Backpacker Travel Insurance
If you're considering travelling for any significant period of time then you will almost certainly need to consider Backpacker Insurance, or as it is sometimes known Student Travel Insurance, Long-term Travel Insurance, or Gap Year Travel Insurance. This is essentially travel insurance that has been specifically designed to meet the insurance needs of people staying away from home for long periods.
Backpacker or student travel insurance is usually designed for the younger traveller, perhaps under 36 and will usually have more cover than the long-term travel insurance, designed for the traveller adopting a more conventional travel plan, perhaps visiting relatives for a long period of time or staying in a warmer climate over the winter months.
Travelling the world can be an extremely rewarding experience that you will most probably remember for the rest of your life. However as you are most likely to already know not everything can run as smoothly as we like all the time so it's important you have the measures in place to overcome the unforeseen events to ensure that you remember you're trip for the right reasons and not for it being a disaster.
Typical policies will provide travel insurance cover for to 18 months. You should check for any excluded countries or territories from the insurance, this may be linked to advice from the home office about unsafe or dangerous regions such as regions of conflict, crisis or natural disaster zones.
Backpackers insurance usually covers you for the following eventualities:
- Medical Cover - in the event that you should get seriously injured or become ill whilst you are on your travels Backpacker Insurance can cover you're medical expenses up to an agreed financial limit, wherever you are in the world. This can cover the cost of any treatment, medication or operations that you may require whilst abroad and should also cover the cost of being flown home for treatment in the event of an emergency. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office both recommend a minimum level of £2,000,000 of medical cover for travelling outside Europe.
- Cancellation or curtailment - should you need to return home for certain reasons that will end or interrupt your trip this cover can reimburse you for the expenses involved, such as flights/transport home, cancellation fees etc.
- Missed Departure - if you are going to be taking many flights or connecting bus or boat journeys, then despite all your good planning you may find that out of your control you miss one of the connections. This could result in additional expense to rebook the journey. Missed departure insurance will mean you claim back this additional cost up to an agreed limit.
- Search and Rescue - if you are of the more adventurous nature than you may choose to go places a little off the beaten track. Some insurance policies will cover the costs of any search and rescue operation should you come into any trouble.
- Baggage and Possessions - imagine if your backpack was stolen and all your key baggage therefore taken. This aspect of the backpackers insurance means you can make a claim to replace your possessions.
- Personal Money - however careful you are with your cash whilst away, there is a chance it may get lost or stolen. Whilst mininimal, with the students travel insurance there is usually cover for personal money.
- Hijack and Mugging - depending on where you are going on your travels then hijacking or mugging may be a worry. Mugging isnurance can give you some piece of mind that if you are unfortunately the subject of a mugging you at least can make some financial claim to cover your losses.
- Sports and Activities Cover - included in some policies but you may require extra cover depending on what activities you intend on doing.
Depending on your requirements there may be other travel insurance cover available that you can add as an extra to your insurance policy.
Remember to state all known and diagnosed medical conditions before taking your policy or you could find yourself in the unfortunate position of being abroad and your policy being declared void and having to cover medical expenses yourself.
