Travel Insurance: A Backpacker’s Best Friend

We understand the thrill of setting out as a backpacker – travel insurance is the last thing on your mind as you prepare for new experiences, foods and cultures. However, backpacker travel insurance is an absolute essential. In fact, it should be the first thing you budget for, as you could get into serious financial trouble if something goes wrong when you’re away.

Today we are talking about why backpacker travel insurance is so important, whether it saves you money, what it covers and what it doesn’t.

Why Have Insurance?

Backpackers find themselves in situations that ordinary travellers may not face. For example, they often have lots more flights and connections than holiday-makers. When travelling in economically unstable countries they may have to replace stolen or damaged goods which can be very expensive. What’s more, backpackers often have to journey with large amounts of cash, making them vulnerable to theft. Young travellers often stay in cheaper – and therefore less secure accommodation – meaning that valuables, such as cash, technology, passports and papers, are at risk.

Can it Save Me Cash?

As many round-the-world travellers are on a budget, this is often this first question that they ask. Of course, no insurance policy is guaranteed to save you cash. Ideally, you will never have to use the policy at all. However, the longer you are journeying the higher the chance you encounter some kind of problem, whether that is cancelled flights, a stolen phone or lost luggage. In six or nine months of adventuring, chances are you’ll need to use your insurance policy at least once.

Therefore, taking out a fairly inexpensive policy could save you some serious money in the long run. Many backpackers travel on a shoestring and have little left in their budgets for extra flights, replacing technology or emergency medical care. The right policy will cover all these costs for you.

What Does Backpacker Travel Insurance Cover?

One of the most important things covered by a good policy is medical costs. Medical care easily adds up, especially when dealing with serious injuries, and you don’t want to be stuck with a huge bill when you return to the UK. A specialist policy will also cover things like cancelled flights, delays, accidental loss of valuables, theft or damage to your personal items, accidents and more.

As most policies cover your stay in multiple countries, you don’t have to deal with the complicated business of insuring each individual stint of the journey.

What Isn’t Included?

A backpacker-specific policy doesn’t cover everything, so always check the small print. Most insurers will not offer protection if you are planning on entering countries which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office have declared unsafe, this might be because of war or civil unrest. Extreme sports, such as scuba diving, are also often excluded from ordinary policies. However, you can often request add-ons to include activities you just can’t miss. 

Though cheap-as-chips policies are attractive when you are safe and sound in the UK, you will be glad you paid for a comprehensive and trustworthy insurance package once you have begun your adventures. Choose wisely and have a wonderful trip!

Author Plate

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best backpacker travel insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.