for individual reasons, or have to break off while en route, you will still have to pay a large part of the booked travel services.
Therefore, even before the Corona pandemic, it was advisable to take out special travel cancellation insurance, because a personal illness or a minor sports accident one week before the planned holiday could always put the trip at risk. The Corona pandemic has added further risks:
Risks to travellers from Cornavirus/ Covid-19:
1) Failure to travel due to high numbers of cases.
2) Failure to travel due to threat of quarantine orders
3) Failure to travel due to travel warning
4) Cancellation of the trip because of illness during the holiday due to the coronavirus
5) Cancellation of the journey due to compulsory quarantine in the event of a positive test for the coronavirus.
6) Cancellation of the trip due to emerging high case numbers or imminent travel warning
Insurances
It is therefore highly recommended that the upcoming trip be covered by travel insurance, which also covers the various risks posed by coronavirus/Covid-19.
Some travel insurance policies, however, exclude the pandemic completely. These do not cover the risks associated with Covid.
With other travel insurance policies, additional insurance can be taken out that includes Covid risks.
Some travel insurance policies offer comprehensive cover for Covid risks.
Before taking out travel insurance, the scope of the insurance benefits required should also be carefully examined.
Scope of insurance benefits in case of travel:
1) Travel cancellation insurance
2) Travel interruption insurance
3) Travel health insurance
4) Travel luggage insurance
If you want to be on the safe side, choose insurance packages consisting of two or more of the above-mentioned insurance scopes.
Some insurance companies that offer such packages are presented below as examples:
Ergo Reiseversicherung (www.reiseversicherung.de): Covid-19 travel protection can be added to the standard travel insurance.
Allianz Travel (www.allianz-reiseversicherung.de): Some Corona risks are included in the scope of insurance.
Travel Secure (www.travelsecure.de): In addition to the general travel insurance, a Corona travel protection policy can be taken out.
Additional Corona travel cover can also be taken out with Hanse Merkur. (www.hmrv.de/angebote/corona-reiseschutz).
Covid supplementary insurance can also be taken out with Travelprotect (www.travelprotect.de/reiseschutz/corona-reiseschutz).
This list is by no means complete. This blog article was originally written in german. If you are from another country, you may have other than the listed travel insurance companies in your country. Many of the large insurance companies operate internationally, so they may have a presernce in your country as well.
If you are from the USA, you may know the following insurance companies, that all offer travel insurances with Covid Cover:
Axa Assistance USA (www.axa-assistance.us)
CAT70 (www.cat70.com)
Seven Corners (www.sevencorners.com)
Nationwide (www.nationwide.com)
HTH Worldwide (www.hthtravelinsurance.com)
Trawick International (www.trawickinternational.com)
Many insurance companies have reacted to the Corona pandemic by offering additional insurance to cover the increased risks when booking travel. If you already have various insurances with another insurance company not mentioned here, you can also ask them whether they also offer travel insurance with Covid protection.
In any case, you should take some time to compare the benefits on offer in order to choose the best travel cover for you.
And then you can book your motorbike holiday in Ireland much more relaxed!
Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg, February 2022
Photo credit: all images are from easycruiser.tours
Sources: The websites of the insurance companies listed in the text.