How to Buy Travel Insurance for Motorbike Riders to Vietnam? A Guide

Intro

You can plan months – or even years – ahead before the due date for your Vietnam motorcycle tours, double-checking every item and document to ensure nothing is amiss. And yet, it takes just one road accident to crush the dream trip you have spent so much effort preparing for!  That’s why learning how to buy travel insurance for motorbike riders to Vietnam is important. Keep scrolling to learn more critical tips from our team members.

How to buy Travel Insurance for Motorbike Riders to Vietnam? A Full Guide 

1. Types of Insurance

Remember that not every travel insurance plan has the same coverage. We used to go in with that assumption, only to discover at least five different kinds of insurance available for motorbikes on the marketplace. Assessing all aspects you prioritize the most during a motorbike tour can help quite a lot in deciding which investment is right for you.

a. Medial Insurance

These services offer health insurance to ensure 100% of your safety even when far from home.  From a certain perspective, such travel insurances are not that much different from a traditional health plan, except for one thing: they cannot be applied to routine medical treatment (ex: our team members had to pay for all of our routine health checkups).  Plus, note that coverage limitations and certain condition exclusions are also present.  Another important reminder: adventure sports or organized sporting competitions do not receive much support in these plans, either.  A pity, since competitive sports are almost an integral part of our motorcycle tours. We had to keep an eye out for special travel policies back then. 

b. Trip Delay, Interruption, and Cancellation

Cancellation coverages reimburse you for nonrefundable, prepaid expenses if the trip has to be canceled for one of the following reasons (outlined clearly in the insurance’s policies), such as: 

• The operators of the motorbike tour go bankrupt 
• Your illness
• Illness/ death of your family member 
• Natural disasters

Meanwhile, trip interruption insurance cover all nonrefundable costs for the rest of your (unused) trips if they are cut in due to reasons specified in the policies.  And delay coverages help handle expenses like meals and lodging in the face of unwanted trip delays (ex: the motorbike ride is called off because of bad weather). Many policies have all these three covered. Some travel insurance providers offer special coverage layers at a higher cost – such as the “Canceled for any reasons” option that recovers a huge part of your trip regardless of why you backed out.  Other travel insurance companies are even willing to help cover pre-existing/current conditions if the tour cancellation is due to medical reasons.  Please note that all these insurances differ from cancellation waivers offered by tour operators and cruise lines.  The latter is cheaper (40$ to 60$) with numerous restrictions: by illustration, our team could not receive any refund as the trip was canceled right before departure. Technically, waivers should never be considered insurance policies. 

c. Bagging/ Personal Belongings

Lost luggage insurance, just like their name suggests, reimburses for personal belongings and baggage that might be damaged, stolen, or lost during trips.  While that is great, remember these benefits might overlap with some of your pre-existing insurances (in my case, it’s the homeowners/renters insurance).  Hence, we suggest carefully reviewing your current insurance policies to assess their coverage levels. That way, you won’t have to pay a fortune for services you already own. 

d. Emergency Medical Help / Repatriation/ Evacuation

Another coverage that is greatly appreciated by some of our new team members, as it tackles medical expenses and emergency assistance in the light of injuries/ sudden sickness during the trip.  One of our fellows fell seriously ill due to food poisoning and didn’t have to shoulder any fee for emergency assistance, medical evacuation (transportation to the closest hospital) and repatriation (taking him back to his country of residence).  View more: The best Ha Giang motorbike tours 2023-2024

e. 24/7 Assistance

The insurer offers a 24/7 hotline that lets you call whenever extra help is needed (finding lost items, locating a lawyer or doctor, etc.) However, the specific services differ across travel insurers. Some deliver concierge services and restaurant referrals, while others research trip information (ex: required vaccinations or COVID-19 treatment).  There’s no way you can find a one-size-fits-all guideline in this regard; the best solution is to read their policies yourself. 

2. Factors That Decide The Total Insurance Cost

The total sum you have to pay will fluctuate depending on these critical aspects:

• The trip’s cost and length: The longer/ more expensive your tour is, the higher your insurance will cost. 
• Local healthcare costs: High healthcare costs at your destination may also drive the insurance price. (we went to the South of Vietnam a couple of times last year, and the fees for even the most basic medical services there shocked us to our core). 
• Medical conditions that you need coverage for: Diseases/conditions you and your team members already have will raise the insurance charges. 
• Breadth and amount of coverage: More risks covered by the policy mean higher charges. 
• Age: Older age equals higher prices
• Optional supplement: Extra fees are expected for premium options (ex: Canceled/Interrupted for any reasons). 

3. Recommended Motorcycle Insurance Providers for Your Vietnam Trips

We have had a handful of experiences with travel insurance for motorbike tours to Vietnam – and here are some of the best, most trustworthy names, in our opinion. Sure, the charges might be a bit more demanding than most other popular options, but their safety is undisputed: 

• Allianz Travel
• AXA
• World Nomad
• AIA
• IM Global

Tips to Avoid Accidents and Mishaps On Your Day Bike Trip

Insurance can settle all our worries before embarking on any adventure activity. That said, relying on them for undue sickness, vehicle collisions on mountain roads, etc., is the last thing we ever want.  View more: Vietnam offroad motorbike tours 2023-2024 Remember these important tips for a safe, fun trip: 

• Service the bike before you go
• Plan your routes ahead to avoid crazy traffic and blind corners
• Sleep early the day before the tour
• Secure your belongings/ luggage tightly
• Comply with traffic rules; do not exceed the speed limit

Conclusion

Deciding on a travel insurance policy is a decision as headache-inducing as the motorbike trip itself.  But no worries; keep in mind our tips on how to buy travel insurance for motorbike riders to Vietnam, and you are good to go. Reach out to us if you want more help! What riders have said about Vietnam Motorcycle Tours on Tripadvisor!