Insurance FAQ

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about travel and sports insurance. The answers are based on our own experiences and Elamus Pluss responsible for the timeliness or legal correctness of the information provided. We strongly recommend that you contact the insurance provider directly with any specific or important questions.

  • Is travel insurance necessary?

Yes, we strongly recommend taking out appropriate travel insurance and, depending on the nature of the trip, sports insurance or additional coverage for dangerous activities.

  • Do I have to take out insurance myself?

Yes, each passenger is responsible for arranging, ensuring the suitability and validity of their own insurance. Adventure coaches can advise you on this depending on the specific trip.

  • What kind of travel insurance should I take out?

Each participant is responsible for their own travel insurance and we definitely recommend that you take it out. Travel insurance comes in different forms (health, baggage and trip interruption insurance), but they usually come as a single package. Some credit cards also come with travel insurance. NB! Standard travel insurance generally does not apply to mountain hiking, alpine skiing and other extreme activities.

There are many travel insurance providers and it is convenient to use insurance brokers to compare, such as: IIZI.

  • Which travel insurance providers are the best?

It is difficult to say and depends on several factors. However, we can share one of our own cases, where upon arriving at the airport we discovered that our flight no longer existed due to political reasons. We had to buy new plane tickets. This money was only refunded with Swedbank insurance, while ERGO and Seesam customers were left with a long nose… It is worth mentioning that many insurances really do not cover such cases (e.g. political conflicts between countries) and this is just one example.

The most important thing is to carefully read the terms and conditions of your travel insurance.

  • When does travel insurance start to take effect?

Again, it's difficult to give a definitive answer here, so check your specific insurance provider's terms and conditions or ask them directly. In most cases, travel insurance will start to be valid from the specified insurance period, but in certain cases - for example, in the case of trip interruption insurance - the insurance may start to be valid e.g. 3-4 days after the contract is concluded.
This means that you should definitely not leave the insurance until the last day, because otherwise the insurance may not compensate for losses if the trip is canceled.

  • Do I need special insurance for a mountain hike?

Yes, to participate in a mountain hike, we require valid sports insurance that is suitable for mountain hiking. Often, regular insurance providers may not cover mountain hiking above a certain altitude (e.g. above 5000 m), so be sure to make sure that your insurance is suitable for the trip (including the destination). Take your insurance policy with you on the hike.

The suitable selection of Estonian insurance providers is limited; for some mountains, e.g. Swedbank travel insurance dangerous activities with additional protection. For higher or more technical mountains we can recommend e.g. Austrian Alpine Club insurance included with membership or no height restriction Impact MultiSports insurance. An alternative is also Global Rescue insurance.

  • Does insurance cover damages during a mountain hike if there is no certified guide in the group?

In certain regions, such as the Alps, the profession of mountain guide is regulated. Some insurance providers may take this into account, so it is always worth checking the terms and conditions of a specific insurance provider, as well as in the context of the specific travel destination and activity. For our part, we can say that, for example, Swedbank travel insurance (including additional protection for dangerous activities) does not distinguish whether there is a guide in your group or not; however, other requirements outlined in the terms and conditions must be met.

  • Does the insurance policy have to be printed out?

In general, we recommend printing out your insurance policies (and other important documents) and taking them with you on your trip. At a minimum, you should do this: offline available on your smart device, but smart devices can run out of power at a critical moment.

As an exception, it is MANDATORY to print out the mountain hiking sports insurance policy. You must take it with you on the trip and keep it with you practically throughout the trip. We also generally ask you to forward the policy information to the adventure coach. The idea is that in the event of an emergency, you need to know the information on the insurance policy immediately.

If you didn't find the answer to your question here, then write to us.