We reveal the truth behind some of the most common adventure travel insurance myths and misunderstandings.

1. “I’ll just buy travel insurance when I get there.” 

You can’t buy BMC Insurance cover if you’re already abroad. But you can buy it at the airport. So, if you're off on holiday and haven't got insurance, then get in touch - before your plane leave...

2. “I’m a BMC member. Insurance is included right? So I don’t need to buy separate travel insurance.” 

BMC membership includes Liability Cover: to protect you against claims made by others if they feel you caused them injuries or damaged their property. But it's not travel insurance: it doesn’t provide any cover for injuries to you, the cost of any emergency medical assistance you may need, or the cost of an emergency rescue.

3. “I'm going on a long trip but I’ll only be rock climbing for one week, so I’ll just get insurance to cover those days.” 

It's standard that any travel insurance policy has to cover your entire journey from the date you leave the UK until the date of your expected return. This is irrespective of any other travel cover that you have, like annual travel cover that comes with your bank account.

4. “I have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and travel cover with my bank, so don't need it”

It’s true that EHIC will substantially reduce the cost of medical treatment within Europe. However, EHIC will not cover you for helicopter rescue or repatriation. Travel cover from your bank of credit card company will have restriction and may well exclude claims connected with hazardous sports like climbing and mountaineering.

5. “BMC Travel Insurance is just too expensive!”

A few years back the BMC Travel Insurance scheme took some heavy losses. Things are getting a little better now and other adventure travel insurers such as ‘Snowcard’ and ‘Dog Tag’ have put their prices up. So now BMC Travel Insurance is proving to be considerably cheaper than both ‘Snowcard’ and ‘Dog Tag’ on single trip and annual cover. For a current price comparison follow this link…

6. “The BMC must be raking it in from all these insurance policies!”

The BMC is a non-profit making organisation. The BMC Travel Insurance scheme is a service for BMC members and is run in a way that it remains sustainable and good value. Any surplus that is earned from travel insurance sales goes back into funding key projects such as Access & Conservation work, Safety & Training and Youth & Equity.

7. “If I have an accident, I’ll need to call my insurance providers before I call for rescue.” 

No. Do whatever you need to do to get to a place of safety. Only once this has been arranged, contact BMC Insurance and any other insurers so that they can get involved. More info on the protocol here.

We want to say a big thanks to every BMC member who continues to support us through the Coronavirus crisis.

From weekly Facebook Lives and GB Climbing home training videos, to our access team working to re-open the crags and fight for your mountain access, we couldn’t do it without you.

Did you know that we've just launched a new U27 membership offer for just £1.50 / month? And with full membership from £2.50 / month, it's never been easier to join and support our work: 

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join-the-bmc-for-1-month-U27-membership

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