Trip Insurance

Why Everyone Needs Travel Insurance

Many of our guests describe their experience with Ciclismo as "the trip of a lifetime". So imagine the disappointment (and the cost!) when something goes wrong. When you're making a commitment like this and attaching such high expectations to it, it really does make sense to take precautions in case something unexpected happens.

This page explains the basics of the travel insurance we offer and recounts some real examples of guests who were glad they had insurance - as well as some who wish they'd had it.

The basics

Travel insurance is a type of insurance that provides compensation and assistance in case something unexpected happens and you’re unable to travel. The main types of coverage these policies provide include trip cancellation or interruption, trip delay, missed connections, loss of baggage or personal effects, medical expenses, and emergency repatriation (returning to your home for medical care). (Please don’t confuse this article with an actual description of insurance coverage! An overview of the policy provided by our partner can be downloaded here.)

Insurance is more important than ever

The situation with the volcano in Iceland is one reason that insurance is more important now than ever before. Our insurance provider classifies these volcanic clouds as “inclement weather,” so delays or cancellations resulting from eruptions are generally covered. So far this year, when our guests’ flights have been delayed or canceled because of these eruptions, the airlines have provided refunds or rescheduled flights – but all of our trips have gone ahead as scheduled. So only guests who had insurance were reimbursed for their missed trips.

Here are a few other real examples that show why insurance is a good idea.

• A couple found out during their trip that their house was robbed and had to return home immediately, missing half the trip.
• One guest became injured shortly before the tour was to depart and he and his wife could not travel.
• And a close relative of one guest had a medical emergency shortly before the trip, so she and her husband could not travel.

Unfortunately, none of these guests had purchased travel insurance, though they wish they had. Another guest had a minor accident while on tour but could not ride afterward, and was flown home immediately with his wife. This guest had purchased the coverage, though, so they were able to submit a claim for the emergency travel as well as compensation for the part of the tour they missed.

A couple additional things to keep in mind

When you sign up for a Ciclismo trip, we quote an insurance premium that would cover the cost of your tour; but you can always insure for more to cover other aspects of your trip, such as your flights or additional accommodations before or after your bike tour.

Coverage begins when you pay the premium, which normally happens about 90 days before your departure date, when we charge the balance of your invoice to you. You can take out insurance any time before your trip, but we strongly recommend that you pay for it at least 90 days before your departure date. If you choose to pay for the insurance at the time you make your deposit, then you’re automatically covered for any pre-existing conditions as well, which might otherwise have been excluded.

Finally, it’s really important to us at Ciclismo is that you have a wonderful time on your vacation with us – and that you have piece of mind as well. That’s why we encourage all of our guests to purchase travel insurance – if not through us, then through their insurance broker, travel agent, or other independent provider. Better safe than sorry!

If you have any questions about travel insurance, please call one of our tour consultants.