To all those adventurous souls spurred on by the Top Gear clowns, you should be aware that the company line from HIC is that none of their policies cover you while you are on the 'Ring.
Thing is, as the 'Ring is recognised in German law as a road and UK law says the following
here (the bit about European insurance at the bottom). This means they should be providing the minimum level of insurance required to be driving in every European country. That should insure you on the 'ring, but only third party.
So what happens, if you are insured through HIC, you do go to the 'Ring, the worst happens and you drive over a biker who's just come off and that biker happens to be a well-paid guy with a family?
The most likely scenario is that your insurer will pay out and then come after you to recover their costs. If it's a large claim (future earnings and such like, for a now disabled guy) that might mean repossession of your house and an order on your earnings so you have to live on subsistence money for the rest of your life.
Think very carefully before you go out there and DO NOT use HIC if you're planning a 'Ring trip. Whatever insurance you go for, ensure you read the policy booklet very carefully. The exclusions you need to look out for include these sort of phrases:
derestricted toll roads
Nurburgring, Nordschleife
Roads used as a racetrack
You cannot take out 'track day' insurance to cover you third party. Unless the 'Ring is closed off for a track day it's a road in German law - track day insurance doesn't cover that and neither will it cover any third party's - it's designed to cover your car, if you throw it into the armaco and even then may have a very large excess, too.
Personally I think it is criminal that UK insurers put these exclusions into their policies, to try and sidestep EU law. It's like them deciding you can't drive the Route Napolean (stunning mountain road in Southern France) because there are a few too many sections on the edge of cliffs.
I'm not aware of any case law where an insurer has gone after someone after a crash on the 'Ring, this would endorse their law-dodging, but please be aware that it's a grey area of the law and there is a good chance you could fall foul of it.
