FORUM

For years I have had a multi-trip annual policy with a company called TAG based in Belfast - they endorsed the policy to show that I was resident in France. The premium was very good until I turned 65, then it doubled so I didn't renew last year. I rang them this morning to get a quote for my two weeks in Egypt and was staggered at the cost - £60.
When I look carefully at my French car insurance, I find that it covers emergency medical insurance anywhere in the world, plus repatriation (to France, of course). Is this standard with French car policies?
As a medical emergency would probably be the most expensive thing that could go wrong, I am inclined to take a chance on cancellation or delay. The most I could lose would be the cost of the holiday, or possibly an overnight stay in an hotel.
How do the rest of you aged persons insure yourself for travel outside France?

Elvia.
Starting way back in Switzerland (Elvia was official insurance partner of Swissair) we've always used Elvia both privately and for business.
Travel orientated and adaptable to almost every type of travel
UK site
http://www.elviatravelinsurance.co.uk/
French site
http://www.elvia-online.com/produits/so ... partner=C7
Try the French site (local) click on the vacation square that interests you, click on the "formule" of your choice (if multiple)
Fill out the details and get the price.
You can experiment with several versions till you reach the right price for the services needed!
Very often (e.g. at Nice) National Airlines (BA,LH,AF,IB etc.) have Elvia brochures at ticket counters for last minute clients.
(No, I have no shares in Elvia!!)

Thank you, Roger, I will google them.
Am I right about my car insurance?

Car insurance is Annaïck's domain. She has a special link to "Assurances 66" in Pont de Reynes!

Inter Mutuelle Assistance 0800 75 75 75 which we had to use twice. Perfect service.
I believe Visa cards include the same sort of assistance.
RF.

Thanks, Robert. Would that be the same for all insurance companies? I would be paying for the holiday with my Visa card as well, and I note that my householder's insurance covers me for third party risks and legal representation. I wonder how many years I have been over insured!

Third party risk (Responsabilité civile) is compulsory in France. It wouldn't cover you if you happened to be in need of help, only if you caused damage to someone else's property or person. You'd better check with the bank about coverage by your Visa card. Inter Mutuelle Assistance only works if your insurance company is a "Mutuelle". "Europe assistance" is also a good one which is independent and which covers its subscribers all over the world and not only in Europe, contrary to what its name might suggest.
RF.

Carol,
Your house insurance normally covers you for up to 90days.

Michael

Thank you, Michael, I will check my various policies carefully befoe I go.

BEWARE - in the world of Insurance you get what you pay for.

There are broadly two kinds of travel insurance - cheap and expensive. The cheap ones will cover you for NEW conditions that crop up while you're away. The expensive ones cover you for anything even if you've had it before (and will almost certainly require a "disclosure" in the form of a discussion with the insurance agent before the price is fixed).

The first thing an insurance company does when someone falls ill abroad is to contact the GP to try to find a way out of paying up. Huge numbers of people travel with the "free" insurance that comes with Credit Cards etc and many evey year get a nasty shock when they come to claim.

A friend of mine is currently selling the house and contents of an elderly neigbour who finds himself stuck in a hospital in the States with no insurance. Luckily (I guess) he has no family to inherit and is unlikely to survive long enough to come home.

As I said - BEWARE.

Thank you, Webdoc, but as my only pre-existing condition is a little bit of arthritis in the knees (which doesn't stop me taking three hour walks up steep mountain paths) I don't think the insurance company could find any loopholes if I fell ill in Eypt. I haven't been in hospital since 1989 and the only medication I take is an anti-immflammatory. The only activity I intend to undertake is snorkelling from the beach and I won't be driving.

I have checked both my tenant's insurance and my car insurance. The tenant's insurance covers my personal possessions away from home, but I do not carry anything valuable anyway. I will not be leaving the hotel, as it will be too hot for excursions and my sole reason for this holiday is to snorkel on the coral. I will put my passport in the hotel safe as soon as I arrive.

My tenant's insurance does cover me for 'responsabilite civile vie privee' though as I am not driivng it is hard to envisage circumstances in which I would lay myself open to being sued for damage to someone's person or property. I think that clause in the car insurance is related only to damage which is in some way related to my car - not just when I am driving but if, for example, my car blows up outside someone's house!
I did not know it was the law in France to have third party cover, but as
I have always had either owner's or tenant's insurance I take it I have always been covered anyway.

The travel company I am using is a member of ABTA but I am using my credit card for part of the cost just in case I have problems with them.

The chief risks against which I want to be insured are collapse of the travel company and illness whilst abroad, and these do seem to be covered by the combination of credit card, tenant's and car insurance.
My flight is direct from Manchester to Taba, it is not the height of the tourist season and I always arrive at an aiport with about four hours to spare, so I am not likely to miss my flight. If there is a long delay, I believe the airline has to feed and house me. If it less than 12 hours, I will just find a seat and read.

I will get a few more quotes from UK insurance companies, since I will be travelling from and to Manchester and in the event of serious illness or death I would want to be repatriated to the UK.

Perhaps I am naive, but I thought I was automatically covered by my Gold card for travel insurance if I pay with it..

If we're really into travel insurance here, then better read this too!!
http://www.trial-law.com/warsaw.html
Note reference to : "Star Alliance"
http://www.staralliance.com/en/travellers/index.html

I read it Roger, but I really cannot see how it is relevant to my circumstances! I will be flying with XL airlines, a UK registered company. Dying in a plane crash is not one of my worries as I have no dependants.
I rang MBNA about my Platinum Plus card and guess what? Their insurance arm won't cover anyone over 65.
I checked out my travel company on the ABTA site and they are definitely members, so that covers any worries about the company collapsing.
I did try several sites in the UK and France for travel insurance, some of them purporting to specialise in cover for older people, but the UK sites all said 'only available to UK permanent residents' and the French sites covered journeys starting and finishing in France. I did find one that offered cover to anyone anywhere but it was very expensive.
Oh, well, I will just continue to live dangerously and rely on my car and tenant's insurance in case of medical emergency.