Need travel insurance but for belongings only

66z

I have never had any insurance in my life but I'm going to Ukraine and will be traveling for a couple of months (more or less avoiding the problem areas).

However I'd like to insure my camera, my laptop and my bicycle, which are all expensive and important tools for me.

Now, as far as I can tell, travel insurance doesn't cover that.

I've found camera insurance offered by a separate company but nothing else.. Does it mean I have to use several companies to insure basically those 3 things?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Wammer

There is baggage cover on travel insurance, but the limit is typically very low at around £250 per item. You would be better adding the items to home contents insurance under Personal Possessions.

However I assume you do have travel insurance for the rest of your trip to cover medical, repatriation, etc?

66z

No, I think I can manage that myself, medical care is dirt cheap in Ukraine and as long as I move I can arrange my own return. I also have no family, so I guess there's no big need for travel insurance.

I never miss the flights either and don't care about delays as I'm flexible etc -- all I am worried about is that my equipment might be stolen or burgled. I've been to Ukraine and places like that and never lost a thing, but it's the first time I am going for such a long period.

Yes, that is too low. I think I'll have to combine bicycle and camera insurances, and then there's something called "gadget" insurance. That might do, have to read the policy wording.. It's weird for someone who never took out an insurance, all those odd terms like "premiums" and "excess", like if there weren't more appropriate words for the meaning

Wammer

I would strongly suggest taking out travel insurance. If you became ill or had an accident leaving you immobile and needed medical repatriation, would you have the funds for a medical repatriation back to the UK?

There are stories in the newspapers weekly of people who travelled without insurance, found themselves in just such a situation and begging for funds to get them home.

Quentin

Get proper travel insurance.

If not for yourself for any you will seriously inconvenience back home should you fall ill/have accident/die etc.

66z

Thanks for the advice.

I could get that -- still undecided, need to enquire on the costs of medical repatriation -- if that goes into thousands, then probably worth it.

Quentin

Course it thousands!

jackyann

Yes, medical repatriation can easily be thousands - even tens or hundreds of thousands.
Imagine being in a coma, or paralysed from any sort of accident and what it would cost to get the specialist care to get you home. It can be an entire medical team in a chartered plane.
Even "cheap" medical care adds up in serious cases, and in countries with a poor medical infrastructure (I don't know about the Ukraine) sometimes ill foreigners are taken to expensive "clinics" without them understanding what is going on.
Most travel insurance companies offer very good deals, but they do have clauses about following Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice.

I use insureandgo who have been very good, and have covered the items I have travelled with.

good luck

Aretnap

Medical repatriation can be expensive even for fairly minor injuries. A friend of mine who broke his leg climbing in Spain had to be flown home first class or business class (can't remember which) as it was the only way to get enough legroom to accommodate his cast and non-bending knee. If you have serious injuries which require specialist transport and medical supervision, think in terms of tens of thousands rather than thousands (link).

Visiting a doctor and getting some pills might be cheap in Ukraine... but if you're in a road accident I can't imagine that emergency surgery for a serious head injury is more affordable, than, say, a new bike.

Medical treatment and repatriation is the most important thing travel insurance is designed to cover, cancellation is next, and baggage is a distant third... almost thrown in as an afterthought. So I doubt you'd find a policy to cover possessions only. If you want to insure your possessions, a home contents policy with cover for personal possessions away from the home will protect the camera, the laptop and (possibly as an add-on) the bike in and out of the UK - though check how many days outside the UK it will cover per year. However if you're young and in good health travel insurance is pretty cheap - IMO going without it isn't really a risk worth taking.

66z

Thanks -- but it's not about the affordability, it's more about the odds, which I think are way higher for me to get robbed..

Of course, you never know but then I've been traveling alone without insurance and often in extreme conditions for a long time, and consequently got used to rely on myself only, even when I feel sick.

E.g. I've been hitch-hiking thousands of kilometres even in continental winter and coming from there the lack of insurance when you have plane and place to stay arranged, is kind of laughable. But I do realize that just because I've been lucky so far, doesn't mean stuff won't happen -- indeed it only takes a split second to tip the scales.

Regarding bicycle, laptop and camera, I've found Eversure to cover all that, although they limit EU/Worldwide period to 30 days for bicycle and 90 days for camera/laptop -- and (for the equipment I have) costs over £200 per annum.. There's also Photoguard, that would only cater for camera and laptop, and E&L which does cycles as well but only within the UK.

Quentin

You aren't considering the effect on your family should you have a medical emergenvy.

They may be faced with raising funds to pay fares to come and see you, collect you or your remains, settle bills etc etc.

Put yourself in their place and think about it.