Trekking up to 3000 Metres Travel Insurance FAQs

1. What's the difference between hiking and trekking — and does it matter for insurance?

 In everyday use: hiking is a day's walk, trekking is a multi-day journey. 

For your insurance, it makes no difference — both words appear on the activity list, and what actually determines your cover is the altitude ceiling of the level you select, not which word it uses. 

A day hike and a two-week trek at the same altitude carry the same selection. So don't worry about what to call your trip: pick the activity level that covers your maximum altitude — up to 2,000m for UK and most European hill walking, up to 3,000m for the higher European routes, up to 6,000m for the Himalaya, the Andes and Kilimanjaro-class treks — and everything below your ceiling on the same trip is covered too. 

If ropes, bolts or technical climbing equipment come into it, that's mountaineering, which is a different activity again. Not sure where your route falls? 

Call us on 0800 043 0020 and we'll place it for you. 

2. What does trekking up to 3,000 metres cover? 

The classic European walking holidays: 

the Tour du Mont Blanc (high point Fenêtre d'Arpette, 2,665m), 

the Camino de Santiago, Corsica's GR20 (2,225m), 

the Dolomites Alta Via routes, the Alpujarras, the Picos de Europa and every UK and Irish summit.

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 If your route's highest point sits under 3,000m, this is your selection — and it prices below the higher bands, so don't buy 6,000m cover for a 2,500m route.

3. Most of my trek is under 3,000m (or 4,600m), but for a few days I'll be higher — what are my options? 

This is common — a route that lives at 2,500m with two or three days over a high pass — and you have two ways to insure it: 

Option 1 — select the higher band for the whole trip. Your activity selection follows your maximum altitude, so choosing trekking up to 6,000m covers every day of the route, high and low, on one policy. Simple, one certificate, no gaps. 

Option 2 — insure just the high days separately. Keep your main policy at the lower band and add cover through our Adventures policy for only the days you're above your band's limit. On a long trip with a short high section, this can work out cheaper. 

Which is better depends on your trip length and how many high days you have — call us on 0800 043 0020 or email your itinerary and we'll quote both ways. What you must not do is select the lower band alone and hope: a claim on a day above your selected altitude isn't covered.

4. Can I change my altitude band after getting a quote — or after buying? 

Yes. If you haven't bought yet, just re-quote with the higher band (or ask us to adjust the quote). If you've already bought and your plans now go higher, contact us before you travel and we'll upgrade the policy to the right band

 — email support@jsinsurance.co.uk or call 0800 043 0020 with your policy number and new maximum altitude.

5. Does the 3,000m cover include my lower-altitude days — say a section at 2,000m? 

Yes — your selected band covers everything at and below its ceiling. A trekking up to 3,000m selection covers the whole route from sea level to 3,000m; you never need a second, lower selection for the easy days. - Get a Quote