Running with the Bulls - Pamplona Spain July 6-14

The annual San Fermin Festival (the running of the bulls) in Pamplona is scheduled for July 6-14 2009. 

The Running of the Bulls, obviously, can be a very dangerous activity.  Those who choose to participate often receive serious injuries and there have been many fatalities.  Be warned, this video is fairly graphic but amazingly no lives were lost!

If you still think this looks like fun and are tempted to join in, it might be worthwhile remembering that travel insurance is unlikely to cover claims related to ‘unnecessary exposure to peril’ – or similar wording in the policy.  If you plan to see this spectacle stay well away from the bulls!

Be prepared to cough up for the cost of treating any injuries if you get on the wrong side of a bull – and to pay for medical repatriation back to the UK if required (which can be very expensive!)  If you are not sure whether your particular travel insurance policy will cover you it is best to call and find out beforehand!

Other hazards during the festival (which cannot be blamed on the bulls) include pickpocketing and passport theft.  It is wise to make a photocopy of the information page of your passport to keep with you for identification purposes – and in case of theft of the original.  It may seem a bit of a contradiction but a ‘lost and found’ office will nevertheless be set up at the Pamplona Municipal Police Station.  In the event of loss of personal property a report should be filed with the police for the missing items.  This is a requirement for filing claims under most travel insurance.

Don’t forget to take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to Spain.  However, this should not be used as a substitute for travel insurance.  Although emergency medical care may be provided under the EHIC in a state-run facility it does not cover medical repatriation, lost luggage, or many other common travel-related mishaps!  (Note: there is no guarantee you would be taken to a state facility in an emergency (or have a choice if conscious) and the EHIC does not normally cover treatment in a private hospital).  Visitors planning to participate in the run are advised to read the information provided by the Foreign Office under ‘UKinSpain‘,

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