I would definitely purchase a short term travelers/medical insurance policy before heading out of the country. If you were in a car accident or contracted pneumonia or other similar situation, this would be well-worth every penny as far as getting appropriate medical care and if necessary possible cover special transport home.

I worked for a non-profit and although their employees had insurance here in the U.S., when they traveled to India, the employer purchased special insurance to cover any situations that could develop.

Even though it may cost you a few hundred, it could save you headaches, hassles and could make a big difference in your care.

Happy Trails!

These posts are old, so I don't know if anyone is still reading this thread, but if so, I would like to offer some of my experiences.

1. I would avoid buying travel insurance from Access America. They were extremely aggravating to deal with, and although they eventually paid my claim, it was only after a great deal of kicking and screaming. Do some research and you will find many complaints against them.

2. On the contrary, I had a very good experience with Berkeley Care, which promptly paid a claim and were easy and straightforward to communicate with. I would definitely buy insurance from Berkeley Care again.

3. The CAF (French Alpine Club) offers low-cost insurance for members which would cover all high-cost events in the mountains, for example: Helicopter evacuation, hospitalization, transportation home, costs of someone to assist the injured or ill person, etc.

Leigh