Whether you are on a globetrotting adventure, going on a long trip, or living overseas for several months, you will need specialist travel insurance. There is an unlimited number of travel insurance schemes available, making the selection overwhelming.
We have put together the key considerations to help you find the right policy for your next adventure. From medical cover to personal liability, here is what you need to look for before you go.
Travel Insurance Essentials at a Glance
- Medical Cover — At least £1 million emergency medical expenses
- Repatriation — Emergency evacuation and repatriation included
- Adventure Sports — Check extreme activity exclusions
- Destination & Duration — All countries and full trip length covered
- Baggage Cover — Protection for valuables without low item limits
- Personal Liability — Over £1 million third-party claims
- Low Excess — Reduced or near-zero deductibles
- Fine Print — Understand exclusions as thoroughly as coverage
Note:
Medical Expenses
This is the essential part of your travel coverage. When looking for a plan, first make sure they have a high coverage limit on your emergency medical expenses while you are away. Worldwide travel insurances offer at least £1 million worth of protection. Even if it's unlikely you ever reach that limit, high coverage limits will cover all your hospital bills.
Select policies with reduced or near-zero excess. The excess is the amount that you will have to pay towards any claim. For example, if you made a claim for £1000 and the policy excess is £200, the insurer would only pay out £800.
Emergency Repatriation
Your policy needs to include emergency evacuation and repatriation expenses if you are injured or become sick while abroad. Repatriation coverage comes as standard in most travel insurance policies but the level it covers varies.
Adventure Sports
Standard travel insurance policies will be unlikely to cover extreme activities — for example, water sports, winter sports and even pony trekking. If you seek thrills through outdoor adventures, it's important to get the right policy for the level of activities you are planning to do.
Specialist providers like World Nomads offer coverage for a wide range of adventure activities, from skiing and snowboarding to whitewater rafting and scuba diving.
Destination and Duration
Not all insurance providers will cover you if you are travelling the most far-flung corners of the world or if you are heading overseas for a long duration. While it may sound obvious, always check to see if all your destinations are included in your ‘gap year’ insurance policies. Some providers will only cover European destinations.
Purchase your policy early so that you can claim cancellation costs for bookings made after the policy start date.
Baggage and Belongings Cover
Misfortunes happen — passports get stolen, bags get lost by airlines, gadgets get damaged. Make sure your policy covers your most expensive possessions like a laptop, DSLR camera, camcorder — the list goes on.
Most of the time, there is a limit on the payout for individual valuable items. Look for policies without restrictive single-article limits so your gear is properly protected.
Travel and Work
Are you planning to work while you are going abroad to get some extra cash? Do you want to do voluntary work? Not all insurance policies will cover you during those activities. If working abroad is part of your plan, make sure your policy explicitly includes it.
24/7 Emergency Assistance
Your insurance provider should give you twenty-four hour, multi-lingual emergency support to help when you need them the most and assist you with your medical treatment, emergency evacuation, or legal assistance.
Cancellations
A good policy will reimburse cancellations of accommodations, flights, and other transportations for unforeseen reasons — for example, a sudden sickness, an injury affecting your travel buddy, the death of a close relative. Only bookings bought when you were covered by your insurance will be refunded.
Personal Liability
Personal liability insurance covers injury or damage compensation claims made against you by a third party. As this risk is less predictable, you should look for coverage over 1 million pounds, euros, or US dollars.
Single Trip vs Multi Trip Backpacker Travel Insurance
Single-trip travel insurance ends the minute you touch down back in your home country. Some multi-trip plans will permit you to resume your trip. Don't forget that you will not be covered whilst you are back home.
Know Your Coverage Limit
Understanding what is not covered is as crucial as knowing what is accounted for by your travel insurance. We know that nobody reads the boring fine print... but you should.
Common Policy Limitations
- Pre-existing medical conditions (heart attack, stroke, etc.)
- Loss of passport when left unattended
- Thefts unreported to local police authorities
- Being inebriated/intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
Our Recommendation
We trust WorldNomads when it comes to our international insurance as they are the best when you consider price, coverage, convenience, and credibility. You can buy and claim online, even after you've left home. Travel insurance from WorldNomads.com is available to people from 140 countries.
7 Things to Know About Travel Insurance from WorldNomads.com
- Trusted Reliable Underwriters — WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most.
- Value for Money with the Cover You Need — WorldNomads.com provides cover for what's important for travellers from 140 countries. By focusing on what you need and leaving out what you don't, World Nomads prices are some of the most competitive online.
- Flexibility When You Need It Most — Had a change of plans? You can buy more cover or claim online while you are still away. You can even buy a World Nomads policy if you're already travelling.
- Cover for a Range of Adventure Activities — From skiing and snowboarding in New Zealand to whitewater rafting in Colorado, WorldNomads.com covers a range of adventure activities, giving you peace of mind to get the most from your travels.
- World Nomads Keeps You Travelling Safely — All WorldNomads.com members have access to up-to-date travel safety alerts, as well as travel safety advice and tips online through the World Nomads Travel Safety Hub.
- More Than Just Great Value Travel Insurance — All WorldNomads.com members can learn the local lingo through a series of iPod and iPhone Language Guides and can stay in touch with family and friends with an online travel journal.
- Commitment to Exceptional Customer Service — You can find out more about why travel insurance is important for your trip on their website.
Although we recommend you to do your own due diligence, we believe those key points will help you to find the right policy provider for your next adventure.