laimeduck

You should be able to get the name of the previous owner from your V5 registration document I think?

I was simply interested as it will help preserve our 90 days if we are out of Schengen for a few days. Not that it matters as we don't go for 90 days anyway but I would have done it to try it! It looks like we may have to re-think Slovenia anyway as the floods have done far more damage to infrastructure than we realised and I doubt they want wandering Brits clogging their efforts, so Bosnia and Serbia may now be no-nos for this year.

On the subject of Schengen paperwork ....I am possibly visiting Bosnia and Serbia in September, neither of whom are in the Schengen area. Does that mean I will get my passport stamped at the Croatian border to indicate I have left Schengen? Similarly on my return through Croatia? Jeremy

I agree about the bots/chat bots/chats. In the situations I was in, the "bot" did indeed filter me through to a human on three separate occasions firstly on chat, then on telephone, so the filtering worked. Sad to say that two of these "humans" simply did not know what they were talking about. I was in the process of renewing my existing motorbike insurance which had cover for the EU and Switzerland, Bosnia, Serbia and extending the cover from 30 to 90 days. They renewed the insurance, to cover the 90 days, but ommited Switzerland, Bosnia, SerbiaI from the cover - which I only found out when the certificate arrived. I expected to get professional advice from these people but quickly realised that they simply had very limited knowledge of their subject. As stated, they did not know which countries were in the EU and one had never heard of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia ..... and they made absolutely no effort to rectify the situation. (I will add that all this was done without any heated conversations!) The only "human" who did an efficient job was the last chap when I phoned to cancel my renewal - he was polite, understanding and efficient. So I suppose as usual it depends on who you talk to. The benefit to me of all this:- I have learned more about European Insurance. Your UK insurance covers you for minimum Third Party Only for EU countries plus those who comply with the EU directive. You are only covered FULLY, i.e. Comprehensive or Third Party Fire and Theft if your insurance certificate actually lists EU and those who comply with the EU directive. So Robinhood you were only partly right in your comment "It's even worse when the people at both ends have no idea what they are talking about 🤔" Jeremy

A reply to both Brian and Spirou. As far as I am concerned it's my thread so you haven't hijacked it! Our plan was to come down through Austria and over the Wurzenpass and then travel down the Soca Gorge from Kranjska Gora and then probably head towards Ljubljana. After that was undecided although I wanted to revisit Jajce, hence my need for Bosnian Insurance cover. After that a bit of nose following around the Balkans but tracking back to UK via the Dolomites. So Brian your church will be on the list for our return towards the Dolomites. We can be away for about 45 days or more. Spirou I would welcome some personalised suggestions from you. We love the mountains (hence the passes) we like small non-touristy places that are as natural as possible and still inhabited by locals ...... we enjoy walks but my hips now dictate about 3 miles max! We tend to pitch on campsites then explore the area on 125cc motorbike or electric bikes. I have just received this picture today from my friend who lives in Reutlingen near Stuttgart .... 30cm of ice fell in the fom of hail ...in August!!! So Spirou ... you are not alone! Jeremy

The storm is reported to now be heading for Croatia and Bosnia-Herzogovina for the next couple of days. A month's worth of rain in 24 hrs in Carinthia Austria and Slovenia! I too hope you are OK Spirou? Whereabouts in Slovenia are you? We are keeping an open mind about visiting this area now, but looking at the pressure maps and jet stream forecast for the next couple of weeks it looks like high pressure will return and help dry things up. Not that I am a meteorologist but it looks like the Jet stream was responsible for the storms .... it was/is coming across the Atlantic in a straight line scraping Lands End then straight on down the Western side of Italy. More of a winter position. Hence all the low pressure systems over the Med and Adriatic. In summer it normally loops up in the Atlantic towards Norway? Jeremy

Spirou ...Thanks for the info...... Lake Bled? Also reported in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, many killed due to falling trees. We'll monitor the situation. We don't leave until 29th August. Jeremy

Je ne comprend pas?

No it's a person I think... but you'd never know it!

But not if the people at the other end have no idea what they are talking about!

Final update:- The underwriter KGM has come back to us via AIB and admitted they got it wrong. They had updated their Policy document but not their Certificate to show Serbia and Bosnia as covered. They are sending us a new certificate. Swinton have been kicked into touch and our motorbike is now covered for Serbia and Bosnia through AIB with Europa. It really pays to check the certificate wording ref European cover - I wonder how many people drive into eg Switzerland or Monaco or San Marino or Liechtenstein with those places not listed on their certificates. They are not EU and if your certificate says "Countries in the EU" only, you are not covered! Jeremy

Well the plot thickens ......BUT Firstly an apology, the Insurer was Ageas not Aegon! (I also have an Aegon policy) Following Keith's suggestion I Twittered Ageas, .... they said can't help talk to Swinton I facebooked Swinton, .... they said use our chatbot I facebooked Swinton again and said .... "I've tried that but it doesn't work", and they replied you are only covered for European Community! (whatever that is?) So I'm in the process of kicking Swinton & Ageas into touch (renewal doesn't kick in until the 13th August), and am talking to AIB who do my Benimar Insurance (which does cover Serbia & Bosnia!). They say that their Motorbike Insurance will cover me. ........... BUT stop press .... my wife has just phoned AIB about our Motorhome to confirm the policy wording which says we ARE covered for Bosnia and Serbia on our Benimar Motorhome , but the certificate doesn't .... and they now say we are NOT covered! AIB have phoned the underwriter and they say they don't know if we are covered or NOT! AIB are chasing the underwriter for clarification and why the 2 documents do not agree! We seem to have opened a can of worms ....... Left hand and right hand come to mind! Perhaps we'll give Bosnia & Serbia a miss this year? Jeremy

I would guess that caveat is for Kosovo and North Cyprus which are not recognised, thus do not conform to the directive?

Thanks for that ... but why does the UKGOV website say that "All UK insurance covers you for EU plus countries that conform"? Surely that implies a ruling that they have to cover you?

I'll maybe try it Keith but I don't do much social media ... never had much success with it ... just full of rubbish?

Sorry Max no! We no longer get green cards here unless you go to countries outside the EU and those who follow the Directive. Jeremy

Keep trying Keith...no email address only phone or chatbot! SWINTON!

Aegon will only talk through the broker for motorbike insurance.

We are going to Slovenia in September and possibly Bosnia and Serbia. I was checking my small motorbike insurance and the certificate states the following:- The insurer will cover your legal liability to others while you are using your bike within the European Union and any other country which has agreed to follow the EU Motor Insurance Directive (number 2009/103/EC) This policy provides the minimum cover you need by law in any country which agrees to meet European Commission Directives on motor insurance and satisfies the European Commission that it has made arrangements to meet the requirements of these Directives. So I have been trying to find a list of countries which have agreed to follow the Directive to see if I am covered for Bosnia & Serbia ... without much success. (I spent a wasted hour on the phone to the broker x3 who where worse than useless .. they didnt even know that Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia were countries in Europe!) I then found this on the UK gov site :- https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-abroad Driving abroad If you’re driving in most European countries All UK vehicle insurance provides the minimum third party cover to drive in: the EU (including Ireland) Andorra Bosnia and Herzegovina Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Serbia Switzerland What do you think? Are these the countries that follow the directive? The government site appears to suggest that they are and that by law, I will be covered third party? Thanks Jeremy

I'll second Stixall. Along with gaffer tape, a hot glue gun and a hammer it's a must in the tool kit!

We have cream leather seating in our 2005 Benimar and use Autoglym leather cleaner and balm. The leather is all in very good condition after 15 years that we have had the van. Jeremy

Thanks Max - I'll be interested to see your stop offs as and when. I was wrong! I was last in Bosnia in 1962!, Screenshots of Bear blocking our path and Caravans and the unmade main highway near Jajce on our way down to Dubrovnik. If I remember correctly the only metalled road in those days was the Autoput down to Belgrade (now the E70) most other roads were gravel.

Max I would be interested in details of your route and overnight stops if possible please. We are planning to go to Slovenia and Croatia in September, and unlike our trip in 2015, our insurer this year will cover us for Bosnia and Serbia, (but not North Macedonia). I last went to Bosnia (then Yugoslavia) in about 1965ish in a Bedford Dormobile and remember we were stopped on a road near Jajce by a group of people in National costume with a horse drawn caravan with a large bear on a chain leading them ... we had to give them a pack of cigarettes to pass! (They turned out to be really quite friendly ..... but we didn't know that at the time!) I have the episode on cine film. Jeremy

I'm sure you are correct and I am wrong as usual.

You misunderstand .... you simply unstrap the cylinder dangle it outside the locker then weigh it. I can do this in my Benimar very easily. With the quick release connectors now it's really not a problem to do this.