DSLR + Interrail + Hostel. Insurance?

[lareneg]

I'm going interrailing this Summer - that's basically taking a train around Europe. I'll be concentrating largely on Eastern Europe. I'm almost certainly taking my DSLR - that'll be my 450D, Sigma 10-20 and 24-70L. I have a 70-300mm, but I don't think I'll really need anything above 70mm.

Does anybody have any tips on insurance? As I'll be staying in Hostels, I don't know where to start in terms of looking for insurance.

Also, has anybody done a similar trip, and have any recommendations for keeping the camera safe? I'm looking at this product called Pacsafe, which is basically a slashproof aluminium net which you put around your bag. It also allows you to lock your bag to a fixture, like a bed. I'll also buy this alarm thing which you attach to the bag - if the bag is moved, the device sets off an alarm. I'm despserately hoping it won't give off any false alarms, as that will horrible annoy other people in the dorm .

That won't be cheap though - can anybody think of a better or cheaper way of protecting my gear? I would use a sleeping bag and keep valuables in that whilst sleeping in it, but I understand that many hostels have a ban on sleeping bags... :bang:

Thanks.

 

[Dab]

I went interrailing in 2008 but i just took a bridge camera rather than a SLR. My safety policy was to just bring the camera literally everywhere, so it was never out of my sight. I went with my girlfriend and most of the rooms either had lockers so the camera went in there at night, or we just had a double room so nobody else had access (in theory). This worked fine until Rome where my bag got stolen with my camera in it. It was the first time I was remotely careless with it (I took it off and had it sitting next to me on a ledge while i ate lunch, someone crawled up behind me and lifted it, never even noticed!). I had travel insurance with Endsleigh who paid up for everything minus a £50 excess.

I went to the east coast of America in 2009 and took my 450D with 1 lens, again I stayed in hostels and most (if not all) had lockers I could put the camera in at night.

My advice is to make sure any insurance you have does not have a maximum limit per item that is less than the price of your equipment (i.e. you only get £250 back for a £700 lens), and if the camera is not locked up, never detach it from your body! PM me if you want any other advice about interrailing.