Setting off around the world on a gap year or just simply spending a few months backpacking is a great experience. But what kind of gap year or backpacker insurance do you need? Is it alright only to buy something from the local supermarket or the first policy you see on the net? Well in short, no it's not. Backpacker insurance policies are specifically designed for long term travel, so usually last any time from as little as a month - after all you're not really going to go backpacking if you're off for a week, that's more like a normal vacation!
For any long term trip, you need to work out what cover you will probably need. Are you planning to get a job on your trip? If that is case you need gap year insurance that covers you and be careful, sometimes the definition of work is not just serving in a pub in Sydney or even picking fruit in Queensland, it can also be volunteer work, so that panda may look cute, but if you are going to be doing some volunteer work in Chengdu, please ensure you're covered if that cub decides your finger looks like a stick of bamboo!
Some travellers, surprising enough, get so caught up in the arrangements of planning their trip, that they actually forget to take out any travel insurance at all before they leave. This can lead to problems as not many insurance companies will allow you to get insurance once you've already left your home country. The other problem people have is if they decided to extend their journey. Will your insurance company allow you to extend your insurance? Not many do! So from the beginning it's important you choose an insurance which will allow you to do all of the above, and more!
For some people, their gap year is just an opportunity to visit cities and sample the local delicacies and take it easy. For others, they'll need backpacker insurance which will cover them for taking part in really adventurous activities. You may well think that regular insurances will cover you for bungee jumping, water skiing or even working, but not every policy does, so you want to make sure you thoroughly investigate your options, or have a list of activities you'll probably end up doing to hand when you buy your policy.
Lastly, make sure your insurance company will cover your medical costs. It seems pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed that 25% of travellers go off without any insurance at all. Some countries are now making insurance mandatory, but nothing in life is free, especially medical treatment. I saw a blog recently where someone said "You don't need travel insurance, just be sensible and wear a money belt". What kind of advice is that? Would a money belt help you if you are a passenger in a taxi and it was involved in a bad accident? Would it help you if you get mugged and all your possessions (including the aforementioned money belt) was stolen? It is true that 90% of people who take out travel insurance never have to make a claim. The same can be said of car insurance. But usually, when we have to make a claim the money you get back is sometimes 10 times what you had to pay out for your car insurance. But your car gets damaged it goes to the body shop. If you get damaged badly, you will end up in hospital, in an air ambulance, and generally what you get back can be hundreds of times what you paid out to start with anyway.
For any long term trip, you need to work out what cover you will probably need. Are you planning to get a job on your trip? If that is case you need gap year insurance that covers you and be careful, sometimes the definition of work is not just serving in a pub in Sydney or even picking fruit in Queensland, it can also be volunteer work, so that panda may look cute, but if you are going to be doing some volunteer work in Chengdu, please ensure you're covered if that cub decides your finger looks like a stick of bamboo!
Some travellers, surprising enough, get so caught up in the arrangements of planning their trip, that they actually forget to take out any travel insurance at all before they leave. This can lead to problems as not many insurance companies will allow you to get insurance once you've already left your home country. The other problem people have is if they decided to extend their journey. Will your insurance company allow you to extend your insurance? Not many do! So from the beginning it's important you choose an insurance which will allow you to do all of the above, and more!
For some people, their gap year is just an opportunity to visit cities and sample the local delicacies and take it easy. For others, they'll need backpacker insurance which will cover them for taking part in really adventurous activities. You may well think that regular insurances will cover you for bungee jumping, water skiing or even working, but not every policy does, so you want to make sure you thoroughly investigate your options, or have a list of activities you'll probably end up doing to hand when you buy your policy.
Lastly, make sure your insurance company will cover your medical costs. It seems pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed that 25% of travellers go off without any insurance at all. Some countries are now making insurance mandatory, but nothing in life is free, especially medical treatment. I saw a blog recently where someone said "You don't need travel insurance, just be sensible and wear a money belt". What kind of advice is that? Would a money belt help you if you are a passenger in a taxi and it was involved in a bad accident? Would it help you if you get mugged and all your possessions (including the aforementioned money belt) was stolen? It is true that 90% of people who take out travel insurance never have to make a claim. The same can be said of car insurance. But usually, when we have to make a claim the money you get back is sometimes 10 times what you had to pay out for your car insurance. But your car gets damaged it goes to the body shop. If you get damaged badly, you will end up in hospital, in an air ambulance, and generally what you get back can be hundreds of times what you paid out to start with anyway.
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Looking to find the best deal for GAP Year Insurance, then visit www.adventuretravelinsurance.co.uk for your next journey.
