Travel insurance

briche · Guru

Travel insurance

msg · Guru

Make sure you have top cover for roadside assistance and are covered for ambulance. Think about what you might do if
something bad happens. Will your pets be OK? Have a list of contact no's written down somewhere handy.

hako · Guru

I'd guess you'd need emergency ambulance cover which is from about $35 a year (see link) for medical emergencies plus RACQ (or similar) ultimate cover which will recover your vehicle and van.($256)

https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/ambulance

Good Luck.

Hylife · Guru

State based motoring associations have reciprocal rights arrangements with all other states and even to many overseas affiliates. Depending on what state you are in your should join your local motoring association and take out their top cover roadside service. In Victoria this is with RACV called Total Care. Be sure to take the 'Tow-Pack' add-on option to cover towing of your van as most associations have a size and weight limits, (usually Height 2.7M x Width 2.3M x Overall Length 6.7M).

Total Care:-
http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/Internet/Primary/roadside+assistance/car/total+care?&mkwid=s6Koa1ihU|dc&pcrid=49883295572&pkw=racv%20roadside%20care&pmt=e&pid=sem&utm_campaign=Brand+-+VIC+-+ERA&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=racv%20roadside%20care#

Tow Pack:-
http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/internet/primary/roadside-assistance/packages/tow-pack

Ambulance:-
For ambulance cover it depends on where you are and if you are a resident of that state. EG, some states provide free ambulance to residents. EG, Qld residents from July 1.2011 have free ambulance cover Australia wide. If not a queenslander and you are going to be travelling interstate I would recommend that you take out seperate ambulance cover if you don't have cover under a private health insurance policy.

Basic summary can be found on the following link which has links to detailed pages for each the ambulance service in each state.
http://www.transporthealth.com.au/useful-information/ambulance-cover

briche · Guru

Thank you all for your comments and advice. The links will be explored and see what transpires. I agree with all of your comments and will put them into the melting pot and see what come out. They pointed me in the right direction.

regards and safe travels

Brian

PeterD · Guru

The regular travel insurance is for things like sickness when a country without reciprocal health cover and missing connections and thus accommodation deposits. In Oz if you are one of us old buggers (OA pensioners) then you are covered for emergency ambulance transport, otherwise membership of your local ambulance scheme will give you reciprocal rights in other states. Good motoring organisation (NRMA etc) will get you out of trouble and get you home (up to $3000 max,) just make sure you have a membership that covers the size and weight of your rig. For those in health funds they many have ambulance cover as well.

You should have most of that for travel in your own state. If you are well covered in your own state then you need to do nothing when going to the other side of Oz. Just remember a lot of motoring organisations only give reciprocal basic cover to interstate travellers, when seeking assistance through them notify that you wish to get cover through you own state membership. That's the way I did it when in WA, the assistance line for all the associations is the same right across Oz. I told the local WA mob I wished to claim my premium cover through NRMA, they transferred me to the NRMA and subsequently I was transferred back and forth all on the one phone call. Success was achieved.

Pamela G · Senior Member

Thanks for the tip about getting basic road service in another state We are with Racq ultimate and I spoke to them and they advised ringing them direct and they will then authorise the costs, the lady t o ld me that many people are unaware of this and miss our on benefits that they are entitled to We would also be unaware unless youhad alerted us thanks again

keiron · Senior Member

Just 10 days ago I was in Hebel, Qld, just over the border and 50 klms from Lightning Ridge (in NSW).

I got bogged, badly, and called the NRMA for assistance, who then transferred my call to the RACQ. All good so far.

When the lady who took my call finally understood where I was, and accepted that Hebel was in fact in QLD, (took nearly 7 minutes) she began to realise why the NRMA put me thru to the RACQ.

Sir, she said, we only cover the first 50 klms of towing / travel and because you are 160 klms from St George (the nearest RACQ Contractor) I would have to pay the return travel charges for their guy to attend.

You might assume that I am beginning to feel like the very happy traveler / customer. Wrong.

Please discuss any such charges with the NRMA as I am a "Platinum Member" and expect to incur no charges at all.... "but Sir, you are now in QLD".....Please ring the NRMA I repeated................15 minutes later the lovely lady came back on the phone and advised that the NRMA would in fact pay the charges incurred.

You will have to wait up to 12 hours for assistance because our contractor is already on another call.......Could you get one from Lightning Ridge I asked??....No Sir, They are in NSW and you are in QLD........

Long story comes to an end-----local guy dragged me out and I advised RACQ that I would no longer their assistance.

For mine, do some homework (as you are) before yo travel.

Good luck, and hope you will not need any assistance.

Cheers, KB