The BMC Travel Insurance Review

Children are under the age of 18 and normally resident with the insured adult.

Up to two children under the age of two travel free with an insured adult. 

The single trip and annual travel age limit is 80 years of age, with the exception of the Travel policy which restricts the age to 70.

Trek, Rock, Alpine and Ski, and High Alt and Remote allow single trip and annual travel policies. The Travel category only allows single trip policies and excludes worldwide travel.

A single trip policy can be taken out for up to 364 days. Annual travel policies allow individual trips of up to 45 days for a maximum of 90 days in total per year. This can be increased to 60 days per trip and a maximum of 120 days in total, or 90 days per trip and a maximum of 180 days total, subject to payment of an additional premium.

Cover only applies if you have chosen the Alpine & Ski or High Altitude and Remote Areas options. The policy covers ski equipment, loss of ski pack, piste closure and avalance or weather delay.

The policy covers over 25 different winter sport activities as standard, including off piste skiing with or without a guide. Note that snowboarding is not covered outside of Europe, unless you have specifically paid an additional premium to include it.

A policy can be taken out by an individual, a couple who are married or living together at the same address and families consisting of two adult partners and their accompanying children.

The Eropean Health Insurance card, entitles you to reduce cost or free medical treatment whilst you are in the European Union or Switzerland.

If use of the card reduces a claim for medical expenses, the excess will be waived.

Sports and activities are split into the five categories, Travel designed for short term travel and not participating in any sports covers over 60 different leisure activities as standard.

Trek, covers all the Travel activities as well as hill walking, trekking and backpacking up to 5000 metres.

Rock covers the previous two categories plus Rock climbing, Abseiling bouldering and graded scrambling up to 5,000 metres. Note that rock climbs with crevassed approaches or descents or any snow or ice climbing is not covered.

Alpine and Ski covers all of the above plus most types of skiing, climbing and mountaineering up to 6500 metres. It covers all climbing in Europe and most peaks worldwide up to a maximum of 6500 metres. Also included are black water rafting and canoeing and kayaking up to grade 5.

High Altitude and Remote covers all activities under the other categories and all mountaineering and climbing activities, including expeditions to remote areas.

Whilst the policy excludes cover whilst carrying out any of the activities in a professional capacity, it is possible to include this cover (with the exception of personal liability) subject to payment of an additional premium.

This area of the policy is important, we recommend checking the policy carefully, to make sure you have the right category of cover for the activities you wish to take part in.

If you are searching for the policy booklet on the BMC website, they call it "Evidence of Cover".

The policy excludes claims caused by you drinking too much alcohol. The BMC do not expect you to avoid alcohol on your trips abroad, but will not cover claims because you have drunk so much that your judgment is seriously affected and you need to make a claim as a result.

Covered up to £2500  as standard.

Pre existing medical conditions are excluded, but you can arrange to have them added, by phoning the medical screening line and answering questions about your condition.

Unfortnately there is no option to underwrite conditions online and if you do not delcare medical conditions, they will not be covered under the policy.

Claims for cancellation, curtailment and medical expenses relating to pregnancy are only covered if they are accompanied by complications arising as a direct result of pregnancy.

All policies cover Bar Work, Fruit Picking, Historical Research, Restaurant work, and non manual work e.g. office work or attending a conference.

The policy states that receipts for items lost, stolen or damaged must be retained to help substantiate any claim.

War is excluded under the policy. Terrorism is also excluded with the exception of claims for emergency medical expenses, hospital inconvenience benefit and personal accident cover.

The policy covers reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses incurred as a result of a catastrophe.

This insurance is only available to residents of the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland.