• Backpacking Insurance, single trip - 2 to 13 months

• An alternative might be:
  Annual Multi-trip Insurance - 90 days any one trip

For popular adventure sports, please refer to: Altitude Trekking BMX Biking Kickboxing Kitesurfing Mountain Biking Paragliding Scuba Diving Skydiving Windsurfing Winter Sports

Important points

• Euro Backpacking Insurance is for Irish residents living in and travelling from Ireland.
• Insurance must be taken out BEFORE leaving the Republic of Ireland.
• Pre-existing conditions are not covered. With a pre-existing condition the insurance is still effective in all respects except that any loss related to the condition is not covered.
• Backpacking Insurance is for persons aged over 16 and under 40 at the trip start date.

Stopover allowance backpacking travel - 2 to 13 months

• The Principle of the stopover allowance is to allow a reasonable time to spend visiting countries elsewhere worldwide outside your main destination area, on the outward or return leg of your journey to or from your final destination area, or split between both.
• Travel to Australia, New Zealand: Our Area 2 is to travel to "Australia and New Zealand" as a final destination. The stopover allowance is 3 days for each month of the trip. For example, for a 13 month trip the allowance is for 39 days stopover, and obviously 36 days for a 12 month trip. This is specially designed to give reasonable time for visiting South East Asia without the cost of upgrading area, or possibly USA, on the way there and/or back.
• For travel Worldwide excluding USA, Canada, and Caribbean Our area 3 is for that, and the stopover allowance is 1 day for each month of your trip, which would allow a short stopover visit within our area 4 USA, Canada, and Caribbean.

Extending the period of cover

• Return booking : You do not necessarily have to have booked your return travel arrangements before taking out the insurance, but you are expected to intend to return home. Therefore, you do not have to commit yourself completely to a long period if you are not sure when you will return.
• Applying for an extension: You can extend the period of cover whilst you are away, up to 13 months in total, and possibly longer, by applying to us by email for the extension BEFORE the expiry of the original period. We regret that if you have already made a claim, or a claim is pending, an extension in not permitted. An extension over 13 months is not guananteed, however for it to be considered favourably you should be genuinely tavelling with a definite return date, not just staying in the same place for longer.
• Alternative insurance: If we are not able to extend the period, it should be possible to get alternative cover to continue with, and we can advise you on some options for that if the need arises.

Sports, activities and work : are divided into categories in the Schedule of Activities: (1) Holiday, (2) Work, (3) Winter Sports, (4) Medium Risk and (5) High Risk. As there is no extra charge, for more dangerous activities in categories (4) and (5) higher medical excess amounts apply, and there are some restrictions on cover. See our Schedule of Activities for details, via the sports & activities link or select links for specific activities.

Winter Sports Winter Sports activities are included at no extra charge within our High Risk category of activities, which provides cover for medical and repatriation costs.

Altitude Trekking : Cover altitude trekking to maximum altitude of 4000m is covered already under the policy. Cover for trekking at altitudes over 4000m may be extended on application to us. Therefore, for Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro, trekking in Napal, or any other trekking over 4000m, please visit the Altitude Trekking page link, where the cover and the way to apply to extend cover is explained.

Cover for skydiving and paragliding : Cover for these activities is not included initially on taking out insurance, but can be added any time later at the additional cost of €4.00 per day for actual day(s) of participating.

University or work overseas : Temporary returns home between terms of education, or as a planned part of an overall trip, are permitted; during a temporary return cover is suspended whilst you are in your Home Country, and for further travel Abroad there will be no cover under policy Sections (E) Travel Delay, (F) Baggage Delay, (G) Missed Departure, and (0) Cancellation. The most important aspect of cover; (A) Medical and Repatriation comes into effect again after departure from you home county. Please let us know prior to taking out the insurance if you plan to return home for more than one month at any one time during the period of insuance.

Hazardous Adventure Sports
The Schedule of Activities is part of the policy, which is available via the Sports & Activities link, gives details of the cover provided for all Holiday and Hazardous Adventure sports and activities covered, and conditions that apply. In conjunction with this Schedule, Section (S) of the policy it sets out certain basic conditions for "safe and normal" participation, such as:

• being reasonably fit to take part,
• being properly organised,
• being accompanied by experienced guides,
• wearing suitable protective clothing,
• having the right equipment,
• observing the safety procedures recommended.