Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

Researching and buying good travel insurance can be a very confusing part of planning your travel adventure. A lot of the time, searching the internet can make it more confusing. Is it worth it? Which companies offer the best coverage? Which cover should I buy?

Some travellers will be happy with the general policies available, while packages provided by companies such as World Nomads Insurance can be tailored to suit your specific needs, it’s really up to you which travel insurance you choose.

What Is Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance is a fairly loose term, and is sectioned into various types of insurance that you will want on you travels. This can sometimes confuse and be misinterpreted.

You need to know what kind of coverage a travel insurance policy includes. This is because it may not include everything you think it does.

  • Trip Cancellation Insurance: Will cover you if your flight or holiday gets cancelled, and if there are any interruptions or unexpected issues that alter your travel plans.
  • Luggage/Car Rental Insurance: This covers your rental car in the event of an accident and your baggage and personal items if they’re lost, damaged or stolen.
  • Travel Medical/Health Insurance: This policy covers medical and dental expenses incurred because of injury or illness.
  • Medical Evacuation Insurance: Which covers you in case you need to be transported to a hospital. If you’re injured in a remote area and need a helicopter, it’ll be extremely expensive, and you’ll really second-guess your decision not to get evacuation coverage.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Ultimately, YES. Travel insurance will protect you if (worst case scenario) you’re seriously injured abroad, and it could save your life, quite literally. This is especially important if you are taking an “adventure” trip or travelling somewhere where an emergency evacuation may be required.

I’ve met many people whilst travelling that have not taken out any travel insurance at all, and in the past I have considered it too. I thought well if they’re saving money and everything seems to be going well for them, it must be okay for me too! But, this is a big but…after travelling to 43 countries, I’ve heard so many horror stories from other travellers, who really regret not taking out basic travel insurance. From motorbike crashes to cancelled flights I’ve heard it all, and to be frank it’s just not worth the risk.

I cannot stress this enough, YOU DO NEED SOME FORM OF TRAVEL INSURANCE WHEN TRAVELLING.

You may be thinking, it’ll be okay nothing ever happens to me and I’m not accident prone. Yes, you may be right, but you can’t be 100% sure. Travelling to countries you’ve never visited is like walking into the unknown, you really don’t know what is around the corner. It just isn’t worth it. What if someone steals your bag with your phone, money, passport and camera in? Your taxi driver crashes? You infect your leg? The list is endless. Without travel insurance you’re screwed!

 

Where Do I Get Travel Insurance From?

In the past I’ve jumped between many travel insurance companies, trying to figure out which is the best overall. Last year I went with World Nomads, and haven’t looked back since. I personally love how quick and easy it is to get a quote. You can even purchase a plan with little advanced notice. Extend coverage online from anywhere too, or if you decide to extend your month long trip into a six month long one, it will be no problem with World Nomads.

Travel insurance from WorldNomads.com is available to people from over 140 countries and is designed for adventurous travellers.

What World Nomads covers:

  • Trip cancellation: √
  • Your gear is stolen or damaged: √
  • You need emergency medical evacuation: √
  • You need Medical help for sudden illness or injury: √

What It does not cover:

  • Stupidity: x
  • Influence of alcohol: x
  • Sexually transmitted diseases: x
  • Countries like Afghanistan and Somalia: x

The choice is up to you!

But it’s a small price to pay to feel secure and reassured when planning a big trip internationally.

Travel Insurance Tips

  • Take photos of all your electrical equipment, any expensive devices and stamp the date you take these.
  • Save online copies of all your gear purchased and any hospital receipts. Do try and keep the originals too.
  • Write down serial numbers, policy numbers, and insurance contact information. You can print out your travel insurance policy you buy, just make sure you keep it in a safe and secure place you won’t loose or forget about.
  • Always read the fine print of the policy before you buy that chosen travel insurance. There may be some exclusions or items that cannot be covered for that you didn’t know about. For example extreme sports or certain countries.
  • If you have had devices stolen file a police report immediately.
  • Carry your travel insurance on you at all times whilst travelling, just pop it in your daypack, incase of any sudden incidents or accidents.

Happy Travels! P.S Don’t forget to purchase travel insurance 😉

READ NEXT: 12 travel books to read in 2017

Have any questions about travel insurance? Have you ever had something bad happen? Drop me a message in the comments below!

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