best backpacker travel insurance

The Best Travel Insurance Companies for Backpackers

I’m a backpacker at heart. Even after traveling the world for over a decade , I still love to travel cheap, prioritizing experiences over fancy accommodation and transportation. I still love staying at hostels , meeting locals, and sampling as many local delicacies as I can.

Contrary to popular belief, being a backpacker is not about pinching every penny — it’s about finding value. If you want to have a genuine and authentic trip without breaking the bank, then you need to spend your money wisely.

And when it comes to backpacking around the world, one of the wisest choices you can make is to purchase travel insurance .

I know, travel insurance seems like just another expense that will chip away at your budget. I used to think that too.

But it also has the potential to save you thousands of dollars should something go wrong on your trip.

And after traveling around the world for over twelve years, I can confidently tell you this: things will go wrong.

To help you stay safe on your next trip, here is everything you need to know about buying insurance as a backpacker.

Table of Contents

Why Do Backpackers Need Insurance?

What does travel insurance cover, what does travel insurance not cover, the best backpacker insurance companies.

The reason you need to buy travel insurance is because accidents happen. Regardless of whether you’re at home or abroad, things go wrong. At home, you likely have access to medical care and reliable medical facilities.

On the road, that isn’t always the case.

While serious injuries are rare, they do happen. And it’s always better to be safe than sorry. But insurance isn’t just for medical emergencies. It also covers a lot of incidents that are much more common than you think!

I’ve had my bags stolen, I’ve needed to go to the hospital overseas, and I was even stabbed while traveling in South America .

I didn’t plan for any of these things to happen. But when they did, I was glad I had insurance to help me get reimbursed as well as to help me navigate the confusion that comes with having an emergency abroad.

While it’s unpleasant to spend time dwelling on these things, the truth is, you need to be prepared for the worst. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use your insurance plan, but if you need to, you want to make sure you have the coverage you need.

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect your backpacker insurance to cover:

• Coverage for most countries in the world
• Medical emergencies (surgery hospitalization fees, medical evacuation to the nearest hospital)
• Flight delays and cancellations
• Trip cancellations (due to injury or a death in the family)
• Emergency evacuation (due to injury or natural disaster)
• Dental emergencies
• Lost or stolen baggage
• Death overseas

I know, as a backpacker you like to keep costs low. Insurance isn’t free, after all, which makes it seem like a burdensome and unnecessary expense.

But it’s much better to pay a few bucks a day than risk losing your life savings should an emergency occur while you don’t have coverage.

While most travel emergencies and injuries are covered by travel insurance, it’s important to know what is not covered by your plan. Knowledge is power, after all.

Most backpacker insurance policies do not cover:

• Accidents sustained while participating in extreme adventure activities (which often include hang-gliding, paragliding, or bungee jumping)
• Alcohol- and drug-related incidents
• Carelessness or negligence (such as if your bag gets stolen after you left it unattended)
• Pre-existing conditions or general check-ups
• Stolen cash
• If civil unrest makes your destination unsafe but your government hasn’t called for an evacuation (unless you have more advanced coverage from a company like Medjet )
• Changing your mind about your trip or unfriending/breaking up with your travel partner will disqualify you from trip-cancellation coverage
• If your visa to a destination is refused you won’t be reimbursed if you decide to cancel your trip

There’s only two companies worth using as a backpacker.

They are the best choice for long-term travelers as you can renew your plan while abroad and their $250 USD deductible keeps your monthly fee low. While their coverage isn’t as comprehensive as other companies, it covers the most important stuff, making them a good choice for travelers on a tight budget.

Here’s a quick overview of SafetyWing :

• Super affordable plans (with a deductible)
• Can purchase and renew plans while abroad
• Claims can be filed online
• $250,000 USD in emergency medical coverage
• Friendly and responsive customer service
• After being abroad for 90 days, you keep your medical coverage for 30 days in your home country (15 days for US residents)
• Best for digital nomads and frugal travelers

Insure My Trip also provides comparisons from insurance companies that cover older travelers (many travel insurance companies won’t cover travelers over 65), making them the go-to company for retirees and other senior adventurers.

Here’s a quick overview of Insure My Trip :

• Guaranteed low prices
• Coverage for senior travelers over 65
• “Anytime Advocates” ask the insurer to give your claim a second look if you think it was unfairly denied
• Compares 23 different companies to ensure you get the best plan
• Reviews of each policy so you can see what other travelers are saying

The huge benefit of using Insure My Trip is that they guarantee you won’t find the same policy elsewhere for less money! Click here to get a quote from Insure My Trip.  

Here’s a look at World Nomads at a glance:

• Tiers for basic and premium coverage
• Delay and cancelation coverage
• Can submit a claim after your trip ends
• Offers some COVID coverage
• Everything can be done via the website
• Trusted by brands like Lonely Planet, Eurail, and Intrepid Travel

World Nomads is more expensive than SafetyWing (roughly 3x the price) but they also cover more activities and include more coverage for things like cancelations and delays. In short, they’re best for adventurous travelers or travelers who want more more coverage and have the money to spend.

I never leave home without travel insurance. I’ve experienced first-hand how helpful it can be. It’s saved me thousands of dollars over the years — as well as countless headaches too.

Being a backpacker is all about having amazing, memorable travel experiences all without breaking the bank. And there’s no better way to insulate yourself from expensive (and unnecessary) costs than by buying travel insurance (Remember that Safety Wing is our top pick!)

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Hi, I’m Nomadic Matt, the New York Times best-selling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad, as well as the founder of this website! And I’m here to help you save money on your next trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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The Best Backpacker Travel Insurance – 17 Options Compared

In this guide to the best backpacker travel insurance we compared the 17 most popular providers –  you’ll be surprised which was the best!

Do you really need to get travel insurance?

It’s probably a familiar question. It’s certainly one I ask before every single trip.

Even as a cyclist, hiker, climber, traveller and general accident-prone backpacker, travel insurance is something I’ve always been dubious of. I don’t like insurance companies and the concept of paying for something you may never use has always seemed alien.

Then, at some point or another, you have a personal experience where travel insurance quite literally saves your life. 

Whether it’s lying in a hospital bed in Indonesia with Dengue Fever, filing for a stolen bag in Barcelona, having a bot fly cut from your head in Panama or needing to return home to visit ill family… there comes a point in every trip I realise yes, yes you definitely do need travel insurance (and, yes, they are all things I’ve had to claim for). 

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy finding the right policy and travel insurance companies don’t make it any simpler. There are SO many different options, so many different prices and the small print is too often clouded behind technical jargon. Altogether it can be very hard to know what you’re getting and which policy is best for you.

Should you pay an extra £50 and get added cover?

Is it worth paying for a lower excess?

What even is liability insurance?

In this guide to backpacker travel insurance, we’ll explain all the jargon and the nitty-gritty stuff you need to consider when finding a policy. We’ve also compared 17 of the most popular backpacker insurance policies to see which is the best – y ou’ll be happy to know it’s not always the most expensive!

In this article, you’ll find:

• What is the difference between backpacker and travel insurance
• Why you should never travel without it
• Insurance terminology explained
• Things to look out for when finding a policy
• Picking the best travel insurance for YOU
• Travel insurance activity packs
• When to buy backpacker insurance
• How to make an insurance claim abroad
• 17 popular backpacker insurance options compared
• The best insurance policies in detail

What is the difference between backpacker and travel insurance?

First things first, backpacker travel insurance is specifically designed for backpackers going to multiple destinations over a longer period of time. It is also sometimes under the same umbrella as long-term travel insurance. 

Compared to regular travel insurance policies, backpacker insurance can be used for trips ranging from 3-18 months (sometimes more). It covers a wider range of activities like hiking , diving, skiing, working with animals etc and has extra precautions for things more likely to occur on a backpacking trip.

The best travel insurance policies will include:

• Medical and dental cover  ranging from small prescriptions to major surgery
• Baggage, electrical and documents cover also covering things like bicycles, outdoors or camera equipment
• Legal cover and advice  paying for lawyers’ fees to political support if there is civil unrest
• Cover if you cancel or change your trip  also includes transport delays
• Home visits  if you need to return home during your trip
• Hostage cover  everything from ransom fees to paying for negotiators
• Natural disaster cover  hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires etc
• A good level of sports and activities this is often included in the price rather than an additional cost

Note. most of the insurance policies in this article require you to be currently in the UK and not already travelling

Do you even need backpacker travel insurance?

The simple answer is, yes.

Whether you’re a disaster-prone adventurer cycling from England to India,  a couple planning on Interrailing through Europe or you’re going to be backpacking Asia on a gap year, insurance is a no brainer. 

These are just some things which could easily happen to anyone on any journey

• You lose your passport and need a replacement
• You get sick or injured during your trip
• You miss a train and end up stranded
• There is political unrest and you need legal support
• A family member becomes ill and you have to return home

Many of these things could be out of your control when you’re travelling and an accident might be no fault of your own. Overseas legal or medical fees are outstandingly high so having insurance as a safety net can be life-saving. It can also protect you from the crippling financial hardship you’ll face after paying fees from your own pocket.

And, if you’re a renegade thinking “I’ll be fine” then think of your friends and family. If you need emergency medical treatment it will likely be them having to pay for it. Ask many backpackers around the world and they’ll likely have a number of tales where travel insurance has saved their skin!

Why we’ll never travel without backpacking travel insurance again

At some point during all of my backpacking trips, I’ve needed some kind of medical attention, police support or legal advice. However, during our year in Vietnam 3 things happened which made me realise I’d never travel without comprehensive insurance again. 

• We met a friend who had developed a serious leg infection whilst hiking in China. This infection had him hospitalised, close to the point of a leg amputation and nearly death. He did have cheap backpacker insurance but it didn’t cover hiking. His family had to pay tens of thousands of pounds and start a crowdfunding campaign to get him medically transferred to a Thai hospital and then back to his home in Ireland. With the right insurance policy, this would have been covered. 
• Whilst living in Hanoi there were constant stories of travellers and expats having fatal motorbike accidents. Without insurance, it can cost friends and family more than £10,000 to have the body sent home. Morbid I know, but a game-changer for us. 
• The thing which really hit home was when my mum became extremely ill during our time living in Hanoi. We had very little money but we were able to immediately return to the UK and claim for our flights and possessions left in Vietnam. Mum is much better now!

Bottom line is, you might have dozens of trips without needing to make a claim but it’s worth the money for the one trip you do. Need some more convincing? Check out these travel horror stories !

The Best Backpacker Insurance Buyer’s Guide and Tips

As mentioned there are many different types of policy options, some which might be useful to you, others which might not. In this section, we’ll go through all of the things you need to look out for to find the right policy. 

1. What does it all mean? Travel insurance terminology

Before we get into things it’s probably best to go over some travel insurance terminology. It can be seriously confusing reading through the small print and policy wordings so this should help explain some of the confusing parts. 

Baggage cover

This generally covers the baggage and belongings you take with you, including travel documents and bank cards. This sometimes covers electronics and outdoors equipment too but you will need to check the small print. 

Cancellation

Cover if you have to cancel your trip before you travel.

Cooling off period

The length of time you have to cancel your policy.

Curtailment  

Cover if your travels are changed or disrupted during your trip. This often includes travel delays, like missed transport or travel changes due to injury, illness or from returning home. 

Deductible or excess fees

The amount of money you will need to pay before your travel insurance starts to make payment. This may be shown as “Baggage cover – £3,000 (£50 excess)”.

Cover for any legal costs resulting from accidents with other people or their possessions. 

Personal accident

This is a compensation payment made if you have an accident, resulting in death, loss of limbs, loss of sight etc. 

Repatriation

The costs of sending an ill or deceased person to their home country. 

Single trip Vs. Multi-trip insurance

Most travel insurance policies cover you from when you leave the country to the point you return home. Multi-trip travel insurance covers you for multiple trips taken over a certain period of time. This may be useful for business people with a number of trips in the space of a few months but is less useful for backpackers.

Single trip vs. long-term vs. backpackers travel insurance

Single trip insurance is often available for shorter trips and won’t cover as many activities. Long-term insurance is regularly aimed at travellers visiting one country for a longer period of time whilst backpacking insurance is for multiple countries, varying lengths of time and with additional cover for activities. 

Sometimes the terms  backpacker  and  long-term  are actually given to very similar policies so you need to check to see what they provide. 

Single article limit

The most you’re covered for a single item e.g. if your single article limit is £500 and you have a £1,000 camera stolen your insurance provider will only pay up to £500.

Any other terms you found confusing when you were looking for insurance? Tell us in the comments so we can add it in for other readers 🙂 

2. What to look for when buying travel insurance

• Medical, cancellation and curtailment, legal, liability and repatriation are the most important aspects – find the policy that has the best cover
• Always read the policy wording and small print so you know what is included 
• Check you’re covered for any existing medical conditions you may have
• Make sure you’re covered for all the destinations you’re visiting and the activities you’re doing (sometimes they’re an add-on)
• Check all of your baggage is covered and that gadgets cover isn’t additional
• If you’re travelling with expensive gear or equipment make sure the single article limit is high enough
•  A 24-hour emergency helpline is very useful to have
• If hiking or climbing make sure you don’t go above the altitude you’re covered for, for campers check your baggage is covered whilst in the tent
• Find out how much cash you are covered for and try not to carry more than that on you
• See what the excess is and decide what you would be able to pay
• Some insurance policies won’t cover periods of voluntary or paid work – check the policy
• Age restrictions may apply and if you have pre-existing medical conditions then make sure you state them
• It’s great having the option to return home – some providers include this

Things which are generally not covered – cruises and winter sports, alcohol or drug-related accidents, failure to declare medical conditions, stolen items which weren’t reported. 

3. What’s the best travel insurance policy for backpackers?

Everyone’s travel plans are different – if you’re planning on hiking the Dolomites your activities will be very different to someone city hopping, for example. T hink of what type of trip you’re going on and what is most important for you.

As an example, we no longer take flights and instead cycle so curtailment cover isn’t very useful. We do a lot of outdoor activities and travel with expensive camera equipment so it’s important we have good medical and baggage cover. 

Think of the where you’re going, what you’re going to be taking and what you’ll be doing. If you’re planning a city trip then having adventure activities covered probably isn’t a necessity. If you’re going to be hiking Everest Base Camp then check to see if you’re covered. 

4. Travel insurance activity packs

If you know you’ll be doing lots of potentially ‘hazardous’ activities (climbing, hiking, rafting, skiing, bungee jumping, sky diving, cage diving, martial arts training etc.) then it’s especially important to find a fitting policy. Commonly these will be covered in different ‘activity packs’ for you to choose from. 

Typically, insurance providers have a base range of activities which are automatically covered, with backpacker insurance being more comprehensive than other insurance types. Take a read through the policy to see what’s included and works for your trip. 

If you’re not covered with the base activities then you’ll normally have two options depending on the company.

Firstly , with some policies, you can buy an add-on pack which will include a larger range of more serious outdoor activities. For things like hiking and climbing, this may cover you for higher altitudes or diving for deeper water.

Secondly , other policies have the option to pay for each activity as an add-on which may be cheaper than upgrading a whole pack. If you are planning something deemed as potentially very hazardous you may need to get an individual quote from the provider. This may include technical climbing, alpine hiking, adventure races etc. 

5. When to buy your backpacking travel insurance – IMPORTANT!

As soon as you make a payment towards the trip.

If you’ve booked accommodation, tours or transport and your plans change then your insurance can cover it, even if you’ve not left the country yet. Many providers will actually require you to buy insurance within a certain window of making your first travel payment. 

6. How to make a travel insurance claim whilst you’re abroad

It’s very important to keep a copy of your insurance policy with you when you travel as each provider will have different claiming procedures . Keep a hard copy and one backed-up online just to be safe.

When making a claim for any policy you should…

• Get a police statement if it’s relevant – if you have items stolen or broken, have been assaulted and need medical treatment etc. then make sure you have a police statement to confirm it
• Contact your insurer  to see what they advise and to check what’s covered in your policy
• Try and collect evidence  this may be receipts for bought items, travel tours, transport or medical bills etc. to give to your insurance provider

Backpacker Travel Insurance Comparison – 17 Popular Options

There are hundreds of insurance options out there, many with similar policies but very different prices. Finding out which is the best can be tough work so we’ve put it all into one place for you to compare. 

We looked at the 17 most popular options to see how they faired against each other. For the best options, you’ll also find a more detailed breakdown at the bottom so you can decide which one is best for you. 

What we searched for

To find these policies we looked for the best-rated backpacker and long-term travel insurance options in the UK on public review sites like Trust Pilot and Feefo . We also collected suggestions from Google, travel agents, insurance comparison sites and user reviews. 

All details were taken directly from the provider’s official website, searching with exactly the same details for the same trip.

This is what we searched for:

• 12 months of cover
• Leaving Saturday 27th July 2019
• For one 28-year-old male
• From the UK
• Not already travelling
• Travelling as an individual
• On a single trip
• Travelling worldwide
• With no pre-existing medical conditions
• No cruise, winter sports or business trip options added 

No discount codes were added and if there were multiple choices from one provider the middle tier was chosen. 

Note this information was taken directly from insurers’ websites but may be subject to change. I have not personally used all of these services but have displayed their policies without bias or opinion in the table below. Some of the options may contain affiliate links, meaning if you purchase the insurance through a link on this page it will be of no extra cost to you but we will receive a small commission. This commission enables Veggie Vagabonds to run and grow!

The best travel insurance for backpackers… and some of the worst!

Below you’ll find all of the results, user reviews and policy wordings where possible. As mentioned above, make sure you read the policy wording before making a purchase so you can be sure what’s included.

There were other options which aren’t shown below due to them being either a) pretty rubbish or b) excessively expensive.

Backpacker insurance from the Post Office cost a whopping £1,038, £838 from Flexicover and Voyager, Leisure Guard and Sports Cover Direct also had very high prices. Interestingly, none of these providers offered competitive policies despite costing more than double their competitors… 

Keep reading below the table to see a detailed breakdown of some of the better options!

In some more detail…

World nomads, true traveller, world first & sta 🙁.

Despite these options being by far the most expensive (and often the most widely recommended) they really don’t offer competitive policies, particularly with STA travel insurance or World Nomads. Admittedly for my first long-term trip, I did go with STA gap year travel insurance, but this was 10 years ago before I was aware of other options. Take a look at other policies and save your money, no matter what other travel bloggers might be telling you!

If you have used one of these providers and had good experiences then we’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below

Alpha 100 Longstay – £180 🙂

Considering this is the cheapest option reviewed it is very competitive and you’re getting a very similar coverage to many providers double the price. Their options are easy to understand and you have the choice to pay more for a lower excess or less for a higher excess. 

The medical coverage includes dental treatment and there are good levels of baggage, legal and cancellations protection. I like that extra gadget coverage isn’t too expensive, as well as cheap additional activity coverage. On top of this, it’s also got cracking backpacking insurance reviews. 

Go Walkabout Traveller Plus – £251 🙂

An option I have personally used for a year in Latin America and thought was very professional. I didn’t need to make any major claims besides a few prescriptions but it was all reimbursed very easily. 

Go Walkabout has good levels of cover where it’s most needed without breaking the bank. £10 million medical cover is competitive whilst also having cover for dental services. There’s also up to £500 covered for personal money (higher than many more expensive competitors) and £500 for kidnap, hijack and detention situations. Again Go Walkabout has good reviews online which I can personally vouch for. 

Cover for you Gold £307 😀

Cover for You has no excess charges and £15 million medical cover, that’s the highest medical cover out of all the insurance policies reviewed (and £10 million more than World Nomads travel insurance!). £3,000 is higher than average for cancellation and curtailment and they offer to pay for funeral expenses abroad. There are higher tiers which are more comprehensive and they offer one return flight home. This is an option we also considered before leaving for our current cycle tour.

Holiday Safe Backpacker and Longstay Plus £381.64 😀

Yes, this is slightly more expensive than the others we’ve picked but we think it’s worth it. It’s actually the insurance policy we’re using right now, and I’ll tell you why we went for it…

The medical (£10 million) and legal (£2 million) cover are competitive with other more expensive policies but the possessions (£2,500) and cancellation (£3,000) are higher than average. 

The extra things which sold us are the return journey home, which could make it useful for gap year insurance or new travellers, and Interrailling ticket cover of up to £500. We’re not Interrailing but it’s a nice extra. There is also up to £2,500 for clothes which is especially important if you’re doing outdoor activities with technical clothing. 

It’s also recommended for backpackers with gadgets, as there is £1,000 gadget cover, being one of the only providers to have it included without upgrading. It covers phones, laptops and computers and you are given one return journey home per policy.

I don’t know if it works but if you go for this policy and use this link (at no extra cost to you) we’ll be entered into a prize draw to win… an Amazon voucher!!!

Got your insurance? Here’s some other things to think about

Visa – many countries require a visa to visit, find out if you need one here

Vaccinations  – your insurance won’t cover you if you don’t have the right vaccinations – you can check to see vaccine requirements here

Accommodation  – find cheap deals and a variety of accommodation at  Hostel World , Booking.com or Airbnb ( £35 off your first booking with this code) . You can also use TripAdvisor to see what other travellers think!

Do you know any other great backpackers travel insurance options or tips? Maybe you have some extra questions? Drop us a comment below!

A Guide to the Best Backpacker Travel Insurance

A pretty extensive guide with all the tips needed to help you find the best backpacker insurance. I think we can all agree that finding the right policy is seriously important AND it’s nice to know you can get a great deal without blowing the bank. 

If you’ve used other insurance providers and had a good experience then let us know and we can add them to this article. Alternately if you had a bad experience, tell us in the comments so we can warn other travellers to steer clear!

Keep exploring…

The Best Debit Cards to Use Abroad

10 Super Easy Tips to Planning a Trip

All the Best Budget Travel Tips

There I thought I might find a few new options as we’re currently travelling without insurance… No such luck as your parameters are all different (and wrong for us). That’s always the issue with such recommendations or affiliate post: what fits for one won’t even apply to the next. We’re both 64 years of age (where some policies become very expensive), Australians (limited choices of offerings), travelling full-time (we have left already – years ago), and we don’t need cover for missed flights or lost/stolen technology (we’re travelling in a motorhome, driving instead of flying, and I can’t see the benefit of insuring our old computers, which are usually locked away safely). There simply isn’t a “one size fits all”. We absolutely don’t want to go back to WorldNomads; in 5 years we only had unpaid claims, none was accepted – waste of our time and money! I keep searching.

Hey Juergen, thanks for your comment! Sorry none of them are fitting, we searched based on the general readers for the blog to show a rough idea of what each company provided, but yes won’t be suited to everyone.

Frustrating they become more expensive but I think a few of the options are available for Australians. If they’re not directly I remember some of them having partner companies based in Australia.

We also don’t need cover for flights as we cycle but unfortunately could only find provides with this included. We also looked at getting everything individually (medical, legal, baggage etc) to avoid paying for unneeded flight cover but this worked out more expensive.

Does insurance change dramatically for RVs? We’ve never actually looked into it – though we do hope to get an RV at some point in the future.

Completely agree about World Nomads, I was surprised how little cover they offered considering their high fees. Hope you can find the right policy soon! Where are you currently travelling?

Thanks for the wonderful post!

It’s silly just putting up a load of prices and say “Choose the cheapest”. The reason why people like Nomads and TT have a lot of mentions everywhere is that they do pay claims quickly. Nomads were bought out a few years ago and they have gone a little bit downhill.

The only way to see about these companies is to go onto TrustPilot and just read their 1 star reviews. Holidaysafe has hundreds of 1 star reviews – most of them are about them not paying claims.

We haven’t actually said choose the cheapest, we’ve said that cheaper can sometimes be better. Something both Sarah and I can confirm, having used cheaper and more expensive insurance options.

We haven’t used World Nomads or TT but their coverage is far worse than cheaper companies we have used who have paid claims without any issues. It’s also frustrating to know that Nomads particularly are generally recommended online by bloggers who are trying to make money through affiliate sales and may not be giving completely honest opinions.

We’re yet to make a claim with Holidaysafe but will make sure to update the article if there are any issues.

Which insurance policies have you used in the past? Are there any others you would recommend?

It’s great food for thought which is what you are trying to achieve and sorry you got such unnecessarily unpleasant criticism from people who clearly know all the answers already; I don’t so it helped me! I’ll research further myself but you have saved me a lot of time by removing the first step of my research. Thanks Mark

Hey there Mark! Ahh, you’ve got to take the positive with the negative, ey 🙂 Glad it could be useful to you, are you planning a trip somewhere nice?

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What is the best Affordable Travel Insurance for Backpackers? The 3 Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Companies Compared

Here’s the complete guide to backpacker travel insurance, why you need it, and what it should cover. You’ll find a detailed comparison of the 3 best insurance companies that offer specific policies and travel insurance for backpackers to help you choose the most suitable policy for your trip.

So you’ve packed your bag, you’re ready to embrace the life of a backpacker, and are headed off on a new adventure!

However, before you leave, no matter where your chosen destination may be, there’s no better way to protect yourself on your trip than purchasing backpacker travel insurance.

The number of insurance providers out there can be overwhelming but no need to worry, this guide has you covered!

Disclaimer: This posts might contain affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for helping to support this website!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What is backpacker travel insurance?

You might ask yourself, what exactly is backpacker travel insurance and how does it differ from regular travel insurance?

Backpacker travel insurance is a type of insurance specifically designed for people traveling long-term and/or on a budget and living the wanderlust dream.

Not only does it protect you from canceled flights, lost luggage, and emergency visits to the hospital whilst overseas, it’s more flexible than regular travel insurance and will usually cover a broader range of countries alongside more adventurous activities .

Long-term travelers will often have a lower budget and often look for cheap backpacker travel insurance deals to cover a more extended trip. Because of this, backpacker travel insurance tends to be less expensive and more affordable than traditional travel insurance.

2. Why do you need backpacker travel insurance?

Backpacking is a lifestyle of traveling that brings with it the unknown, excitement, and risks that you probably wouldn’t find yourself taking in your everyday life back at home.

It’s so essential that you have travel insurance to protect you in all unforeseen situations, including any accidents and emergencies you may find yourself involved in.

Covering yourself with a comprehensive travel insurance policy can save you from spending thousands of dollars on medical expenses.

Not only that, if you happen to miss an important flight or if some of your belongings are stolen, having insurance gives you peace of mind knowing that these things will all be covered.

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3. What to look for when buying travel insurance

There are a few essentials that all travel insurance policies should cover:

• medical emergencies and protection (medicine, emergency evacuation, hospital fees)
• stolen, lost or damaged belongings (including documents and luggage)
• flight delays and cancellations
• trip cancellations (plus curtailment cover so that you can get home quickly if there is a death in the family)
• access to a 24-hour helpline
• Repatriation for you to get home (if you become ill, it covers the flight back home)

Other factors to look out for that could be really beneficial for you when included in your policy are:

• being able to extend your policy if you choose to stay longer than you originally intended
• a very high limit for medical expenses
• cover for any legal expenses whilst overseas
• a policy that covers most countries in the world
• high personal liability insurance (in case you cause any damage to someone else’s property or injure them)

It’s really worth doing the research and choosing a policy that is going to be relevant for the type of traveling and adventuring that you choose to partake in.

Read the small print and make sure that the policy covers everything that you need it to!

It’s worth paying extra for the peace of mind of knowing if something were to happen, your travel insurance is there to serve you properly.

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4. What travel insurance for backpackers doesn’t cover

It’s also very useful to know and worth noting what many backpacker travel insurance policies do NOT cover.

This will differ slightly with each policy, however, there are a few common things that you won’t be able to get cover for.

Generally speaking, these are:

• any drug or alcohol-related incidents or accidents
• injuries or accidents sustained whilst participating in some extreme sports/high adrenaline activities which in some cases can include hill walking, so make sure that the policy you’re looking at covers you appropriately for the activities you will be doing
• Pre-existing medical conditions are sometimes not covered
• any stolen money
• traveling to areas that have been deemed dangerous (natural disaster zones, or places with armed conflicts
• any flights bought with airline miles
• medical tourism (facial/body aesthetic operations )
• breakdowns due to poor mental health

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5. Useful tips before heading off on your trip

Once you have organized and purchased your travel insurance, a smart tip is to make a note of the company’s helpline number along with the number of your policy. Keep it somewhere easy to find with your other travel documents.

On previous trips, I found myself printing out parts of my policy so that I had the important information close at hand alongside my passport.

Make an extra copy, or email a copy to your parents or friends at home just in case you happen to need assistance and end up in a sticky situation where you can’t advocate for yourself.

Another handy tip is to document EVERYTHING.

For example, if you’re planning on buying and taking some expensive kit with you i.e a camera, laptop, smartphone or any other pricey gadget, make sure to keep ALL of the receipts.

It’s helpful for the insurance company to see that you actually have proof of purchase for these items and in the event of any of these devices being stolen or damaged you may have an easier time claiming back your money.

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6. If you need to make a claim whilst abroad

If you find yourself in a position where you need to make a claim whilst on your travels, it’s helpful to organize all of your necessary documents with time to spare.

Include any/all receipts, emails, documentation of hospital or doctor appointments, any purchases, take photos and images of everything that you think is relevant and include them in your claim.

As I mentioned above, by saving ALL of the appropriate documents, you can better support your claim.

It’s also important to be aware that insurance companies can take some time to pay out and patience is a good thing to keep in mind. 

7. What are the best travel insurance providers for backpackers?

There are literally hundreds of companies out there offering cheap backpacker travel insurance.

Whilst budget is an important factor for most backpackers, especially for people looking for student backpacking travel insurance, it’s vital that you purchase a policy that provides you with the protection that suits the nature of your trip.

There’s getting a ‘good deal’ and then there’s buying travel insurance for backpacking that doesn’t give you any cover for any of the activities you want to do whilst away and the relevant countries that you plan on visiting.

If you need to make a claim, you could end up thousands of dollars out of pocket instead of just paying that little bit extra at the start.

To head off WITHOUT travel insurance could prove to be a big mistake and according to statistics , if you plan on traveling for a long period of time, something is bound to happen.

I am not being pessimistic when I say this, it’s from my own experience and the advice of many other seasoned travelers and backpackers.

Bags will be lost, belongings may be stolen or damaged, you may become unwell and require medical care. At the end of the day, it’s just not worth the gamble.

If you have zero clue about where to start when it comes to buying backpacker travel insurance, please know that you’re not alone and that this guide is here to help.

I’ve gathered and researched for you my pick of the three best companies offering backpacker insurance policies and laid it out plain and simple for you to understand in order to make the right decision for your trip.

The top two travel insurance companies who I believe offer the best backpacker travel insurance cover are:

• IATI Backpacker

1) SafetyWing

SafetyWing is my first recommended travel insurance company.

Their Nomad Insurance has been specially created for backpackers, digital nomads, and long-term travelers.

They haven’t been around very long in comparison to other companies, however, they are quickly becoming a firm favorite in the backpacking community.

Not only are their plans affordable, with cover starting at $2 per day for short trips, they also offer long-term annual travel insurance plans for frequent travelers which is ideal if you travel regularly.

Unlike most policies on offer by other companies, SafetyWing doesn’t require you to provide a home address or a list of the countries that you plan on visiting which gives you the ultimate freedom to change your mind about your next destination.

They also offer a completely comprehensive travel medical insurance policy for full-time travelers and remote workers which is called ‘ Remote Health ’.

This plan covers any healthcare or medical care that you may require when traveling on a trip or if living and working abroad. It covers everything from giving birth to treatment for all kinds of illnesses, it also covers you for repatriation or evacuation too.

If you need it, you can add on dental cover, just in case you needed some work on your teeth whilst away.

The Nomad Plan is an ideal choice of travel insurance for backpackers who are already abroad because you can buy it or renew a policy during your trip at any point making it perfect for those spontaneous trips and life changes.

2) IATI BAckpacker

I only recently discovered IATI but I’m already a fan! That’s why it’s my third recommended company offering backpacker travel insurance.

IATI offers seven (!!) levels of cover, depending on your needs and the preferred way in which you like to travel.

They offer a wide range of different coverage for short holidays, destinations with high medical costs, long-term travelers, adventure travelers, families, and students alike.

Their IATI Backpacker policy covers you highly for any medical expenses and also gives you a high amount of personal liability. They cover you for all sorts of sports and adventurous activities, including scuba diving, rock climbing, trekking at altitudes up to 5400 meters and bungee jumping.

They also cover dental expenses, repatriation, travel and accommodation of a relative if you have to stay in hospital for more than 5 days, theft, damaged or lost luggage, travel delays, search and rescue and much more.

They are one of the few companies that offer backpacking travel insurance and cover any claims brought against you if you are held liable for any injuries or damage you involuntarily caused to third parties.

3) Heymondo

Heymondo is one of the latest top travel insurance providers for backpackers and long-term travelers.

Their policies are accessible and easy to understand and they offer a range of different coverage for short trips , annual multi-trips and flexible long-term trips . You can easily personalize your insurance to your type of trip and budget.

Their travel insurance plans already cover numerous outdoor activities and you can add Adventure Sports that will cover extreme activities from white-water rafting and trekking up to 5,000 meters altitude to bungee jumping and rock climbing.

Another benefit they offer is the ability to edit or extend your policy on the go which could come in handy for someone living the life of a backpacker.

8. Cover during a Pandemic (Covid 19)

A global pandemic isn’t something that many, if any travel insurance companies, would have probably ever covered you for pre-2019.

However, nearly three years on, here we are, the world a changed place for the foreseeable, and Covid 19 continues to affect people across the world. After numerous lockdowns, it’s natural that some people may be feeling anxious about the thought of being able to travel again.

Although numerous countries’ borders still remain closed, there are plenty of countries that are ready to welcome tourists and travelers back, in order to help rebuild their damaged economies.

We have all learned to adapt the way we live our lives around Covid 19 and travel insurance providers have had to change and adapt their policy offerings to support this.

The three companies that I mention in this article each have different components within their policies that state what you are covered and not covered for when taking Covid 19 into consideration.

Therefore, it’s important that you read through all of the information carefully and find out exactly what applies to you and what your specific policy covers you before you leave on your trip. If you’re unsure about something, phone the helpline and discuss the specifics with someone.

All three travel insurance companies state that they will NOT provide you with any cover if you decide to travel against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office including any travel restrictions enforced by the government in relation to Covid 19. This would be, for example, if your country were to be in lockdown. As I said before, I know it’s a brand new world…

Heymondo states that their insurance plans cover all emergencies related to Covid. These include trip delays or interruptions, emergency medical expenses and cancellation charges.

If you were to contract Covid and become sick and require emergency medical care, any expenses in this instance would be covered by your policy just like any other illness.

Their trip cancellation even covers you if you test positive or if a close relative gets seriously ill or dies due to COVID-19 and you’ll be able to get a reimbursement for your pre-paid, non-refundable expenses related to your trip.

SafetyWing now offers coverage for Covid 19 under their Nomad insurance policy, which means you would be covered if you become sick and need medical care.

You would receive $50 per day for up to 10 days if you were to test positive for Covid if your policy was at least 28 days or longer. They will now cover you for lockdowns as well as quarantine coverage which is a more comprehensive type of Covid cover than other plans.

And with their Annual Nomad Plan , you can cancel it at any time. If you were to enter a country that went into ‘lockdown’ due to Covid, you’re not tied into a plan when you can’t actually travel.

All IATI ‘s policy plans offer coverage for coronavirus during the trip. This coverage includes diagnostic tests (PCR) prescribed by health professionals in case of symptoms compatible with the disease, medical assistance, medical transport, hospitalization, quarantine and repatriation.

A 10-day quarantine in a hotel is contemplated with the convalescence coverage included in all their plans.

9. The 3 best backpacker travel insurance companies compared

So I’ve briefly mentioned a little about my top three choices for backpacker travel insurance. Now let’s go into more detail about what each of these companies actually offers you and compare these backpacker travel insurance policies.

I want to help you get the best insurance deal that will cover you fully for your exciting adventures abroad.

1) Safety Wing

Safety Wing uses a monthly payment scheme that is subscription-based meaning that if you need to, you can stop or pause your cover when not using it.

It’s flexible because you can organize coverage for a specific date, monthly or annually until the end of your trip with their auto-renewal service. This is ideal if you’re not totally certain about the length of time you will be traveling for.

Safety Wing lists what activities and adventures are not covered on their website in a really clear and simple way which is really refreshing in comparison to trawling through the fine print of some other companies’ policies.

However, unlike World Nomads, Safety Wing does NOT cover any electronics . I would suggest that if you choose their backpacker insurance cover, insure your tech through a secondary insurance company such as a Gadget Cover .

Safety Wing also does NOT provide cover for any pre-existing medical conditions with the exception of cover for Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition – see here for more details on this .

Their Nomad Insurance Policy includes:

• $250,000 in emergency medical coverage
• $100,000 in medical evacuation
• $5,000 for trip interruption

Their policy also includes:

• coverage up to the age of 69 years old
• coverage from 5 days – 1 year
• great value for money at $42 USD per month
• cover for a huge list of activities and sports but NOT many adventurous activities such as paragliding, white water rafting or skiing off piste for eg. See the full list here .
• covers travel anywhere in the world (except for Cuba, Iran, Syria and North Korea)
• They offer home country coverage, including the USA
• You can include up to 2 kids under age 10 per family at no extra cost
• 24/7 assistance

Safety Wing – Is this the best travel insurance for long-term travelers?

2) IATI BAckpacker insurance

IATI offers seven different types of insurance plans, depending on your budget, type of travel and the duration of your trip.

The IATI Backpacker Insurance is specially designed for backpackers who are setting off to see the world without knowing exactly which countries they will visit or how long the trip will take. You can also purchase this travel insurance if your trip has already started.

However, it’s important to know that if you’re not a Spanish citizen (this insurance company is located in Spain), you can only take out insurance for trips up to 4 months.

Their monthly policies start at €127 covering nearly all destinations in the world. They offer 24/7 customer care.

This policy combines high medical coverage of €500,000 with and other specific upgrades such as adventure sport, search and rescue, and computer equipment in your luggage. You can also take out a new policy when you arrive if you decide to extend your trip.

The IATI Backpacker Plan includes:

• €500,000 in emergency medical coverage
• 100% coverage in medical evacuation and repatriation (including natural disasters)
• €1,500 for stolen or lost baggage
• up to €500 in trip delays
• €15,000 in search and rescue expenses
• €60,000 in personal civil liability
• €2,000 in cancellation costs, provided that you cancel before the trip starts and for one of the reasons set out in the policy

This policy also includes:

• emergency medical and dental coverage
• personal injury in motor vehicle accidents
• travel/accommodation of a relative in case you need to stay more than 5 days in hospital
• coverage up to age of 69 years old
• convalescense in a hotel
• sending medication abroad
• stolen passports & tech gear
• delayed departure and delivery of luggage, and missed connections
• extended trip costs if you’re stuck somewhere due to bad weather, natural disaster, political problems
• cover for a huge list of activities and sports. See the full list here.
• covers travel anywhere in the world

3) HeyMondo Travel Insurance

Heymondo offers three different types of insurance plans with policies starting at 65 EURO per month for European Citizens and 116 USD per month for USA Citizens.

Heymondo also offers an app service which comes with a 24/7 medical chat, free worldwide emergency assistance calls, extra lodging expenses due to medical quarantine, coverage of non-refundable expenses in case of serious illness and simple claims management options.

The Heymondo Medical Plan includes:

• $500,000 in emergency medical and dental expenses
• $500,000 in medical evacuation and repatriation

The Heymondo Top includes:

• Up to $1,700 for lost or stolen baggage.
• Up to $450 for travel disruption and $3500 for cancellation and interruption due to serious illness

Their policies also include:

• Natural disasters
• Medical transportation
• Personal liability
• Compensation for death or permanent disability as a result of an accident that takes place during the trip.
• Cover for over 140 countries
• You can add-on cover for expensive belongings and adventure sports.

The Heymondo Premium includes:

• Up to $2,500 for lost or stolen baggage.
• Up to $1500 for travel disruption and $7000 for cancellation and interruption due to serious illness
• Search and rescue
• Natural disaster
• Rental car access
• You can add-on cover for expensive belongings, adventure sports and cruises.

10. Which is now the best backpacker travel insurance?

You must think properly about all the things you’d like your policy to cover you for when comparing travel insurance.

Shop around and do some research first and then be sure to read through the terms and conditions carefully before purchasing your policy.

However, I wholeheartedly want to say that it is equally just as important that we keep our minds open to traveling and keep dreaming and planning epic adventures.

Backpacking can be absolutely life-changing and provide you with so much joy and give you a new thirst for life, meeting new people, exploring new places, and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zones. 

Regarding the BEST backpacker travel insurance, my top pick depends on the duration of my trip and the type of activities I plan on doing.

Every summer, I travel for 3 to 4 months to Central Asia to guide my adventure tours and to go trekking in the mountains.

These activities sometimes include heights over 4000 meters, so I take out IATI Backpacker Insurance . This insurance policy covers everything I need and so much more for “only” €127 per month.

If something happens to me in the mountains or I get stuck due to natural disasters, pandemics or political issues (nowadays we never know what’s coming…), at least I know I’m fully covered with the IAT I B a c k p a c k e r P l a n .

If I’m going on a trip longer than 4 months or on a shorter trip that doesn’t include me doing extreme activities or hiking above 4000 meter, I take out the Nomad Insurance Policy by Safety Wing .

Their plans are very affordable, and their unique subscription service also offers you a modern and ultimately a more flexible way to insure yourself whilst away compared to other types of cover on the market.

With rates starting at $42 per month (28 days) and covering you for most of the basics , they are a fantastic option for anyone working with a tight budget. Not only do they offer great travel insurance for backpackers, but they are also a good option for any digital nomads out there too.

I hope this guide helped you understand what backpacker travel insurance is and what to look out for when purchasing one. 

Even if you choose not to go with any of the companies mentioned in this article, please don’t travel without insurance.

Make sure that you’re covered, even if you don’t end up needing to claim whilst away, knowing that you’re covered (just in case) is totally worth it!

You might also want to read:

The Ultimate List of 23 Countries with Digital Nomad Visas (for remote workers)

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2 thoughts on “what is the best affordable travel insurance for backpackers the 3 best backpacker travel insurance companies compared”.

I read your long post and realised than none of your three companies would insure me as a 64 year old long time backpacker. Shocking? Back to World Nomads I suppose as they insure backpackers till 70. What will I do then though?

Hey Linda, I’m sorry to hear that they all put an age limit for long-term travelers… I double-checked and indeed, they only insure long term until a certain age…

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What’s the Best Backpacker Travel Insurance?

Explore the world with peace of mind; select backpacker insurance that prioritizes comprehensive medical coverage and flexibility for spontaneous travel plans.

When I was a backpacker, my low-budget lifestyle often took me off the beaten path, and rarely did I follow a fixed itinerary. Anything could happen, and that was the whole point.

In that same vein, it’s important that backpacker travel insurance coverage fits a lower budget yet is flexible enough to work with changing plans.

Within my fourteen years of travel, I’ve cashed in a travel insurance policy more than a few times. And while the industry has certainly changed in that time, general policy and coverage needs haven’t.

Based on years of travel, first-hand experience, extensive industry knowledge and deep research, I believe the following five companies offer the best insurance for backpackers because they are both flexible and affordable.

• Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Overall: Heymondo
• Best Long-Term Backpacker Travel Insurance: Safety Wing
• Most User-Friendly Backpacker Travel Insurance: Faye
• Best International Backpacker Travel Insurance: Tin Leg
• Best Medical Coverage: Seven Corners

Heymondo : Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Overall

The word “insurance” can be intimidating, and it’s easy to assume that buying insurance for your trip will be a frustrating process that will leave your head (and wallet) aching.

Fortunately, there are more and more companies out there trying to create a more user-friendly approach to travel insurance. Heymondo is a modern travel insurance provider that has a straightforward process to buy a plan, and their insurance policies are very affordable.

Plus, their coverage is great. The lowest level plan pays up to $100,000 for emergency medical bills and $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage. That’s better than most companies’ upper-tier plans which cost much more!

In addition to emergency evacuation and medical costs, you also get protection for trip cancellations, missed flights, lost baggage, electronic equipment, and more. Heymondo also includes several benefits that many travel insurance companies don’t cover (or charge you extra for) like coverage for adventure sports and pre-existing conditions.

I also love that Heymondo has an easy-to-use app that lets you manage your plan and submit claims straight from your phone. It’s much easier to deal with than waiting for hours to speak to an agent on the phone. I’m a big fan of anything that streamlines and simplifies my travel experience.

Heymondo also has a medical-only plan that doesn’t include coverage for canceled trips, baggage loss, flight delays, or the other trip protection benefits. This plan is extremely affordable and is a great way to get the most important protection for your health if you don’t need or want anything else.

Heymondo doesn’t offer a ton of customization options, but their base plans are great and much less expensive than most competitors. That’s awesome for us backpackers who are pinching pennies to save up for our next flight!

• Pros & Cons
• Great standard coverage for medical and trip protection
• Very affordable rates
• Included protection for adventure sports and pre-existing conditions
• Plans for trips of up to six months
• Skiing and snowboarding aren’t covered activities (even with the adventure sports add-on)
• No Cancel For Any Reason coverage
• Will only cover travelers up to 68 years old

Safety Wing : Best Long-Term Backpacker Travel Insurance

As one of the newest names in the insurance biz, Safety Wing is an excellent option for long-term travel insurance. Safety Wing is a bit different from most backpacker insurance providers in that they don’t offer policies for single trips. Instead, they have “nomad insurance” that has no fixed start and end dates. It uses a monthly subscription model, meaning you can travel as long as you want and still have insurance for medical emergencies.

SafetyWing’s plans range from emergency medical coverage while traveling outside your home country to full-blown health insurance for remote workers and digital nomads. Their goal is to create a global financial safety net by providing affordable insurance for anyone around the world. That also makes for great backpacking travel insurance.

Plus Safety Wing is one of the most affordable companies on this list. They have budget-friendly options that still offer good coverage for medical expenses, travel delays, and more.

All of this makes Safety Wing a fantastic insurance policy for anyone looking to travel for an extended period of time. Their coverage for medical expenses is fantastic, and they also include good protection for trip delay, lost luggage, and more.

So is this a perfect option for everyone? Well, no. Safety Wing doesn’t offer single-trip policies, so it really works best for folks traveling long-term. Also, medical protection limits drop if you’re over 65, and adventure sports and pre-existing medical conditions aren’t covered. Lastly, there is no coverage for canceled trips.

Click here to read our full Safety Wing review , or check out our Safety Wing vs World Nomads comparison.

• Flexible travel insurance for long-term travel
• Your plan automatically renews until you decide to cancel
• Trip delay coverage and trip interruption coverage are included
• Offers medical insurance that has you fully covered, even in your home country
• Just a single standard plan to purchase (no customization)
• No trip cancellation coverage
• No protection for electronics
• Doesn’t offer coverage for single trips
• No home country insurance for US residents

Faye : Most User-Friendly Backpacker Travel Insurance

When you’re out backpacking around the world, you probably don’t want to spend any extra time waiting on phone calls or filing claims. Unfortunately, many travel insurance providers aren’t known for being easy to deal with.

It doesn’t have to be that way though.

Faye is a newer insurance company on the market that offers a refreshing take on backpacker insurance policies with an app-based interface that makes it much easier to manage your plan or file claims. Sick of dealing with stuffy, difficult-to-navigate insurance? Faye might be a good option.

In addition to their easy user interface, I also love that Faye has a lot more customization options than other insurance providers. Going skydiving? You can add adventure sports coverage. Renting a car? They can insure that and will pay for rental car damage. Worried about taking care of your pet if your return home is delayed? They have an option that will pay for kennelling until you make it back.

There’s a lot to love, but (there’s always a but, isn’t there) Faye definitely isn’t the cheapest option on this list. They have great protection for medical costs, canceled flights, and more, but budget travelers will be able to get a better bang for your buck with Heymondo or SafetyWing .

• Super easy app-based system
• Included coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Covers flight cancellations
• Lots of add-ons to customize your policy, including Cancel For Any Reason
• Telemedicine feature gives you access to thousands of medical providers wherever you are
• Limited lost/damaged item coverage
• Not the cheapest option

Tin Leg : Best International Backpacker Travel Insurance

If you’re traveling overseas, it’s especially important to be able to rely on having your travel insurance cover anything unexpected. Tin Leg is a highly-respected travel insurance company that has a good reputation for offering high-value policies, and paying out claims when you need them.

When it comes to international travel, Tin Leg has some of the best backpacker insurance policies out there. They offer a great balance of comprehensive coverage and affordable prices.

With Tin Leg, you get all the coverage you expect. Flight delays, baggage protection, and canceled trips are all covered, though you have to cancel for a “covered reason,” like natural disasters or severe illness. This doesn’t include civil unrest, severe weather, or changing your mind. Fortunately, they offer an optional upgrade to Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

Unlike many other travel insurance providers, Tin Leg has a wide range of plans to fit your needs (9, in fact).

My top pick is their Luxury Plan, which is actually quite affordable despite the name. This plan offers great emergency medical protection and trip insurance at an impressive price.

Looking to save your pennies? Tin Leg’s Basic Plan is awesome for low-budget travelers.

They also offer an Adventure Plan, which includes high medical limits plus included coverage for extreme sports and adventure activities. This is perfect backpacking insurance for many of the adventurous travelers out there.

Tin Leg is one of the best overall backpacker insurance companies on the market. They are flexible, offer good coverage, and (most important for many of us) are very affordable.

• Lots of plans to choose from
• Travel freely for a year on an annual plan
• Great trip cancellation coverage (including optional cancel for any reason)
• Fast and reliable service
• Optional add-ons, like car rental coverage
• Lower emergency medical limits compared to other plans

Seven Corners : Best Medical Coverage

Insurance for medical emergencies is the most important thing you can have while traveling abroad. Sure, losing money on a canceled trip or missed flight is frustrating, but bills for a medical emergency can add up to much, much larger sums. We’re talking tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is why the best travel insurance companies have high emergency medical coverage limits.

Seven Corners offers two plans to choose from: Trip Protection Basic and Trip Protection Choice, and both have great medical emergency coverage.

With the Choice plan, you get up to $500,000 for medical care and $1,000,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. Those limits are some of the best in the business, and offer a lot of peace of mind on your travels.

However, you can forgo trip cancellation coverage and just purchase a travel medical policy instead. These customizable medical plans allow you to choose your maximum limit as well as the deductible. And, you’re covered for medical and dental treatments, emergency evacuation, and even personal liability.

• Customizable group plans are available
• Good medical cover limits
• Seven Corners has consistently positive reviews
• Solid trip cancellation and trip interruption protection
• Must pay more for pre-existing medical condition coverage
• No cancel for any reason coverage with Seven Corners

Why Backpackers Need Travel Insurance

When it comes to planning your once-in-a-lifetime backpacking trip, travel insurance may be the last thing on your mind. Honestly, isn’t it more fun to spend time picking out the right backpack or booking the coolest hostel?

Well, your health and safety is also something to consider. That’s why travel insurance is the single most important thing to bring on your trip. It protects you against any unforeseen accidents or emergencies that you may encounter on your journey.

• Broken leg from a scooter crash? Your backpacker insurance policy covers your medical bills.
• Stolen camera on the train? Backpacker insurance reimburses the cost of your belongings.
• Tropical thunderstorms cancel your flight to Thailand? You’ll be reimbursed and scheduled on the next flight out.

It’s easy to see why travel insurance is worth it how insurance can protect you in a variety of unfortunate situations. It can also save you thousands of dollars in medical expenses. For this reason alone, travel insurance is absolutely worth it .

What to Look for in Backpacker Insurance

From digital nomads to adventure seekers, everyone traveling abroad needs good insurance to cover unexpected events on their backpacking trip. However, there is not a recommendation for a single plan that’s good for everyone.There are several key factors to consider when looking at backpacker insurance.

Some travel insurance providers offer specific benefits that cater to adventurous backpackers and long-term travelers, while others specialize in medical protection for folks with a pre-existing condition. Maybe good baggage cover and cancellation cover are important to you, or maybe you just want low-cost travel insurance policies that cover the basics for your backpacking trip.

Take the time to look for a plan that fits your travel plans.

Flexibility is Key

Backpackers, digital nomads, and long-term travelers often don’t stick to a fixed itinerary for their backpacking trips. Just like your plans, your backpacker insurance should be flexible.

Let’s look at an example.

You decide at the last minute to go skiing in Germany and Austria, two countries that weren’t originally on your itinerary. Or perhaps you spontaneously decide to extend your vacation by a few months.

In these situations, you’ll be thankful to have insurance that you can adjust on the go. You might look for backpacker insurance that is paid in installments, or that can be updated and changed midway through your trip.

This flexibility is great, and it lets you travel on your own terms.

Coverage for Medical Expenses

Your health is your most important asset, and it’s important to take care of it, especially when you’re traveling. The most important thing to look for in good travel insurance is solid coverage for medical emergencies. If you get sick or injured while traveling, you don’t want to be stuck with hefty hospital bills.

Most travel insurance will provide cover for up to specified benefit limits. I like to look for an insurance policy that provides at least $100,000 in medical care and $250,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation cover. More is always better in this case.

Of course, no one expects to get severely ill or injured on their backpacking trips, but the worst can (and does) happen. Good medical coverage is an absolute essential. That way you know that if anything goes wrong, you’ll be taken care of and not have to foot the bill.

Coverage for Extreme Sports and Adventures Activities

Let’s face it; backpackers love their extreme (and sometimes reckless) activities. Did you know that most travel insurance won’t provide medical cover if you’re injured in what they deem extreme sports or other risky activities?

That’s why you should look for backpacker insurance that provides protection for whatever adventure you may encounter on your trip. From scuba diving in Indonesia to rock climbing in Morocco, you’ll want coverage for all those fun and exhilarating moments.

However, many traditional travel insurance companies don’t offer protection for these events. So if you plan on doing any extreme sports, make sure your backpacker insurance provides activity coverage.

Some quick safety advice: never participate in an activity that isn’t covered by your insurance, or you may end up paying potential hospital bills with your own money.

An Affordable Price Point

Finally, good backpacking travel insurance should be affordable. Flights, hostels, and food costs quickly add up. This can make price a big factor when choosing a plan.

Even if you’re hoping to keep your trip low-cost, you should still invest in travel insurance. Fortunately, there are several backpacker insurance companies that offer comprehensive insurance that won’t break the bank.

Final Thoughts on the Best Travel Insurance Companies for Backpackers

Besides your passport, backpacker insurance is one of the most important things to take with you on your trip. It’s there to protect you against unexpected incidents from bike accidents and food poisoning to stolen luggage and misplaced smartphones. It can save you serious money on hospital bills, legal expenses, and lost stuff.

One of my top travel tips for anyone is to buy good insurance.

And you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to protect, well, your arms and legs! There are plenty of companies and policies that offer decent coverage for just a few dollars a day.

With affordable and comprehensive coverage, World Nomads is our backpacker insurance provider of choice. However, you may find that there are other companies that are better suited for your trip.

Check out different policies, compare companies, and shop around for good deals. But at the end of the day, just make sure you purchase insurance from somewhere. Because if you can’t afford travel insurance, you really can’t afford to travel!

Travel Insurance FAQs

Which insurance is best for travel.

AXA Assistance USA offers impressive comprehensive plans at affordable prices.

What is the best travel insurance with COVID?

John Hancock is the travel insurance company that offers the best insurance for COVID expenses.

What are the 3 things travel insurance covers?

Travel insurance insures emergency healthcare, trip expenses, and personal belongings.

Is it better to buy travel insurance early or late?

It is best to buy travel insurance as soon as possible after you book your trip.

What's the best travel insurance for backpackers?

Heymondo is our top choice for the best travel insurance for backpackers.

Jeremy Scott Foster

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The Best Travel Insurance for Backpackers

Copacabana Beach, Brazil

Having the best travel insurance behind you during your travels is a safety net you can't afford to pass up.

Imagine this: you’ve just landed at a foreign airport far from home.

Next, you have to rush to your connecting flight.

You’re in a hurry, but in the corner of your eye, you see that your connecting flight has been delayed.

You feel relieved as you no longer have to run, but as you near the gate, you realize this slight delay will make it nearly impossible to catch the following flight to your final destination.

You start to fret. You’re in a foreign country, and you're going to miss a flight. The only option is to pay for a new one.

A tight budget was already weighing on you, and the thought of this extra burden will make your original plans nearly impossible.

Suddenly, the entire feel of your trip has changed.

But what if there was a way you could have prevented this unexpected problem?

Worldwide travel insurance , like many things on your pre-travel checklist, is necessary.

It’s one of those things you hope you never need, but when you do, it can be a vacation-saver.

Table of Contents

Where to Begin

When to get travel insurance, the cost of travel insurance, find the best travel insurance for you, which travel insurance is best, how do i find the cheapest policy for me, confusing terminology, explained, book the right travel insurance for you today, what is travel insurance.

Travel insurance and health insurance are two different things.

Travel insurance is your protection against unfortunate circumstances that arise while traveling, specifically.

Whereas health insurance typically covers you at home for emergency and non-emergency medical treatment, travel insurance covers emergency and non-emergency medical expenses away from home.

Plus, travel insurance covers additional travel-specific expenses that can result from theft, flight delays, and trip cancellations.

Why Travel Insurance is Important 

Go Backpacking's Community Manager, Adam , shares a story:

I’ve traveled without travel insurance before, and it has come back to bite me when I should’ve expected it.

An unforeseen (but preventable) food-borne sickness bit me on my first week in Thailand.

Without a clue of what it was, I rushed myself to the private hospital in Bangkok (which I didn’t know was private) where I was treated to a bill exceeding my budget by a long-shot.

Since then, I have begun to travel smarter (with insurance), and I’ve been able to capitalize on its advantages with a few canceled flights which have saved my wallet and my trip.

In one instance on a long-haul flight from Paris to Johannesburg, my flight was delayed 12 hours.

I had made a few friends at the gate prior to it being delayed.

I didn’t mind the half-day delay because I had nowhere else to be and it gave me a better chance at sleeping on the plane.

I was given a lounge pass and later told that I could probably file for reimbursement.

To my surprise, my travel insurance covered the cost of the flight and one night in a hotel. It was a blessing for someone not in a hurry.

Adam's not the only one to have experienced misfortunes with and without travel insurance.

Given enough trips taken and time spent traveling, these kinds of unfortunate circumstances can and will happen to you, so you may as well prepare for them.

First, find out if your regular health insurance includes international coverage.

Call your health insurance company and ask if your policy covers you while you are traveling, whether it's a different part of your country or internationally.

If yes, make sure to ask what exactly is covered.

In the United States, for example, many health insurance plans will only cover emergency care outside of the country, leaving you paying the cost of anything short of a trip to the emergency room.

You'll also want to ask about the worst case scenario, an injury or illness so severe it requires evacuation via special air ambulance to your home country. This level of medical care can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.

If you get travel insurance for no other reason, get it to cover in you a worst case scenario. The kind that could bankrupt you or your family, and necessitate a GoFund me campaign from friends.

Don't allow your lack of planning to become your family and friends' financial burden.

Medical coverage is the most important aspect of travel insurance, but it’s not the only advantage included.

Travel insurance will also, in some cases, cover stolen property, booking cancellations, and emergency evacuation.

For most people, finding the best travel insurance is something to take care of months in advance of your trip.

It’s nothing you want to be dealing with the week you leave as your stress level may already be through the roof.

A nice convenience is the ability to schedule your travel insurance to begin on your departure date.

This allows you to check it off your to-do list well in advance of leaving home. It'll be a relief to handle it as soon as possible.

However, if you are the type to procrastinate or are still on the fence about travel insurance, you can book the day you leave and get coverage.

So, it’s flexible. With World Nomads , you can even book during your travels if you initially want to take the risk of traveling without it and later change your mind.

The cost of your travel insurance policy will depend on several variables.

Your quote will depend heavily on how old you are, your home country, where you are going, and how long you'll be gone.

Some companies are more flexible than others when sending quotes.

We'll outline what you need to know depending on the type of traveler you are below.

Whether you’re looking for single trip travel insurance, long term travel insurance, expat travel insurance, or any other type — there’s something out there for everyone.

Insurance is a for-profit industry, so the companies make a variety of options available to serve every kind of traveler.

If you don’t see the type of coverage you are looking for on a company’s website, you can generally call to speak with a specialist who will work with you to tailor a policy to fit your needs.

The important thing to do is acknowledge what type of traveler you are and what kind of trip you are taking before settling in and doing research. There's a policy for everyone.

Through our experience, we have determined there are certain companies that work best for different types of travel, and we’ve taken the liberty to lay them out for you below:

Best Travel Insurance for Backpackers:  World Nomads

Best Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads: SafetyWing

Best Travel Insurance for Gear Coverage:  Clements

Best Travel Insurance for Existing Medical Conditions:  Allianz Travel **

Best Long-Term Medical Insurance for Expats: International Medical Group (IMG)

** Only on certain policies and medical conditions. Confirm with an insurance agent before purchasing.

Through and through, no matter what kind of traveler you are, but especially for backpackers, we have determined that World Nomads is the best bang for your buck. They give you the most coverage at a reasonable price.

Since 2002, World Nomads has supplied travelers with the best policies tailored to backpackers like us.

They are a trusted company and generally the most popular in the budget travel community because of their low rates, flexibility to apply while still traveling, and excellent customer support.

The majority of travelers will be able to find a suitable policy with just a few clicks on their site.

Adam has been using World Nomads for most of his years as a traveler and has had to utilize their coverage on several occasions.

Although all insurance claims processing can be a hassle, World Nomads is relatively straight-forward, making it easier on their customers.

Values to Look For When Choosing Your Policy

Based on a three-week trip to Europe

• Low deductibles (based on your budget)
• High medical coverage ($100,000 on average)
• Repatriation coverage
• Cancellation coverage ($2,000 or more)
• Lost/stolen property coverage ($1,000 on average)

What Will Your Policy Not Cover

• Treatment of pre-existing conditions
• Most extreme sports injuries
• Change of plans (due to personal reasons)
• Alcohol/drug related losses
• Frequent flier rewards losses
• Unideal weather condition cancellation (personal choice)

If you want to find the cheapest, full-coverage policy, it will take some diligent research.

Shop around, play with each company’s quoting tools.

Most websites are very user-friendly and don’t take much effort or time to be quoted.

It's okay to be frugal in what you need of an insurance policy.

If you’re certain you won’t be partaking in any extreme sports while on vacation, look for a policy that doesn’t charge you extra for that kind of coverage.

Do you need $10,000 worth of property protection or will $500 of protection suffice?

Make sure you are considering your situation and what you need.

Don’t overpay for protection that will never do you any good, but don’t talk yourself out of coverage you might need.

Part of everyone's frustration researching insurance is the often confusing terminology used by the industry.

What is a deductible?

If you’re still on your parent’s health insurance plan, chances are, you’re not familiar with deductibles, yet, it is a critical term to understand when choosing the best travel insurance policy.

A deductible is the amount of money you will be responsible for paying at the time of your care before your travel insurance policy will start to pay for the remaining treatment.

In other words, your travel insurance reimbursement takes effect only after you've paid the amount of your deductible out of your pocket.

So let’s say your deductible for medical treatment is $500. If you have to endure a small operation costing $700 total, you will still be responsible for the first $500 and your insurance will cover the remaining $200.

That may seem unfair until you realize medical bills can easily reach tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Think of worst case scenarios, and insure yourself accordingly.

This is important to consider while researching different insurance company policies. Make sure your deductible is of reasonable value, based on your best judgment.

What is a rider? 

Another term worthy of explanation is a “rider.”

A rider is an extension to a policy, which often adds additional coverage and terms.

For example, if you’re an adrenaline junkie, then adding a sports rider to your policy may be a good idea.

This will cost you more, but it will add additional benefits in areas of the coverage that you’re more at risk.

Travel insurance is always a burden until it becomes a lifesaver.

For only a few dollars a day (or less), it can end up saving your trip and your wallet from serious debt.

Trust us; you don’t want to end up in debt from medical bills because you skipped buying travel insurance.

P.S. – All of the companies mentioned here are ones we've used ourselves.

If you found this article helpful and plan to buy a World Nomads policy , please consider buying it after clicking one of the links in this article.

We'll earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, which will be used to pay our writers.

If you have any questions, we’d love to help. Email [email protected] or find us on social media.

Last Updated on June 21, 2019 by Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio . He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

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Home » Budget Travel » What is the BEST Backpacker Travel Insurance? (Updated for 2024)

What is the BEST Backpacker Travel Insurance? (Updated for 2024)

Over the course of ten years of traveling, I’ve had to claim on my travel insurance four separate times.  I’ve suffered everything from infections and robberies to broken equipment. As such I have learned that to hit the road without  backpacker travel insurance can prove to be a big mistake.

However, I know that some of you are deterred from buying insurance because quite frankly you see it as a waste of money. But, the numbers don’t lie and statistically speaking, if you travel enough then something will eventually go wrong and the laws of average don’t discriminate. Even if you only travel once per year, the fact is that over a lifetime, you will burn through your good luck multiple times over…

And this is exactly why I have pulled together this guide to cheap backpacker insurance. Over the course of this post I will tell you exactly why you should consider getting travel insurance and will point you towards a few well priced providers of backpacker insurance.

So let’s get to it and look at some of the best travel insurance companies for backpackers!

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

Quick Answer: Are These the Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Providers?

Safetywing  – travel insurance for digital nomads.

SafetyWing is travel cover for nomads by nomads. SafetyWing offer a monthly subscription to their insurance which primarily focus’ on medical cover. I think they are a great travel insurance provider for long term backpackers and digital nomads who are living and working online in a foreign country. I broke their coverage down in some detail in our full SafetyWing review.

My Global Shield – Travel Insurance for Backpackers

My Global Shield has been designed by travellers for travellers, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more. I’ve been using My Global Shield for a short time now but find their prices to be reasonable, the policies good and on the few times I’ve needed to reach out to customer support, the service has been slick.

World Nomads – Our Favourite Travel Insurer

We have been using World Nomads for nigh on a decade now and never leave home without first taking out on of their policies. They offer good trip coverage that can include cancellations, delay as well as medical care for loads of countries. They offer open ended, multi country “backpacker policies” and they are on the of the few insurers who will let you but coverage on the road after you have started your trip. Huzzah!

HeyMondo provides whole-trip travel coverage and care that brings out the best in each journey with industry-leading technology that enables smarter and smoother assistance with faster claims resolutions. Their app-based travel insurance covers your health, your trip and your gear all via an app that provides real-time proactive solutions, quick reimbursements and 24/7 customer support.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Finding cheap backpacker insurance, how to compare cheap backpacker insurance, cheap backpacker insurance – what should be included, things to consider before buying backpacker insurance, what is the best travel insurance company, some other decent cheap backpacker insurance companies, tips when claiming on your insurance, things you can’t claim with backpacker insurance, final thoughts on finding cheap backpacker insurance.

Do you really need travel insurance? Does anybody really need travel insurance? Well, let’s put it like this – do you really need both of your legs?

As a young man, I was trekking in the jungles of Costa Rica when my leg became infected. Badly infected. I was overcome with fever and eventually evacuated to a hospital. I narrowly avoided amputation and after a few weeks, returned to health. However, by that point, my medical bills had added up to around $10,000. Now, not many 21-year-old men have $10,000 to spare and neither did I.

But, I did have travel insurance, and thus my leg and wallet were saved.

Things can and do go wrong when we travel. From cancellations to natural disasters to street robberies, the blunt reality is that millions of travellers around the world each year are impacted in some way or other by travel mishaps.

Travel insurance can cover the following:

• Medical protection (Hospital costs, medical bills, medicine, medical evacuation cov erage etc.)
• Lost luggage or baggage
• Stolen belongings
• Flight cancellations

Picking a good backpacker insurance policy can be pretty confusing. If you simply visit a market comparison site, then you will quickly be matched with a whole raft of potential insurers but, on closer inspection, they may not actually prove to be all that suitable for the realities and intricacies of the backpacking style of travel.

Most travel insurance policies are designed to cover typical “2 weeks in the sun” type trips that have a set start and end date and are low risk. Whilst many travel insurance providers may offer a token “backpacker” or “long trip” policy, the fine print often renders it utterly unfit for purpose.

If you are travelling the world on a budget, then you will probably end up taking some risks, such as using dodgy public transport or staying in cheap rooms that don’t lock properly. If so, then it is a good idea to be protected in all of these scenarios by making sure that the travel insurance you choose actually covers these kind of situations.

Ultimately, when backpacking you never know what can happen and you must be prepared for anything. I never thought I would have my camera broken by an enthusiastic local in India, smash a motorbike to smithereens in Vietnam or get evacuated from the jungle in Costa Rica. I’m not saying that this is likely to happen to you too, but you’re better off safe than sorry because medical emergencies can and do happen!

Finding the most affordable insurance for backpackers can be tough and, let’s be honest, it’s a really unexciting thing to spend money on. I honestly would not travel without backpacker insurance though.

There are loads of travel insurance companies out there and choosing the right insurance policy can be pretty overwhelming. Sometimes when (or if…) you read the fine print, you’ll find that sneaky little clauses render the policies are not as good as advertised and in some cases, they will barely even satisfy your fundamental requirements like proper cover for a medical emergency.

Another thing to watch out for with cheap travel insurance companies is the excess. Many budget travel insurers will compensate for the low cost premium by building in a high excess for any claims for electronics or other personal belongings.

Comparison sites and aggregator search engines can also be pretty damned useless it not downright dangerous. For example, I once used a travel insurance search engine for a trip to Pakistan and the search comparison site suggested a provider who, in the small print, did NOT actually cover Pakistan! So whatever you do, please pay close attention to the details when looking at backpacker insurance companies.

When hunting for a plan and comparing backpacker insurance policies, start with the basics.

• Medical expenses : you want the limit to be very high for your medical coverage. If you get sick and the bill skyrockets, you want to be taken care of – medically and financially. This is definitely worth putting a bit of money towards, as you’re gambling with your own health and you never know when medical emergencies will happen!
• Emergency Evacuation : Especially useful for big adventures, you want the cost of an emergency evacuation to be covered. Being taken in a helicopter from the mountains with a broken leg can easily shoot up into the 4-5 digit numbers.
• Repatriation to get back home : If you end up being too sick to continue your travels, having an insurance that covers the costs of the flight back home can be a lifesaver – literally.

I’ve gone over the essentials but now it’s time to look at a good backpacker travel insurance in a bit more detail. If any of the 10 points below are missing from your policy, then do consider looking for a different provider. Whenever I’m searching for backpacker insurance, I look for a policy that can offer the following;

• It can cover most countries in the world.
• Can provide cover for lost, stolen or damaged luggage, possessions, documents etc.
• Has an option to increase cover of high-value items.
• The company has a 24-hour emergency  helpline.
• Can offer least £1 million personal liability insurance in case you injure a person or cause damage to their property.
• Can offer minimum of £1 million of medical coverage.
• Repatriation to your home country in the case of serious illness or injury – check the small print, occasionally the repatriation will only take you so far.
• A minimum of £1000 trip cancellation/curtailment  cover so that you can get home fast if there is an emergency such as a death in the family.
• Some cover for any legal expenses you may need.
• Extendability – If you decide to travel for longer than originally planned you want to be able to extend your policy easily.

Things go wrong on the road ALL THE TIME. Be prepared for what life throws at you.

Buy an AMK Travel Medical Kit before you head out on your next adventure – don’t be daft!

Small print

Many backpacker insurance policies will not cover you if you are injured whilst doing any kind of ‘high adrenaline’ activity so it is crucial you read your policy and understand it. Sometimes even hill walking is classified as “high adrenaline.” For an extra premium, you can usually add activities to your policy; think about what you will be doing and add accordingly. If you are trekking make sure your policy will cover rescue at your elevation too.

Some insurance companies also have strict guidelines for trip cancellation too with a few loopholes! So watch out!

At the end of the day, if your travel insurance company DOES have an out then they will use it to avoid paying – it is therefore really crucial you cover your ass and, if trekking at altitude, for example, you get the relevant add-on to your policy. That’s where doing your research when it comes to backpacker insurance companies pays off!

Alcohol and drugs

Most travel insurance policies will not cover you if you were under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of an accident. Try to avoid getting breathalysed if you get injured whilst drunk. Travelling safely will end up beneficial for you, especially when you need that medical coverage to kick in!

Valuables & electronics insurance

Almost all cheap backpacker insurance policies will have very high excesses and fixed limits on the amount you can claim on personal belongings. Many policies other single item coverage up to $500 which is about a wu Ideally, you should pay a bit more to properly insure your valuables. Whether you choose to ensure your gear is up to you; certainly, your overall policy will cost more if you do. You may be better off just keeping a bloody good eye on your valuables and not paying the extra money to insure them.

Now, let’s get to the actual insurance companies. Firstly, there is no such thing as the “best travel insurance company”. The fact is that there are a lot of out there and they all offer different policies at different prices. Some are more reputable than others and some excel in customer services whereas lack. Ultimately, it comes down to your individual circumstances and your personal budget.

However, after a decade of sampling the market I definitely have some personal faves which I have broken down into different categories. Here are my top ones:

My Global Shield – The Best Overall Travel Insurance Provider

My Global Shield is a travel insurance product that focuses on the specific needs of long-duration, frequent, and special-purpose international travelers.

My Global Shield provides insurance coverage tailored for international travelers, students, immigrants, and others. They offer a range of comprehensive options including visa traveler medical insurance, visa health insurance, visitors insurance, international travel medical insurance, trip insurance, and study abroad insurance??.

Some specific coverage details include medical coverage for accidents or illnesses while outside one’s home country, travel coverage for travel delays, lost checked luggage, emergency response, natural disasters, and personal liability. The medical coverage extends to hospital room and board, intensive care unit costs up to the overall policy limit, and local ambulance services. 

Their policy prices are very reasonable but in terms of downsides, they don’t seem to offer a multi-country “backpacker” cover at this time.

World Nomads – Hall of Fame Travel Insurance Provider

Since 2002, World Nomads have been protecting, connecting and inspiring independent travelers. They offer simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you travel.

Because they believe in giving back to the places we travel to, World Nomads also enables you to make a difference with a micro-donation when you buy a policy.

And they’ll help you plan your trip with free downloadable guides, travel tips, responsible travel insights and recommendations from their global community. I have used World Nomads for years now and they got out of a various expensive jam one time when I was hospitalised in Thailand.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

SafetyWing   – Best Medical Travel Insurance

• Monthly subscription
• Partially covers medical expenses is your home country

For those who just need basic medical insurance for travelling, SafetyWing may be the most suitable option available. It is easy to set up, affordable – I only paid $45 a month for it – and they may cover you in most medical situations as well as offering a certain amount of private health insurance for when you’re back home. However, they offer less coverage for trip cancellation, interruption and trip delay. They are a firm favourite of Digital Nomads who need medical coverage for spending prolonged periods away from their home countries.

SafetyWing uses a convenient monthly payment scheme that is subscription-based. This means that you can start, stop, and pause your enrollment at any time and don’t have to pay for something that you don’t use. Paying on a monthly basis instead of all at once can be a wise decision for many travellers. With rates for as low as $45 per 28 days, SafetyWing can be good backpacker insurance for those who are tight on funds or just tight.

I started using them for myself and my partner. They are very user friendly, polices are easy to set up, modify and cancel and their online help service is very fast and very thorough. Note that SafetyWing does not cover electronics e.g. laptops, cameras, cellphones. As such, I suggest that you insure important personal items using secondary insurance like Gadget Cover – I have had insurance on my MacBook for years. Americans can also consider State Farm’s personal articles policy.

HeyMondo – Best App-Based Insurance

• User-friendly app
• Up to $10,000,000 USD in coverage
• Various plans to choose from

A review of Heymondo insurance will prove it’s a company leading the pack when it comes to combining travel insurance with technology. Unlike Faye, they actually cover travellers from anywhere, not just from the USA. The Heymondo app comes with a 24-hour medical chat, free emergency assistance calls and incident management.

They also have a complication-free way to make a claim straight from your phone. I found this incredibly useful as I’m used to having to deal with frustrating phone calls and emails when dealing with backpacker insurance companies, so don’t underestimate this. Response time is also fast – the 24/7 chat feature is a game changer in the world of travel insurance.

They offer plans for single trip, annual multi-trip and long stay adventures. No deductibles are also an added bonus!

Medical expenses are covered up to $10,000,000 USD so try not to damage yourself anything over that amount… If you’d like travel insurance that operates with that little extra swiftness and ease, give these guys a go. Broke Backpacker readers get an extra 5% discount .

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

You’ve seen our top 2 picks for backpacker insurance now, but here are a few more…

Faye provides whole-trip travel coverage and care that brings out the best in each journey with industry-leading technology that enables smarter and smoother assistance with faster claims resolutions. Their app-based travel insurance covers your health, your trip and your gear all via an app that provides real-time proactive solutions, quick reimbursements and 24/7 customer support.

If you ever do need to make a claim, then you simply log in to the app and the claim will be assessed super quickly from anywhere in the world! My friend made a claim and was able to manage everything directly on the app. She was even able to purchase ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ Insurance that allows you to quite literally cancel for any reason, and be refunded up to 75% of non-refundable bookings.

Best of all, if the claim is successful then the funds will be immediately credited to the smart wallet on your phone or device and ready for you to spend.

In summary, I have tried and tested a lot of different insurance policies and have never seen anything quitre like this. The only downside I have found so far is that they can only offer cover to residents of 43 US States although there are plans to go nationwide in the future. A full Faye Travel Insurance review will give you even more details on this legendary company, which no doubt has the best UX in the game.

Alpha Insurance

Alpha Travel Insurance is designed with backpackers in mind and they are one of the few insurers who can offer coverage for trips up to two years in length (with 2 visits home included as standard).

The £10,000,000 medical cover on all policies may be able to include air ambulance and mountain rescue, so really Alpha Backpacker Insurance is one of the best backpacker insurance providers out there if you’re on a budget. They also offer a decent amount of trip cancellation cover for the money too.

However, Alpha’s policies are not primarily designed for backpackers and for this reason, I personally prefer to use World Nomads.

Columbus Direct Insurance

These guys can offer some interesting travel insurance coverage deals on backpacker travel insurance for residents of the UK. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, be sure to read the terms and conditions thoroughly before taking up the insurance.

Basically, if you resident in the UK and don’t like the more mainstream options, then you may find Columbus Direct to more your cup of Bovril.

Gadget Cover

Cover specifically for UK residents. Cover your pricey and precious electronics while on the road. Particularly suited for digital nomads are anybody who travels with a good laptop or good camera.

Gadget Cover’s Total Transparency Manifesto makes understanding their policies plain and simple. This is NOT the best backpacking insurance, but is a great add-on to other policies if you have a few valuable gadgets.

If you ever need to make a travel insurance claim, get all your documents in order early on. If you get robbed and want to claim for the lost belongings then you will need a police report and, probably receipts to prove that you did in fact own the item you are claiming for. If you were hospitalised, you will need all of your Doctors notes and all of the medical bills.

You need to be patient when it comes to actually getting paid as even the best insurance for backpackers companies sometimes drag their feet. If the first offer that the travel insurance company makes you is ridiculously low then dispute it – the second offer is usually a lot better.

Most travel insurance companies will not cover the following mishaps:

• Pre-existing medical conditions – they’ll usually say that’s an issue for your regular health insurance. This includes travellers with diabetes , crohns disease, etc.
• Knowingly traveling to dangerous areas – most travel insurance companies will not cover you if you decide to visit areas that are deemed hazardous. This includes armed conflicts, like Syria,  natural disaster zones, like Haiti after the earthquake, and radioactive areas, like Fukushima . However, some companies take different views from one another on countries like Venezuela and Lebanon so make sure that you are covered for wherever you are traveling to before you leave.
• Pregnancy – I’m not able to bear children but this one is still good to know for our courageous female travellers.
• Reckless driving – If you have no car insurance, they may try to get out of paying anything if you did anything remotely dangerous. Alternatively, you can purchase a RentalCover.com policy . It covers your car against any common damages.
• Flights bought with airline miles – that’s like laundering money.
• Mental health breakdowns – if you claim you did something stupid because you were not of sound mind, they won’t help. This may not be fair and changing attitudes towards mental health will eventually force a change in the law, but for now, this is how it is.
• Medical tourism – that’s a great new nose you got there dude, but no travel insurance company is going to pay for that.

I hope you found that helpful and hope you now feel a bit clearer about finding cheap backpacker insurance.

As you know, my personal go-to travel insurance company is World Nomads. However, I always encourage you to shop around, compare travel insurance providers and try to find the right policy for your trip.

Finally, no matter which backpacker insurance policy you choose, do be sure to read the policy terms and conditions yourself, very carefully, and make sure it fully covers your needs. It is unlikely you will ever need to use your travel insurance but if you do then you want to make sure you are actually going to be covered.

A word on Travel Insurance. Please note that Insurance terms and conditions do vary and may change from time to time. The information provided here is for guidance purposes only. We recommend you check with your policy provider to ensure that you are fully covered before beginning your trip. Please read your policy terms and conditions very carefully.

Aiden Freeborn

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20 Comments

I am currently looking at Revolut to provide insurance. After reading through the fine print it looks to be a good solution. Does anyone agree?

Anyone have any suggestions for backpacker insurance which will cover 1 short trek 4-5 day at 5000m? Most companies make you add on a ‘sports/activity package’ which covers the whole trip (10-12 months for me) which is currently adding on £500 – £700!! I can’t really justify paying all that for a trek that is going to last less than a week of my whole trip! Thanks 🙂

Thx for all the great advice man! One question, I’ve been looking at multiple travel insurance providers and so far, none of them mention Motorcycle riding as an activity that is covered… Do you know if either of the ones you recommend do? Its kinda important while in SE Asia, especially in Vietnam! haha

I am PRETTY sure that World Nomads covers that – they definitely should do anyway! 🙂

Hi Will Interesting article and well written! My son has been travelling since June 2016. Initially, he wasn’t sure how long his travels would be, so we started with a 6 month policy (Insure & Go Backpacker Gold). He started off in South East Asia and has been in Australia for the past 20 months. We extended his insurance once (1 more year, same company) but then as they don’t insure for more than 18 months, we got him insured by TRUE TRAVELLER for another year (the only company I could find that would insure him on the road, but even then, only for 1 year!) So my problem is that he has plans to travel for another year but I cannot seem to find ANY company that will insure him as he is OUT of the UK and been away for longer than 2 years! I have always ensured that he has had a really good travel insurance, with all the extra adventure bolt ons etc and he has not had a single claim in all this time (touch wood!) Some have suggested that we buy a policy FROM Australia as that is where he has been backpacking and living the longest. Problem then is, should anything terrible happen to him, I would want him repatriated HOME to the UK and not to Australia. So please HELP. Any advise you may have to share, would be great.

I cannot imagine him being the only backpacker/traveller who has travelled for more than 2 years?? Thank you

My daughter is travelling for 7 months to Australia, Thailand and Indonesia, taking lots of electronics. iPhone 8, MacBook Pro, Go Pro, Cannon G7X, DJ Spark drone, and controller, plus all the bits that go with them. Any suggestions how best to insure these, and who with.

Thanks Jeff

Largely depends what country you are from but check out Gadgetcover.com

I’ve been looking for travel insurance on a one-way ticket/trip and lovedl your insight and tips… Such a great article!

Which Travel Insurance did you use with your Costa Rica ordeal?

I believe I was using InsureandGo back then but I had issues with them paying out once I got out of Costa Rica so wouldn’t recommend.

Looking for an insurance company isn’t that easy, especially for a professional traveller. Thankfully you have some companies listed here! Thank you for sharing these information and all the details backpackers needed to know 🙂

This is truly one of the best piece i have read on backpackers insurance. i have been searching a lot for such stuff. Thanks again

Most insurance you mention are in uk. Is there any specific for US residence? Or us customer service.

World Nomads is the best US provider.

Nice Post…….! Traveling insurance is as important as any other type of business insurance. After read this post I realize that without traveling insurance, travel anywhere may cause dangerous. So for make the trips more beautiful and stress-free, people need to know about the importance of traveling insurance. I am sure after reading this post people wills changes their mindset toward travel insurance, and they will also take it seriously.

The travel insurance is necessary and no one should forget about it! This was an excellent read, Will!

Great post, it seems that a lot of the blog posts that i have been reading lately are all recommending World Nomads as their preferred insurer, i will definitely check it out in my upcoming trip

Hey Will, What a fantastic and reflective post.Thanks for sharing this valuable info with us. you know what? I read a lot of blog posts and I never heard about a topic like this. I love this topic you made about the backpackers insurance.Very ingenious idea!

Hi Will, great article! My boyfriend and I are set to travel Asia in March, but have now been away from home (UK) two years and are currently in New Zealand. We obviously are going to get travel insurance for our trip, however will be coming back to NZ afterwards and not going home…we have found it SO hard to find insurance providers that will insure when already travelling and not returning home, and have so far only found World Nomads that will do it. I just wondered if you have any suggestions of other companies that do this, or if we are best to just go with them as I see thats the provider you use? Thanks! P.s. I love your blog! 🙂

Hey Ellie! Thanks so much for the positive comments on my blog; you got me blushing over here! Insurance is a pain in the ass, there’s no two ways about it unfortunately. I’ve tried pretty much all of the big names in Insurance over the years (and had to claim a couple of times) and although World Nomads ARE expensive I’ve found them to be the best bet in the long run – they are the only company I have come across which allow you to return home and then head out again whilst remaining on the same policy. If you do go with them, please click on the link on this page, it won’t cost you more but I’ll get a few pennies to help buy my next beer! One piece of advice; In my opinion it is ALWAYS worth paying the excess waiver so that if all hell breaks lose and you loose everything you don’t have to pay, for example, $25 for the first claim of EVERY item – trust me, $25 on thirty items soon adds up!! 🙂

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5 Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Companies of 2024

Explore our top picks for travel insurance for backpacking trips and compare options to find the right coverage below.

in under 2 minutes

with our comparison partner, Squaremouth

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

The best travel insurance for backpacking trips is Travelex due to its affordable coverage for mult-destination trips. Travelex offers three plan options and a Travel America plan for backpackers making their way across the states.

From beachfront hostels in Thailand to campgrounds in Europe, a backpacker insurance policy can help you enjoy your adventure with peace of mind. Whether you’re traveling as a digital nomad or launching into adventure sports like trekking or scuba diving, travel insurance can cover the cost of unforeseen events or accidents during short or long-term backpacking trips.

Key Features To Look For in Backpacker Travel Insurance

Backpacker travel insurance is subject to your individual needs. According to the U.S. Department of State , the government does not cover medical bills overseas. Therefore, the agency recommends travel medical emergency insurance, especially if you’re participating in adventure activities. However, not all travel insurance companies cover adventure sports.

Trip interruption insurance can help you prepare for potential cancellations and flight delays, offering reimbursement of prepaid costs if interruptions occur for a covered reason. Emergency evacuation coverage is important in the event of natural disasters or civil unrest, especially if you plan on adventuring in rural areas. Ensuring your policy offers baggage and personal effects coverage also offers a financial safety net for lost or stolen belongings, including sporting gear.

While you may be able to find basic travel insurance with these features, the benefit limits may vary. It’s also important to note that not all policies cover adventure sports gear or medical expenses. Make sure to look for a plan with this coverage if you plan on adding sporting events to your backpacking trip.

Top 5 Travel Insurance Providers for Backpackers

Here is our list of travel insurance plans and providers to suit backpackers:

• Travelex Insurance : Our pick for families
• AIG Travel Guard : Our pick for families
• IMG Travel Insurance : Our pick for medical coverage
• Allianz Global Assistance: Our pick for concierge services
• World Nomads: Our pick for adventure travelers

Compare Backpacking Travel Insurance Companies

We requested online quotes for our top travel insurance providers so you can see how much coverage costs . The chart below includes estimates for a 25-year-old backpacker from New York taking a three-week trip to Mexico, with a total trip cost of $2,500. Quotes are for basic plans with travel medical insurance, trip cancellation coverage and more. We also included unique coverage options, including cancel for any reason or CFAR coverage.

Why Trust MarketWatch Guides

Our editorial team follows a comprehensive methodology for rating and reviewing travel insurance companies. Advertisers have no effect on our rankings.

Companies Reviewed

Quotes Collected

Rating Factors

Pros & Cons

You can choose from three plans with Travelex Insurance: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. Travel Basic is a budget-friendly option for backpackers with sufficient coverage. Five optional upgrades are available with the more comprehensive Travel Select Plan, with a $50,000 limit for emergency medical costs.

If you are planning to backpack around the U.S., the Travel America plan provides emergency medical expenses and reimbursement for canceled events, such as ski resort closures.

Coverage & Cost

Add-On Options

Travelex offers a variety of add-on options, depending on the plan you choose. Upgrades include:

• CFAR coverage
• Car rental collision
• Adventure sports coverage
• Additional medical coverage
• Flight accidental death and dismemberment

Based on our quote process, the Travel Basic Plan costs $87 for a 25-year-old traveler on a 20-day trip to Spain worth $3,000.

If you’re looking for a travel insurance policy for backpacking as a family, AIG Travel Guard plans include coverage for one child under age 17 with the rate for a paying adult. The Deluxe Plan offers high-level medical evacuation and healthcare coverage up to $100,000, while

the Preferred Plan features up to $50,000 for travel medical costs.

If you are on a budget during long-term backpacking trips, the Essential Plan covers the basics, with 24/7 emergency assistance and medical care coverage up to $15,000. The Pack N’ Go Plan is available if you plan a trip last minute and don’t need cancellation coverage.

AIG Travel Guard provides a range of add-ons depending on your chosen plan. Some examples include:

• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage
• Rental vehicle damage coverage
• Security evacuations and interruptions bundle
• Adventure sports bundle
• Medical bundle
• Wedding bundle
• Baggage bundle

Based on the quote we requested for a 25-year-old backpacker traveling to Spain for 20 days on a $3,000 trip, the Essential Plan would cost $134.

*AM Best ratings are accurate as of June 2023.

From rafting to skydiving and bungee jumping, extreme sports fans can take advantage of IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel Sport Plan. It includes sports equipment rental reimbursement and natural disaster evacuation coverage.

For long backpacking trips, the most affordable option is the iTravelInsured Travel Lite Plan, which includes benefits for trip cancellation, travel delays and emergency medical assistance. You can also opt for more comprehensive options with the iTravelInsured Travel SE and iTravelInsured Travel LX plans.

IMG offers the following add-ons with the iTravelInsured Travel LX plan:

• Interrupt for any reason (IFAR) coverage (up to 75% of trip costs)
• CFAR coverage (up to 75% of the trip costs)

Based on our quote, the iTravelInsured Travel Lite Plan would cost $83 for a 25-year-old traveler backpacking around Spain for a 20-day trip worth $3,000.

Allianz offers a range of affordable plans for backpackers, including the AllTrips Basic Plan, a multi-trip policy with year-long protection. Or, if you’re primarily looking for health insurance and have a flexible itinerary with minimal prepaid expenses, you can save money with the OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan. It only covers post-departure benefits, including unexpected events after your trip begins.

While Allianz also provides comprehensive insurance policies, budget travelers may prefer the OneTrip Basic plan for affordable, all-around coverage.

Allianz Global provides the following add-on options, which you can add depending on your plan:

• OneTrip Rental Car Protector
• Terrorism Extension cover
• Required to Work cover

Based on our quote, the OneTrip Basic Plan would cost $91 for a 25-year-old backpacker taking a 20-day trip to Spain for $3,000.

Whether you love Alpine skiing or rock climbing, World Nomads is a popular choice for adventurous backpackers. Its two policies, the Standard Plan and Explorer Plan, cover over 200 adventure activities and sports. The main difference between the plans is the Explorer Plan offers higher coverage limits.

World Nomads offers rental car damage coverage with the Explorer Plan.

We pulled quotes for both plans for a 25-year-old backpacker taking a 20-day trip to Spain. You could expect to pay $96 for the Standard Plan and $180 for the Explorer Plan.

Factors To Consider When Choosing the Backpacking Insurance

Everyone’s different, so choosing the best insurance for your backpacking trip means considering your personal needs. Ask yourself the following questions as you consider travel insurance policies:

• Does the travel insurance cover all the destinations you want to visit?
• How long is your backpacking trip and if needed, does the policy suit long-term travel?
• Does the policy include sufficient medical coverage for potential health issues or participation in sports?
• Are there adequate coverage limits for baggage, gear and high-value equipment?
• Does the policy sufficiently cover missed activities and flight cancellations ?
• Do you require coverage for a pre-existing conditio n and if so, does the policy include a waiver?

If you are planning a long-term backpacking trip, pay attention to the duration of your travel insurance policy. For example, if you apply for a multi-trip plan with six months versus a year of coverage. And if you plan to trek around the globe, make sure your policy includes your intended destinations.

It also helps to check the coverage you already have before purchasing a policy. For example, your credit card may include rental car coverage or other forms of travel insurance.

What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover?

Most travel insurance plans cover medical emergencies, trip cancellations and delays , and baggage loss or theft. However, most policies don’t cover the following:

• Alcohol and drug-related incidents
• Extreme sports such as cliff diving
• Non-emergency medical treatment
• Flexibility in trip cancelation, such as changing your mind about flights or destinations
• Incidents due to negligence

Some providers may offer add-on coverage for extreme sports, non-emergency medical treatment and cancellation flexibility (CFAR coverage).

Travel Tips for Comparing Backpacker Insurance

Before buying travel insurance, it’s important to shop around, compare prices and read customer reviews. We suggest obtaining online quotes from at least three providers before selecting a policy.

Once you’ve found a few options that suit your coverage needs and budget, read the policy documents to ensure the coverage is right for you. Look for any exclusions or limits that may impact your coverage, such as a lack of adventure sports protection. If you don’t understand something, speak to the provider directly before making your decision.

Is Backpacking Travel Insurance Worth It?

Backpacking is often an adventure of a lifetime, but it is also an investment. Safeguarding your prepaid and nonrefundable costs, along with having financial safety nets for unforeseen medical emergencies, can help you enjoy a stress-free journey.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if backpacking travel insurance is worth it . If you’re planning to launch into adventure activities, top providers such as World Nomads, IMG and Travelex offer extra coverage. You can also opt for a basic plan from Allianz or choose AIG Travel Guard if you need coverage for a child. Regardless of your choice, each of our top providers can provide affordable options with sufficient coverage for backpackers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance for Backpacking Trips

Should i purchase travel insurance for a backpacking trip.

While your need for travel insurance is up to you, purchasing a policy can be worth it. Travel insurance for backpacking can cover medical costs in an emergency. Policies can also safeguard you against financial loss by providing reimbursements if your trip is canceled or delayed or your baggage or gear gets stolen. Some providers offer add-ons to cover rental car damage, highly valuable items and more.

What type of insurance do you need for backpacking?

The type of insurance you need depends on your destination, the duration of your trip and the activities you plan to do. At a minimum, backpackers should consider a policy with the following coverage:

• Trip cancellation , interruption and delay
• Emergency medical expenses
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation
• Lost or stolen baggage

Consider policies with adequate add-on coverage, like if you plan on participating in adventure sports or need a rental car.

What is the difference between backpacking insurance and travel insurance?

Backpacking insurance is simply a type of travel insurance with coverage tailored to backpackers. While some providers offer adventure-specific policies, you may find that a standard travel insurance plan suits your backpacking trip. Researching policy options can help you find coverage for your unique needs, including annual multi-trip plans for long-term trips.

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Travel Insurance Companies for Backpacking Trips

• A 30-year-old couple taking a $5,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A family of four taking an $8,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A 65-year-old couple taking a $7,000 vacation to the United Kingdom.
• A 30-year-old couple taking a $7,000 trip to the United Kingdom.
• A 19-year-old taking a $2,000 trip to France.
• A 27-year-old couple taking a $1,200 trip to Greece.
• A 51-year-old couple taking a $2,000 trip to Spain.
• Plan availability (10%): We look for insurers with a variety of travel insurance plans and the ability to customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%): We review the baseline coverage each company offers in its cheapest comprehensive plan. A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more. Companies also receive points for offering a variety of policy add-ons like accidental death and dismemberment, extreme sports, valuable items, cancel for any reason coverage and more.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%): We compare each company’s waiting periods and maximum reimbursement amounts for baggage, travel and weather delays. Companies that offer customers reimbursement after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
• Company service and reviews (17%): We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

For more information, read our full travel insurance methodology.

A.M. Best Disclaimer

More Travel Insurance Guides

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• Best senior travel insurance
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• Best student travel insurance plans
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• Best travel medical insurance plans
• How much does travel insurance cost?

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at  editors@marketwatchguides. com .

More Resources:

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Our comparison of the best backpacker insurance (also the cheapest) in 2024

Choosing a backpacker travel insurance for a round the world trip is an IMPORTANT step of the preparation! But we will help you see things more clearly through the insurance jargon

Last Update: 01/03/2024 6 COMMENTS

Choosing a Backpacker Insurance (or a long term travel insurance … it’s the same) for a trip around the world is probably THE most annoying / boring question of the preparation phase . Right, you have decided to set off on an adventure, to discover the world, you are really motivated by this project and then someone tells you :

Yeahh cool project… but did you think about a travel insurance?

That’s when the nightmare begins! You start looking for information online. You read on travel blogs or on forums that you should take a backpacker travel insurance for your round the world trip.

The problem is that there are almost as many travel insurance providers as there are travel blogs (this is a bit exaggerated, especially because most bloggers recommend the same backpacker insurances 😉 #GuessWhy lol ), that they won’t cover you for the same things, that their prices vary between 300€ and 1000€ per year (sometimes even more)…

You might have also read that with your credit card you could already have a medical insurance, that your social security and/or health insurance might be sufficient for traveling… In the end, you are getting confused and you don’t know what to think anymore!

But don’t worry, that’s where we come in!

Our goal with this guide of the best travel insurance for backpackers is to take all these informations, to present them in a clear and understandable way (because no one like to go through the insurance jargon) in order to help you find the right backpacker insurance for your specific case.

At the beginning of this guide, you will first find our interactive table comparing the best backpacker insurances available. Then we will review what are the best backpacker insurance policies in our opinion and according to different situations (solo traveler, couple, family, older traveler…). Finally you will find all the important information you need to know to choose the right travel insurance coverage. You can start where you prefer by using the table of contents below.

Are you ready??? Let’s dig into it!

How to use the interactive backpacker insurance comparison table?

The interactive backpacker insurance comparison table, backpacker insurance with the best quality/price ratio (solo travelers and couples), the cheapest backpacking travel insurance, the best backpacking travel insurance for families, backpacking travel insurance for people over 50, medical emergencies and expenses abroad, personal liability abroad, repatriation (medical evacuation coverage), baggage cover (theft, loss or destruction), expensive items ( computers, cameras, lenses, tent, jewellery… ), trip cancellation coverage, covid19 (outbreaks), adventure / extreme sports, traveling with peace of mind, most common exclusions, credit card travel coverage, your home / primary health insurance , why think about the worst before leaving on a trip, to choose the right backpacker insurance company, evaluate your needs, backpacker insurance : the most important criteria, comparison of the best travel insurance for backpackers.

If you already did some research online on different websites and travel blogs, you may have noticed that people recommend mostly the same backpacker insurance policies 😉 (usually WorldNomads and SafetyWing ). However, there are many other long-term / backpacker travel insurances that have a much better quality/price ratio than those travel coverages everyone talks about (wonder why all the blogs recommend WorldNomads even though they are one of the most expensive option out there 😉 ).

In the table below, you will find the best (and cheapest) backpacker insurance providers in 2024 . This travel insurance comparison is the result of a lot of research (also from feedback or discussions with other travelers) and we sincerely hope that it will help you find the best cheap backpacker insurance for your long trip.

Last update: 13.02.2024

The table below is interactive and allows you to compare the backpacker insurance coverages you are most interested in. Here’s how to use it:

• Check the travel coverages you want to compare (for better readability, check no more than 4-5 on desktop and 2-3 on mobile )
• You can remove all the lines you are not interested in by clicking on the crosses and hide some parts you don’t need by clicking on the sub-headings
• To reset the comparison table, simply refresh the page.

If you have any suggestions or remarks, do not hesitate to leave us a comment.

Our review of the best long term travel insurances for backpackers

As you can imagine by analyzing this comparison table, the best travel insurance policies for a long backpacking trip will probably be different depending on your situation (solo traveler, couple, family, your age, destination…) and your needs.

You might have never heard about Chapka , GobyAVA , ACS or AVI before… It’s because they are french companies that have mostly focused on the french market till recently (but don’t worry they all offer coverages and support in english now). But as our first language is french, that’s the market we know the best. And as you can see, some of them offer some coverages with a pretty good quality/price ratio compared to some well known international players 😉

In our opinion, here are the best backpacker travel insurance policies for different situations:

The Traveller coverage from TrueTraveller insurance (which you will see a lot of in the next few lines) is in our opinion the best value for money travel insurance for long-term travelers. This coverage is already very solid from the start (without any options) with the best coverage limits for medical expenses (10’000’000€) and a good civil liability.

What we also appreciate a lot with TrueTraveller is that they only include the most important things in the base coverage (medical expenses, repatriation, personal liability…) and thus offer very attractive prices! For the rest, you can simply customize your coverage according to your needs by paying small extras (if you want to insure your luggage, your valuables, adventure sports etc… there are about ten options). And honestly, even if you add several options, they are still competitive in terms of price! A very flexible travel insurance!

Their only con is that they only insure people from Europe .

If you’re not from Europe, the best overall insurance for backpacking you can have is the Long Stay coverage (-5%) from Heymondo . They have a very decent offer with high limits for medical bills (2’500’000€), a super easy to use app for their customers and interesting prices for solo travelers and couples (+ you get 5% discount using our link 😉 )

I would say their only weaker point is their personal liability limit that only covers you up to 60’000€. It’s better that SafetyWing already but it could be a bit higher in our opinion.

If you have a very tight budget but still want to be covered for the most important things (medical cover, repatriation, civil liability), you have 2 options in our opinion;

If you come from the EU and are under 40 years old, you can choose the True Value coverage from TrueTraveller. 10’000’000€ limit for medical expenses, 1’000’000€ for civil liability from 29€ per month! It’s hard to beat that offer!

If you’re not from the EU, the cheapest travel coverage you can get is the Globe Partner from ACS . Their limit for medical coverage went up to 300’000€ in 2023 (really cool news) and they offer a good civil liability. So it is really the minimum you need to to have if you are backpacking for more than 3 months!

Not all insurance companies offer affordable prices for families… which means that there are big price differences between different companies!

If you have 1 or 2 children under 10 years old, SafetyWing offers very attractive prices since each contract includes 1 child under 10 for free (on the other hand, we find that the personal liability limit at SafetyWing is too low). Otherwise, if you live in the EU, we recommend once again TrueTraveller’s coverage which offers very good prices for families with much higher coverage limits than SafetyWing.

If you’re not an EU resident, the best choices you have for families are ACS Globe partner (budget option) or Heymondo Long stay if you need extra coverage limits.

We received a lot of comments from older travelers who felt a little disadvantaged when it came to insurance! Indeed, many insurers don’t even cover travelers over 50 years old and with some others, the prices increase horribly fast with age! So if you’re over 50 and you’re going on a long backpacking trip (or just a long trip), here are the best options available to you:

If you are under 65-70 , you will clearly find the best deals with ACS Globe Traveller (< 66 Worldwide) or TrueTraveller (< 65 and from the EU). ACS offers slightly cheaper prices but TrueTraveller has much better coverage limits.

If you are over 70, there are unfortunately few options left and only AVI international has no age limit. Their Marco Polo coverage is quite extensive and their prices do not triple with age (like SafetyWing 😉 ).

As you can see after this detailed comparison, the insurance policies that are most recommended online are not the ones that offer the best quality/price ratio according to your situation. This shows that marketing is also reflected in the price of insurance coverages lol (We did not even include WorldNomads in the table as their price is much more expensive for a similar coverage)

Please note that if you purchase any of these backpacker insurances through our links, we will earn a small commission and you will pay the same price (or even get a small discount at AVA or HeyMondo ).

As you can imagine, it took us a lot of work to create this tool to help you compare the best long term travel insurance. We’ve tried to be as neutral as possible by comparing the best backpacker insurance on the market. We then recommend the ones that we feel offer the best value for money in each situation.

So if you like this free and independent tool, please do not hesitate to click on our links to buy your coverage and support the production of this kind of content! Many thanks ! (You can find more info about our mindset and how we earn money with this blog here )

A backpacker insurance? Why would you even need one?

We have started by comparing the best travel insurance companies for Backpackers and giving you our honest opinion about them because people often look for these information first and don’t necessarily want to read a lot of blabla about insurances.

However, in the following section we’ll explain what long term travel insurance is for and when you really need it (because it’s quite a budget so you might as well understand why you’re spending the money 😉).

Before we look further into whether you really need a backpacker insurance, let’s start by understanding in more detail what long term travel insurance is for and what types of coverage it offers . This will make it easier for you to decide whether or not you need such coverage!

Depending on the package, a long term travel insurance may include a combination of the following:

If you have a serious problem during your travels that requires urgent hospitalization , medical costs can quickly skyrocket. This is especially true in the USA / Canada where a prolonged hospitalization could put an entire family in debt for several generations!

But even if it is just for less serious medical care, a visit to the doctor for an injury or medical analysis can quickly add up to your medical bills. In such cases, a good travel insurance policy will cover 100% of the medical costs.

Most of the good long stay travel insurance policies will also guarantee the presence of a family member in case of a serious hospitalization ( plane ticket refund + accommodation costs). You never want to be alone in this kind of situation!

If you accidentally (i.e., unintentionally) injure someone or damage someone else’s property (e.g., you break something in your hotel room or injure someone during an activity), the costs can quickly escalate, especially with legal proceedings plus damages. For this kind of situation, a comprehensive travel insurance will take care of the repair costs, the possible treatments or the cost of the legal proceedings.

An important detail is that the personal liability of these insurances does not cover you for damages you might have done while driving a motor vehicle! Some insurances offer additional options for these cases or it is possible to take an additional insurance when renting the vehicle.

If, following an accident or illness, your health condition is such that you cannot be treated on site, you will have to be repatriated to the nearest hospital or even to your home country. Please note that a medical repatriation can cost up to 50’000$ . In this type of emergency, there is usually no other option. So to avoid putting your families in trouble, it is better to have travel insurance plan that covers this kind of situation!

A well-known situation for backpackers: you arrive at your destination but unfortunately your backpack is not, or is damaged. Your personal belongings may also be damaged during a bus ride or worse, even stolen.

For this kind of unfortunate events, some travel insurance companies will reimburse you for at least part of the total amount of your personal items. Be careful, however, to check carefully what is considered as luggage by the insurance company 😉 (electronic gear, other expensive items for example).

Then again, the costs and the importance of a theft / damaged luggage are in general far less important than the health related issues. So we recommend you not to be obsessed with this kind of coverage… Of course it’s annoying if your camera gets stolen but it’s not the end of the world either 😉

Rarely included in travel insurance plans (or only for very small amounts), it can be interesting for people who travel with expensive personal items, to have a travel insurance that covers for theft or destruction of this gear.

But as we just said, don’t focus too much on that either and get a travel insurance especially for the risks that could put you in real financial difficulties!

You may have to interrupt your trip because of the death of a loved one… you could also get very sick on the day of your flight to South America. You may not even be able to fly because of a natural disaster or a general strike… In such situations, it could be interesting to be insured against these cases of trip cancellations / interruptions. It’s bad enough having to cancel a trip so you might as well get your money back!

With the events of the last few years (i.e. Coronavirus 😉), you might want to be covered in case of an outbreak. In the case of Covid19, this means that with some coverages, medical expenses might not have been reimbursed if you contracted the Coronavirus during your trip.

Well, now most backpacker insurance plans improved and cover you properly for Covid. But at the beginning of the outbreak, many travelers found themselves abandoned by their insurance 🙁

For some people, backpacking is an opportunity to get their adrenaline pumping by practicing Adventure activities or even extreme activities such as rafting, canyoning, skydiving, mountaineering (this is the case with Ben 😉).

Unfortunately, being insured in case of accidents during the practice of these extreme activities often requires paying an extra fee when buying your backpacking travel insurance plan. So it’s up to you depending on the activities you plan to do during your trip!

This is probably THE reason why you’re going to get a backpacker travel insurance. You will simply enjoy your trip more if you know you are covered in case you need it and that you won’t put your whole family in debt in case something bad happens 😉

Now that I’ve explained the purpose of travel insurance and the cases where you are covered, it is equally useful to know the situations where you will not be covered. Yes, insurance contracts contain exclusions that you must know! That’s why it’s always very important to read the general conditions of your insurance policy!

Note: this list is not meant to be comprehensive and there are differences depending on the insurance policies, but we have tried to highlight the most important exclusions.

• Pre-existing medical conditions : Most medical insurances will not cover you for medical expenses related to a pre-existing condition. TrueTraveller, unlike others, covers a fairly extensive list of pre-existing conditions. You will be able to consult this list when you purchase your insurance and if your medical condition is not on the list, you will have to declare it and truetraveller will come back to you with more details.
• Damage caused while driving a motor vehicle (damage to the vehicle itself, to what was hit or to a person injured by your vehicle). For example, if you are involved in an accident while driving a motor vehicle, your travel insurance will cover your medical expenses, but not the costs of damage to the vehicle itself, another vehicle involved or the medical expenses of another person involved in the accident. Some travel insurances offer supplementary coverage for these situations, as do car rental companies.
• Extreme Sports : As you can imagine, most of the above mentioned insurances offer additional packages for risky sports, but if you do not subscribe to one of these options, you will not be covered during these “dangerous” activities.
• Personal liability while working or volunteering . So if you are planning to work while traveling or doing a WHV, you need to purchase specific insurance (most of the insurance companies mentioned above have offers for these situations).
• Claims resulting from the use of a motorized vehicle with 2 (or 3) wheels with a cubic capacity superior to 125cm3 : This is an important case to know in South-East Asia for example where scooter/motorcycle rental is very common! You will not be covered in case of an accident if the vehicle’s cubic capacity is superior to 125cm3 (you must also have a driving license, wear a helmet etc…). As far as we know, only TrueTraveller offers an optional coverage up to 250cm3… but if not, just make sure you don’t rent a motorbike with more than 125cm3!

Do I really need a long term travel insurance for my backpacking trip?

Now that you have seen what a backpacker travel insurance can be used for, let’s analyse together the scenarios where you may already be insured for some of the above mentioned points. Travel insurance is definitely a budget and it would be a shame to be insured twice for the same thing 🙂 .

You may have heard that if you have a premium credit card provider , you already have travel insurance. This is indeed the case, but it is better to know a little more about what your credit card covers in case of problems.

The first thing to know is that if you have a classic Visa or Mastercard, your coverage is almost non-existent. You absolutely must have a premium credit card to have a decent coverage (like a chase sapphire reserve or any other premium card).

Now, if you have a premium credit card, you will have decent coverage for medical expenses, liability, cancellation, luggage but with some drawbacks:

• The insurance is only valid for the first 90 days of the trip.
• You must have paid for your trip with your credit card .
• The limits are lower than for a regular travel insurance.
• There are a lot of nice little exclusions depending on the cards and banks that you should be aware of (always read the general conditions).
• You will often be reimbursed in complement to your primary health insurance (so you will have to pay in advance and this implies additional paperwork)

So in our opinion, for a long journey or a round the world trip, it’s not worth the headache to save between 50€ and 100€ for the first 3 months of coverage!

Remember that backpacker insurance companies are not meant to replace your home health insurance . It’s more about emergencies or getting you back home quickly if you really need it! So you always need to be covered in your home country even while traveling.

That said, depending on your home country and your health coverage, you might not need to buy a third party backpacker insurance. It could be more interesting to simply buy an additional travel package to your home health insurance (for example in Switzerland that’s the solution that works the best, in France not at all).

So my advice would be that you check what covers your home health insurance when you travel abroad (usually it’s not much and not long enough for a round the world trip) and see if you could buy a travel insurance plan that covers the important criteria for a good backpacker insurance .

Our opinion

Of course we recommend you to check the travel coverage of your home health insurance and your credit card. But most of the time, it won’t cover you enough for very important things like medical expenses abroad and personal liability which could have dramatic financial consequences if anything happens to you while you travel. So if you’re not covered for these things, do not gamble with that and get at least a cheap backpacker insurance. It’s not worth the risk!

Some of you might think:

Why think about the worst when we are about to experience an extraordinary adventure?

Well, yes, after all, no one is forcing you to buy a backpacker insurance for your round the world trip! (especially since it is clearly a budget) But ask yourself the question: Is it worth it?

Even if you are healthy and never had an accident until now, it does not mean you’re invulnerable. When you travel, you will surely have bad days, or you may be tired, distracted. And then you will cross countries with different rules than the ones you are used to. You might also just have bad luck one day and be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Obviously, the decision is yours, but if you are reading this, it is because our opinion is somewhat important to you.

So our recommendation is that if you’re going backpacking for a while, don’t be reckless and buy a cheap backpacker insurance at least!

How to choose the best long term travel insurance for backpackers?

We hope we have convinced you that if you are leaving for a long backpacking trip (more than 3 months), you should buy a travel insurance without hesitation. So if that’s the case, the next question is obviously the following:

Which of the many backpacker travel insurance coverage is the right for me?

And the answer is not so obvious because there is no perfect backpacker insurance! In fact, the ideal coverage will vary according to your trip, your expectations or your needs. To make it easier for you, let’s look at the points that will influence the choice of your insurance.

• Duration of the trip : Most insurances offer decreasing prices depending on the duration of your trip. Obviously the longer the trip, the cheaper it gets per month
• Visited countries : If you travel to countries like Canada or the United States where medical expenses can be really high, you probably won’t choose the same insurance as if you were traveling in Asia.
• I’m traveling solo, as a couple or with my family : Some backpacker insurances have special prices for couples or families.
• Small budget and minimal coverage or large budget and global coverage : Do you want to spend as little money as possible into your backpacker insurance and be covered for the most important points or do you want to invest a little more money and increase your level of cover.
• Adventurous activities : As mentioned earlier, it is often necessary to pay extra to be insured while doing adventure sports considered more risky.
• Valuables : Do you travel with 5000€ camera gear and a North Face tent or rather just a smartphone and a cheap tent 😉 ?

Even if you don’t have a huge budget, there are some non-negotiable points that are essential to any good long term travel insurance.

• Medical expenses : Your coverage must absolutely cover 100% of medical costs, whether they are emergencies or not (even if you go to the doctor for a flu, this must be covered). Obviously, the coverage limit should be as high as possible. (let’s say you need at the very least 100’000$)
• Repatriation : In case of emergency, you must have a backpacker insurance to cover the costs of any medical repatriation.
• Personal liability : Property damage or bodily injury caused unintentionally are usually very expensive and you need to be covered for this kind of situation.
• Support number 24/24, 7/7 : Because usually, when you need to contact your travel insurance for an emergency, you don’t want to wait 5 hours for the customer support to open.
• Excess ? Some coverages require a small amount to be paid per travel insurance claim and others don’t.
• Trip interruption : following the death of a close family member for exemple
• Legal assistance : In case of a lawsuit following an accident or an incident.
• Costs of research : if anything bad happens during a trek for example
• Visit of a family member in case of hospitalization
• Disability and death insurance

Based on all the points mentioned above and your priorities, you should now have less trouble choosing the right backpacker insurance for you… Especially by using the detailed comparison at the beginning of this guide or by reading our reviews of the best travel insurance for various situations.

And you, which backpacker insurance did you choose for your trip around the world?

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P.S. If you buy an insurance through one of our links, you will pay the same (or even get a small discount with AVI, Heymondo or GObyAVA) but we will get a small commission. This has in no way influenced the choice of the insurances presented above but will help us keep creating free and independent content on this blog.

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About Benoit

Self-taught web developer and passionate photographer, I love travelling and hiking for this incredible feeling of freedom they bring me. Curious, I constantly need to learn new things, to take on new challenges and I couldn't live any other way. I share with you on this travel blog my experiences on the roads but also my thoughts to travel better while respecting our beautiful planet (which is unfortunately in a very bad shape).

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Reader Interactions

4 years ago

Are this insurances available for latinamericans? I am interested on the gobyava insurance but it seems is for french people only.

Good question… actually these insurances are not only valid for french people only! But GoByAVA and Chapka are only valid for people resident of Europe (I’ll update the article)! But you could Go with ACS or AVI which are both good and pretty cheap!

I thought your site had solved my insurance problem but none of the companies will cover a person over 65 from UK (which is in Europe even if some very foolish politicians took us out of EU!)

Really? Did you try ACS? I know they have a new Globe Senior policy (https://www.novo-monde.com/go/assurance/acs-globe-senior-fr/)… But I’m not sure it’s available for the UK yet

9 months ago

I would like to know if there is insurance for 73 old people out there ! Thanks and Regards Fernando

Hi Fernando,

You should check out the Marco Polo coverage from AVI. I think they cover adventurous traveler like you 😉 –> https://www.novo-monde.com/go/assurance/avi-marco-polo-en/

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The Best Travel Insurance: Secure Your Adventures

What are the best travel insurance options for your next trip? Find out my top three picks after four years of full-time travel.

I know what you’re thinking. Travel insurance is a waste of money. You’ve gone your entire life without spending money on travel insurance and you don’t understand why every travel blog talks so much about it. Traveling in a post-covid pro-corporate world means being screwed over with no recourse.

Airlines these days have no obligation to get you to your final destination. Passengers are being stranded at connecting airports for days at a time with no solutions. Travelers are missing important events, incurring massive additional costs, and suffering emotional breakdowns as a result of negligence by airlines.

If you are in any travel group on social media or read any travel forums you probably read horror stories daily. On every single post or thread there are people who reply telling the distraught traveler to just contact their travel insurance to sort it out. But of course, that person doesn’t have travel insurance. If they did, they wouldn’t be having an emotional breakdown on the internet.

• Best Insurance Providers
• Choosing Insurance Plans
• Medical Coverage Basics
• Claims Basics
• Additional Considerations
• Covid-19 & Travel Insurance

Understanding Best Travel Insurance

When you’re exploring the world, the right travel insurance is a must have these days. The best travel insurance companies offer a safety net that covers unexpected incidents, from trip cancellations to medical emergencies. Finding the top provider for your needs means comparing various insurance products that cater to different travel scenarios.

Forbes Advisor and other reputable sources often list detailed ratings of insurance providers and their offerings. These evaluate numerous best travel insurance providers on criteria such as coverage options, customer service, and claim filing ease. Choose a comprehensive policy that gives you a broad range of protections, ensuring peace of mind during your travels.

Here’s a quick look at what to consider:

• Coverage: Seek policies that cover the essentials—trip cancellations, interruptions, baggage, and medical evacuation.
• Reputation: Look for insurance companies recognized for reliability and customer service.
• Cost vs. Benefit: Ensure the price aligns with the benefits provided, so you get value for your investment.
• Citizenship and Countries: Where you are from and where you are going are key factors for insurance products.

*This list of our partners is focused on U.S. citizens 

Your choice in a travel insurance policy should reflect your trip’s needs. Whether it’s a single trip or ongoing travel plans, involve insurance agents as they can guide you through the selection process. The best travel insurance is the one that provides the right coverage before you ever have a reason to need it.

I share products I love with you through affiliate links, which means if you buy something through one of these links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Top 3 Providers of the Best Travel Insurance

Axa travel insurance.

AXA Travel Insurance excels with its robust range of options catering to both leisure and business travelers. Recognized for its reliability, AXA offers customizable plans that include coverage for trip cancellations, emergency medical treatment, and travel disruptions.

Their policies are particularly favored for extensive medical evacuation coverage, ensuring that travelers receive the care they need, no matter where they are in the world. Additionally, AXA ‘s proactive customer service team is ready to assist travelers around the clock, providing peace of mind from pre-trip planning through the journey itself.

World Nomads

World Nomads is widely celebrated among adventurous travelers for its support of a wide range of adventure activities that many other insurers do not cover. This provider is ideal for those looking to engage in high-risk activities like scuba diving, skiing, and mountaineering.

World Nomads makes it easy for travelers to buy and extend their insurance coverage online, even while already on the road. Their policies are comprehensive, offering protection against trip interruptions, theft of personal belongings, and unexpected medical issues, with the added flexibility that nomadic travelers particularly appreciate.

Travelex Insurance Services

Travelex Insurance offers travel insurance solutions that emphasize simplicity and efficiency, making it a great choice for families and occasional travelers. Travelex ‘s plans often include unique benefits like coverage for children at no extra cost and a waiver for pre-existing medical conditions.

Their coverage extends to trip cancellations, interruptions, and delays, as well as providing for emergency medical and dental expenses. Travelex is known for its straightforward claims process, which is highly transparent and supported by customer service that ensures travelers get the support they need when they need it.

How to Choose the Right Travel Insurance

Choosing the best travel insurance for your trip used to be only for bougie travelers. These days every traveler should be prepared for getting screwed by corporations on their upcoming trip. A good starting point is to assess your coverage limits to ensure adequate protection. You’ll want enough coverage to handle unexpected events like medical evacuation, flight delays, or lost luggage.

Considerations for Coverage:

• Medical expenses: Look for policies with comprehensive health coverage.
• Trip cancellations: Ensure the policy includes trip cancellation insurance.
• Luggage reimbursement: Check for limits on the value of luggage contents.

When selecting insurance, review your travel credit card benefits. Some cards offer built-in insurance options which could suffice for short trips or minor concerns. Still, for more extensive coverage, a standalone policy might be necessary.

Travel Credit Card Benefits:

• Lost baggage coverage
• Trip interruption insurance
• Travel accident protection

Consult with travel agents , as they can offer insights into the insurance options that suit your travel needs. They keep track of the best time to purchase insurance and can guide you towards plans that provide ample coverage.

Insurance Options from Travel Agents:

• Cruise insurance
• Annual trip insurance
• Specific needs-based plans

To ensure you make an informed decision, compare the best travel insurance plans available. Use trustworthy comparison sites to weigh premiums, deductibles, and exclusions side by side. Some of the viral insurance products get really creative about what they consider a covered reason for paying out a claim. The last thing you need during a stressful travel situation is an insurance company trying to pull one over on you.

Medical Coverage

When selecting travel insurance, coverage should be at the forefront of your considerations. Quality plans offer extensive support for medical emergencies and the management of pre-existing conditions, ensuring your health is safeguarded while abroad.

A key consideration for U.S. residents is ensuring you know if your insurance will pay medical providers directly or if you need to front the cost and be reimbursed. It’s always a good idea to have ample access to funds in the event that medical services will be withheld until payment. Oftentimes you will not have a choice as to where you are going to receive treatment and that hospital may or may not be on an approved list from your travel insurance.

Medical Emergency and Evacuation

When selecting the best insurance, it’s crucial to have robust medical protection. This becomes vital if you encounter a medical emergency in a remote area or an international trip. High-quality travel insurance coverage should include extensive medical treatment and emergency evacuation. These benefits cover costs from ambulance services to emergency room fees. In dire situations, if an emergency evacuation to a more equipped facility is needed, these costs can range from $25,000 to $2 million. Always ensure your insurance company provides comprehensive travel insurance plans that prioritize these scenarios, safeguarding your health no matter where you are.

Managing Chronic Conditions Abroad

Traveling with medical conditions means you need a medical plan that specifically addresses your health care needs. The insurance policies for those with chronic conditions provide ongoing coverage for medical treatment, medication, and even health care maintenance outside your home country. It’s essential to confirm that your policy covers your particular medical conditions without exclusions and includes all necessary medical benefits. This ensures you receive the best possible care, no matter where your travels take you.

Understanding Coverage for Family Members

Ensuring your family members are also covered under your insurance is crucial. Comprehensive insurance plans should extend the same level of medical protection to every family member involved in the trip. This includes provisions for medical events, routine health care, and unexpected medical treatment. When researching the best insurance policy, make sure the policy extends these protections to all traveling family members. This not only offers peace of mind but also ensures that everyone has access to necessary medical care, keeping your trip worry-free for all involved.

Using Your Travel Insurance

When your plans hit a snag, like a flight delay or sudden trip cancellation, the policies come to the rescue. For travelers facing unexpected changes, travel delay coverage kicks in after a set time frame, which is crucial to know when comparing insurance plans. Be prepared with detailed documentation of non-refundable trip costs and receipts if you’re claiming for trip interruption. These policies can reimburse you for financial losses, ensuring that a delayed flight or a missed hotel night doesn’t have to break the bank. Additionally, top providers typically offer clear guidelines on how these claims are processed, ensuring you’re not left in the dark during stressful times.

Trip Interruptions and Delays

Inclement weather and natural disasters are realities that can profoundly affect your travel plans. If a hurricane or another severe weather event disrupts your trip, it’s important to understand the specifics of your coverage. Most policies set a waiting period before you can file a claim for trip cancellation or interruption due to weather conditions. Having CFAR coverage can provide additional benefits, allowing you to cancel for any reason, including unforeseen weather changes, although this might increase your policy’s cost. This type of foresight is particularly valuable for international trips or in areas prone to extreme weather.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Ensuring your personal items and belongings are covered in case of loss or theft is another aspect of selecting the best insurance. Look for policies that include baggage insurance, which can cover the cost of your belongings if they are lost, stolen, or damaged during your trip. This coverage is essential for peace of mind, especially when carrying valuable items or traveling to remote areas where replacements are not readily available. Additionally, check if the travel insurance policy offers coverage for baggage delays, which can provide funds to purchase necessities if your bags are delayed for a certain period. This coverage is particularly crucial for U.S. citizens traveling abroad, where accessing replacement items might be challenging.

Frequent Travelers and Special Groups

When you’re on the move often, annual travel insurance plans can be a game-changer. These plans are cost-effective for U.S. residents who travel several times a year, covering multiple trips under one policy. You’ll save time and possibly money, avoiding the need to purchase separate coverage for each trip.

For those with nonrefundable trip costs, it’s crucial to find the best insurance suited to your travel frequency and budget. If you travel with family, consider plans that cover every family member. It will give everyone peace of mind throughout your journey. Tailored plans can ensure that, if plans go awry, you’re not out of pocket.

Lastly, older travelers might have different insurance needs, often requiring more comprehensive coverage. Be sure to examine policies carefully, as some insurances offer more robust options for medical protection, which can be vital for those needing extra reassurance while away from home.

Here are a few key points to remember:

• Frequent Travelers: Look into annual or multi-trip plans.
• Family Consideration: Check if your family members are covered.
• Older Travelers: Ensure suitable medical coverage is included.

Selecting the right policy keeps you prepared and protected, whether you’re exploring new horizons or traveling for work.

Impact of Covid-19 on Travel Insurance

Adapting to new travel restrictions.

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed the landscape of international travel. Travel restrictions can vary greatly between countries, affecting everything from entry requirements to the types of travel insurance necessary. U.S. residents planning trips abroad must stay informed about these changes to ensure compliance and coverage. It’s crucial to understand the fine print of your travel policy to know how it applies in different pandemic scenarios.

Covid-19 Coverage in Travel Health Insurance

Since the onset of the pandemic, travel health insurance has evolved to specifically include Covid-19 related medical expenses. This adaptation is critical for travelers, providing peace of mind by covering costs associated with testing, quarantine mandates, and emergency medical care if infected while traveling. Providers like Allianz Travel Insurance now offer plans that cater specifically to the challenges posed by Covid-19, ensuring travelers are not left vulnerable abroad.

The Rise of CFAR Coverage

“Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance has become more prominent due to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19. CFAR allows travelers to reclaim a significant portion of non-refundable trip costs for cancellations due to illness, fear of travel, or sudden border closures. This type of insurance offers an additional layer of financial protection. It’s a popular choice among travelers looking for flexibility and security in their travel plans.

Securing the Best Travel Insurance in a Pandemic

In today’s ever-changing health landscape, securing the best insurance is more crucial than ever. Comprehensive coverage that addresses potential Covid-19 complications can safeguard your financial investment and health during your next trip. Travelers are advised to carefully review their insurance options. Focus on policies that offer extensive medical plans, interruption coverage, and emergency medical evacuation. Ensuring you have the right type of insurance can make a significant difference in how well you manage the complexities of traveling during a global pandemic.

FAQ: Best Travel Insurance

What does standard travel insurance cover.

Standard travel insurance typically includes coverage for trip cancellations, medical insurance, baggage loss, and accidental death. It’s designed to offer peace of mind for the most common travel-related issues.

How much does travel insurance usually cost?

The average cost of travel insurance varies based on the trip cost, duration, destination, and the traveler’s age. Typically, it ranges from 4% to 10% of the total trip cost.

What is medical evacuation coverage?

Medical evacuation coverage is a critical component of travel insurance that covers the cost of transporting you to a medical facility capable of providing the necessary treatment in case of a serious medical emergency, especially in remote areas.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by travel insurance?

Coverage for pre-existing conditions varies by policy. Most travel insurance plans cover them if the insurance is purchased within a set time frame from the date of the first trip payment, provided the condition has been stable.

What should U.S. residents consider when purchasing travel insurance for domestic trips?

U.S. residents should look for policies that offer comprehensive coverage for travel delays, cancellation due to illness or emergency, and protection for personal belongings. This is particularly relevant for trips that involve multiple states or remote locations.

What happens if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is delayed, travel insurance can reimburse you for additional expenses such as meals and accommodations, provided the delay meets the minimum time frame covered in your policy.

How do I claim for baggage loss under my travel insurance?

To claim for baggage loss, you need to report the loss to the airline or transport authority immediately and obtain a written report. Then, submit a claim to your travel insurance provider with the report and any receipts for emergency purchases.

Are there travel insurance options for frequent flyers?

Yes, frequent flyers might benefit from annual or multi-trip travel insurance plans. These are financial products that provide coverage for multiple trips over the year, offering both convenience and potential savings.

What should I look for in a travel insurance policy from a travel supplier?

When purchasing travel insurance from a travel supplier, ensure it covers the full scope of your trip, including medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and any specific needs like adventure sports. Also, review the covered reasons for trip cancellation to ensure they meet your potential needs.

The post The Best Travel Insurance: Secure Your Adventures appeared first on Nomad Veronica .

Escape Cancun crowds: 8 quieter Mexico beach towns for your next vacation

• Cancun is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, but there are a plethora of other, less popular Mexican beach towns just waiting to enchant travelers.
• From charming surf towns to snorkeling along sea turtles, travelers should explore the diverse beauty of the rest of Mexico’s expansive coastline.
• With no shortage of warm weather, sun and surf throughout Mexico, these destinations offer a quieter, less crowded experience.

Cancun reigns as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, and there’s no mystery why. The Caribbean Sea-adjacent locale has a myriad of sprawling beach resorts, clear turquoise waters and a vibrant nightlife. In 2023, Cancun welcomed over 21 million tourists .

While Cancun is beautiful and lively, there are a plethora of other, less popular Mexican beach towns just waiting to enchant travelers. From charming surf towns to snorkeling along sea turtles, travelers should explore the diverse beauty of the rest of Mexico’s expansive coastline.

With no shortage of warm weather, sun and surf throughout Mexico, these destinations offer a quieter, less crowded experience than enjoying Cancun alongside 30 million other tourists. 

Far Homes spotted hidden gems across Mexico’s coast, looking at the destinations’ natural beauty, recreational activity offerings, safety and accessibility to learn and experience the local culture. To assess each town’s safety ratings, Far Homes released a report looking at crime statistics from data by the Executive Secretary of the National Security System. While some of these spots are known to attract tourists, they’re nowhere near as saturated as Cancun or Cabo. 

Here are eight under-the-radar beach towns in Mexico to consider adding to your travel list.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Cancun without the crowds: Meet Isla Mujeres, a quieter Mexican getaway

Located about an hour from Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita perfectly balances bustling and mellow energy. “Sayulita is a fun little town full of eclectic restaurants and shops,” said Gene Alvarez, a local real estate agent from Net Real Estate who works with Far Homes. “With several great surf breaks and a laid-back atmosphere, it attracts surfers, backpackers, and bohemians.” It’s easy to get around for travelers not well-versed in Spanish, and many people rent mopeds or golf carts to cruise around the town. While the main beach in town, Playa Sayulita, can be crowded for both surfers and beachgoers, travelers can head north to the neighboring village of Playa San Pancho for quieter, more serene beaches.

Fly into Cancun Airport and head about three hours south to Akumal for a quieter escape from Cancun and Tulum. Scoring high with Far Homes for its natural beauty, Akumal has become more known among travelers for its pristine beaches and lush jungles. Must-dos in Akumal include snorkeling with sea turtles in the clear waters of the marine protected area of Half Moon Bay and swimming in the enclosed cenote Yal-Ku Lagoon, said local real estate agent Rob Kinnon from BuyPlaya. Just 15 minutes south is the famous Tulum Archaeological Site, where Mayan ruins made of limestone sit perched upon a cliff.

Puerto Escondido

Located in the Pacific Ocean-facing state of Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido is a rising destination for its world-class surfing breaks and easy-going lifestyle. Travelers can fly directly to Puerto Escondido International Airport, less than two miles from town. “From the trendy bars of Zicatela to the laid back vibes of La Punta, the town has something for everyone,” said local real estate agent Jon Ferioli from Bayside Real Estate. “And with nods from international magazines, Puerto Escondido is quickly becoming the go-to spot for digital nomads seeking inspiration and connection.” The town scored high for its activities offerings. Even if you don’t want to brave the often powerful waves, travelers can go on crocodile boat tours through the mangroves, witness the glowing bioluminescent plankton in two of the nearby lagoons at night, or visit Casa Wabi, a contemporary art and architecture museum. 

Isla Holbox

If you’re really itching to escape the crowds, head to Isla Holbox, a 26-mile-long car-free island located right off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. While the island has grown in popularity and therefore development, it still offers travelers a secluded beachside retreat. Travelers can wander the streets, which are paved in sand, barefoot or in golf carts – the main mode of transportation on the skinny island. To get there, travelers fly to Cancun International Airport then travel by car for two hours to Chiquila to board a 15-minute ferry ride to the island. While it may take more effort to visit Isla Holbox over Cancun or Cabo, it’s well worth it. The resort town ranks high for natural beauty, including bioluminescent lagoons and whale shark tours, and safety. 

Those seeking out the sun and sand will find Huatulco to be paradise with its 36 beaches and nine bays, and endlessly sunny weather. Less developed than Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, the small resort town offers activities like kayaking, hiking waterfalls or scuba diving, and is bordered by the Huatulco National Park. Of course, travelers can just relax on the beach as well. To get there, travelers can fly into Bahias de Huatulco International Airport, a short hour-and-a-half flight from Mexico City. “The international airport is only 10 minutes away, and the area attracts tourists looking for a more authentic Mexican experience and small-town feeling,” said Brent May, founder and CEO of Bayside Real Estate. 

Located on the Pacific coast in Oaxaca, Zipolite’s former hippie culture is still retained with its laidback, rustic charm and a focus on eco-tourism. The community evolved around a hippie beach culture and has now become known for its excellent restaurants, bars, trendy boutique hotels, and low-key party culture,” said May. Over an hour’s drive from Puerto Escondido International Airport, the town scored high for activities and safety, and there are not as many tourist traps as in the more developed parts of Mexico. The massive Zipolite beach remains Mexico’s only legal nude beach, but there’s also a western end known for surfing and a small eastern bay called Playa del Amor that's known among the LGTBTQ+ community. “

This sleepy fishing village of Mahahual has grown in popularity among travelers, thanks partly to cruise ships. However, it still has much to offer travelers, ranking high for culture and safety by Far Homes. “This charming coastal town is best explored by bicycle,” said Gaby Ortiz, sales manager at Maya Ocean, a local real estate broker. “As you pedal through its scenic streets, you can lose track of time, immersed in the natural beauty and tranquility of your surroundings.” To get to Mahahual, travelers can fly into Chetumal International Airport and drive for about two hours. Travelers eager to experience vibrant marine life will find Mahahual to be the perfect destination. Spanning nearly 72 miles, the largest barrier reef system in Mexico and the Caribbean, Banco Chinchorro, is just an hour-long boat ride away. The UNESCO biosphere reserve is home to coral, American crocodiles, rays, turtles, nurse sharks and even sunken ships. On land, travelers can visit the Museum of Costa Maya and the Chacchoben Mayan ruins to learn more about local history and culture. 

Todos Santos 

About an hour’s drive from Los Cabos International Airport on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Todos Santos is known as a haven for artists and creatives as well as its colonial architecture. Nestled between the coast and the desert, the town ranked highly for natural beauty, safety and culture with Far Homes. If travelers venture away from the bustling town center – home to boutique galleries, shops and restaurants – they can go surfing at the nearby Playa Los Cerritos or hike the coast of Punta Lobos. “At one time a small fishing village, Todos Santos now boasts several chic hotels and world-class dining, but it hasn’t lost its indie soul. Make sure to stop at Jazamango for a true Todos Santos dining experience,” said Nancy Costa, a local real estate agent with Costa Cabo Realty. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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The Guide to Travel Accident Insurance

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When it comes time to hop on a plane, train or automobile, there’s one thing that can offer some peace of mind: travel insurance. But while lost luggage, delayed flights or interrupted plans may be top-of-mind concerns, coverage for unforeseen circumstances like travel-related accidents should also be considered.

Here’s a breakdown of what travel accident insurance is, what it covers and what to know when purchasing a policy for a vacation.

Keep in mind that specific policy coverage varies by provider, so it is wise to check the terms and conditions of each provider to understand what you’re covered for. Also, you may consider applying for a travel card that offers travel accident insurance benefits .

What is travel accident insurance?

Travel accident coverage is largely what it sounds like — a specific benefit of travel insurance that provides financial protection for accidents that happen while you’re traveling. But there are limitations and variations for not only what’s covered, but also what the term means depending on the plan you select.

Travel accident insurance coverage is sometimes called "Emergency accident coverage" or "Emergency medical coverage," depending on the plan. As well, travel accident insurance may include or be offered separately from accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Jump to learn more about definitions »

Via credit cards

Chase Sapphire cardholders, for example, receive accidental death or dismemberment coverage as part of their travel accident insurance policy. Coverage applies when the cardholder pays for their air, bus, train or cruise transportation with the card.

Via third-party plans

In contrast, most policies purchased from travel insurance providers cover you no matter when or where during your travels an accident strikes (so long as you’re within your originally selected travel dates and actively traveling, but more on that in a minute).

Other policies might offer accident coverage as an optional upgrade on top of a baseline policy.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Travel accident coverage defined

Because this type of insurance can be presented in a variety of ways, it’s important to understand the differences and read your policy for clarification.

Travel accident insurance: This coverage is often an umbrella term that includes death and dismemberment and/or emergency medical coverage. But some policies don’t use the term at all, while others use it to describe death and dismemberment benefits exclusively. Still others lump the term “accidents” in with emergency medical.

Emergency medical: This term is typically used for just what it sounds like: any sort of emergency medical care required during your travels, accident-related or otherwise. This coverage will reimburse you for any emergency medical costs up to the policy limit.

Accidental death and dismemberment : This benefit is generally a set amount, not a cost-specific reimbursement-related coverage like with emergency medical. This means that if you die as a result of an accident during your travels or have a dismemberment or severe disability, you or your chosen beneficiary will receive the flat amount listed in your policy — usually 100% of the maximum benefit in the case of death and 50% in the case of a lost limb.

Exact verbiage may differ, which can impact the sort of coverage offered versus what you think you’re getting. So always read up on the details.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

What does accident travel insurance cover?

Specific coverage differs from one policy to another.

Generally, though, travel accident insurance or emergency accident coverage, especially when lumped in with death and dismemberment benefits, will cover any sort of loss of life or limb, whether that’s eyesight, a hand or a foot, or an accident that results in required emergency medical attention during your travels.

When it’s presented as emergency medical coverage, it may also reimburse you for expenses like doctor visits, hospitalizations, necessary medication, X-rays or ambulance fees.

What's generally not covered?

Not every injury from all types of accidents is covered by every travel insurance policy.

Adventure sports. Many policies don’t cover injuries that happen as a result of extreme sports or similar activities, so if you plan on bungee jumping, mountain biking or snowboarding, you may need to consider a plan that specifically covers adrenaline-based activities .

Additional care back home. You’re covered only for accidents that occur during your trip and for medical services rendered while you’re still traveling. If you seek additional medical care after you get home, it’s usually not covered by travel insurance.

Alcohol and drugs. As a general rule, travel accident insurance (and travel insurance more broadly) doesn't cover the consequences of being under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, especially above legal limits.

Cards with travel accident coverage

Many travel cards offer built-in travel accident coverage when you use them to book a trip.

Terms and coverage vary, so make sure you read the fine print, but here's a look at some popular cards and the insurance coverage they offer.

on Chase's website

on American Express' website

• Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Travel accident: Up to $1 million.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

Terms apply.

How to choose trip accident insurance

When planning for travel and choosing accident insurance, make sure to read policy information carefully, as with all travel insurance.

Ensure that you understand the differences in coverage, payout and limitation information between offerings like travel accident insurance, emergency medical coverage, and death and dismemberment benefits. Read detailed policy information before you buy to know what’s covered and what to do if the worst happens.

American Express insurance disclosures

Insurance Benefit: Trip Delay Insurance

Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Insurance Benefit: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Introduction to InsureMyTrip

Features of InsureMyTrip Platform

• Purchasing and Managing Your Policy
• How to File a Claim
• Customer Service Experience and Usability
• Why You Should Trust Us

InsureMyTrip Travel Insurance Review 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Founded in 2000, InsureMyTrip is the first major travel insurance comparison site to hit the market. The company has served over 4 million customers and works with some of the best travel insurance companies to help travelers find the right coverage. Here's a closer look at what you need to know before using its comparison tools.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Connects customers to a range of the most popular travel insurance providers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Site prioritizes travel insurance providers by customer reviews
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Site does not facilitate claims filing
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. InsureMyTrip customer service is limited
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Company does not provide its own travel insurance packages

Introduction to InsureMyTrip 

InsureMyTrip is a travel insurance broker, which means it doesn't offer its own travel insurance. Instead, InsureMyTrip lets you compare policies from 25 of the industry's best travel insurance companies to select the best coverage for your needs. You can also buy, manage, and cancel your insurance policy through InsureMyTrip.

InsureMyTrip also has a customer service team called Anytime Advocates, which can help you file or facilitate a claim. Having an extra set of eyes on your claim may help you receive a response faster than if you were to take on your travel insurance claims office on your own.

Even if you prefer to purchase an insurance policy directly from your provider, InsureMyTrip is worth a visit solely for their customer reviews. You can read reviews by specific plan and whether a claim was filed. This is a great feature in a travel insurance marketplace, getting honest insight into how well a company works.

When you InsureMyTrip, you'll be able to see all the plans that apply to your travel details and personal information. You can opt to only see the following policy types: 

• Comprehensive
• International Medical
• Medical Evacuation
• Embassy Visa
• Accidental Death

Once you obtain your list of quotes, you can opt to see limits and terms for specific coverages, such as trip cancellation, emergency medical, evacuation, and pre-existing condition coverage . You can also receive quotes on annual travel insurance policies, if you intend to go on more than one trip this year.

Here are some more terms that InsureMyTrip offers with its quotes.

Best Plans Guarantee

First, InsureMyTrip's Best Plans Guarantee ensures that only plans with multiple positive ratings and reviews are shown to its consumers. The company provides a forum to allow past customers to share their experiences with specific providers. The insurance providers get a grace period to collect enough reviews. After the grace period expires, the site's offerings are filtered based on the feedback received, with the highest-rated plans receiving the highest ratings.

In short, you're free to choose your travel insurance, but InsureMyTrip's site prioritizes the companies consistently performing well, making it easier to find travel insurance companies you'll love.

Price Guarantee

All travel insurance is regulated state by state. So as InsureMyTrip points out on its website, offering discounts on these products is illegal. With that in mind, the company promises to show you the lowest prices while remaining legally compliant, meaning you won't find a (legal) lower price anywhere else.

Money Back Guarantee

You can cancel your InsureMyTrip travel insurance plan during your review period and get your money back if you're unhappy. However, there are a few caveats to this one. First, the company clearly states that each cancellation and refund policy differs by the provider, and you'll likely be subject to those terms. In addition, some providers may charge an administrative fee, which is typically not eligible for a refund.

InsureMyTrip Travel Insurance Cost

The cost of travel insurance can vary widely depending on several factors, including the trip destination, trip duration, trip cost, the age of the travelers, the provider, the plan chosen, and any additional coverage options selected.

The average travel insurance plan costs 4-8% of your total trip cost. Like your flight tickets, hotels, etc., prices fluctuate depending on your location, time of year, and more. The best way to compare the average cost of travel insurance for your plans is by comparing quotes online.

Purchasing and Managing a Policy With InsureMyTrip

You can get a quote from InsureMyTrip's website by inputting the following information:

• Destination
• Travel Dates
• Citizenship and Residence
• Number of travelers and their ages
• Trip details (taking a flight, cruise, renting a vacation home)

Once you're taken to the quotes page, you can compare policies and sort your search by price, popularity, and rating. 

How to File a Claim with InsureMyTrip

You'll need to work directly with your insurance provider if you have to file a claim. However, InsureMyTrip makes it easy to access the correct contact information and claims forms.

You can find your provider's information by navigating to the "File a Claim" page on InsureMyTrip.com . Then, select your insurance provider and policy from the drop-down menu. Typically, InsureMyTrip will provide each insurer's phone number, emergency contact line, and mailing address. When available, it also lists email addresses and URLs for claims forms.

If you encounter any issues with your provider's claims process, you can email InsureMyTrip's Anytime Advocates at [email protected].

InsureMyTrip Customer Service Experience and Usability

InsureMyTrip received an average rating of 4.3 stars out of five from Google Maps reviews of its headquarters in Rhode Island. Most of the negative reviews of InsureMyTrip talk about a claims issue with their providers, which InsureMyTrip doesn't directly control.

InsureMyTrip regularly responds to negative reviews, offering phone numbers and emails that customers can call for help with their policies. 

How InsureMyTrip Compares

Insuremytrip vs. squaremouth.

Squaremouth is one of the leading travel insurance aggregators, listing policies from 32 companies compared to InsureMyTrip's 25 companies. Squaremouth also lists options online for group travel insurance policies, which InsureMyTrip only quotes for when you call their customer service line.

Both InsureMyTrip and Squaremouth allow you to purchase, manage, and cancel a policy on their platforms. You'll have to file claims directly with your insurer, but both companies offer ways to facilitate customer claims. InsureMyTrip has an Anytime Advocates team, which can help customers with filing claims or facilitate an existing claim. Squaremouth has a Zero Complaint Guarantee, which promises that they'll act as a mediator if a customer feels that a claim was denied unfairly. 

InsureMyTrip vs. VisitorsCoverage

InsureMyTrip's offerings are more comprehensive than VisitorsCoverage's, which offers policies from 15 travel insurance companies.

VisitorsCoverage does a better job summarizing policy terms, offering eligibility details like max trip length and age limits, which InsureMyTrip lacks. It also offers more search filters, allowing travelers to select search options for students studying abroad, business travelers, and U.S. green card holders. That said, VisitorsCoverage does not field customer reviews.

Read our VisistorsCoverage review here.

InsureMyTrip FAQs

Yes, InsureMyTrip offers travel protection insurance from 25 travel insurance companies, with search customizations like medical-only, Schengen Visa insurance, and AD&D insurance.

InsureMyTrip is very user-friendly, streamlining the insurance purchasing process and allowing travelers to compare all plans available for their trip. 

While InsureMyTrip offers some search refinements, they do not offer a filter for adventure sports.

Yes, customer reviews often highlight InsureMyTrip's customer service as helpful and efficient in addressing questions and assisting with policy selection. Negative customer reviews often receive responses from InsureMyTrip's team, which will try to resolve lingering issues.

InsurInsureMyTripMyTrip offers the advantage of comparing multiple insurance plans from different providers in one place, simplifying the process of finding the best coverage for specific travel needs.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed InsureMyTrip

When reviewing InsureMyTrip, we looked at its insurance partners and ran comparisons against other broker sites within the industry. We looked at the providers listed on its website, the assurances it offers, and customer reviews.

You can read more about how we rate travel insurance products here .

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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