Insurance

Hi all,

UK newbie here. Planning a round the World trip. Not going 'til July, so just thinking ahead right now. Currently expecting to go for 6-12 months - will see!

Wondering what to do about insurance. I've had quotes and the cheapest was nearly £800!

I know there's much cheaper annual insurance but they stipulate that it's for multiple trips and not just one big trip. Assume that if you claimed on these and they found out then it would invalidate the insurance. Not sure how they'd find out, but they no doubt have their ways

Anyone had any experience of this side of things?

Cheers,
Twonk

I just did some quick googling, came up with TrueTraveller at £338, but it may depend on your age and other details.

Consider what you want to cover. I don't care about baggage cover etc, I just want medical cover. Maybe that will alter the quotes you get.

Baggage cover isn't important to me either but medical cover...including your repatriation (or that of your body)... is absolutely essential. Medical bills don't go away and even if you die your family can be chased for payment.

Also make sure that any insurance covers you for activities you want to do e.g. riding a scooter/motorbike/horse, bungee-jumping, parascending etc etc...and be aware that you may not be covered for any sort of accidental injury if you're drunk or under the influence of drugs. Exclusions like this are the norm in UK travel insurance. Too many people.. and their families... have discovered this too late.

Thanks both

Agree, not bothered about baggage. Medical is the primary concern.

Yes, am over 50, so premiums higher. Hadn't seen TrueTraveller before, and their quote is much better so will no doubt go with that.

Cheers again

Moneysavingexpert.com has good insurance comparison tools. If backpacker insurance is too specific for that, perhaps a search of their forums would be useful.

One aspect I've found difficult in the past is thagt for UK residents/insurance you often have to be physically in the UK to take out a policy and it can't be extended whilst you're travelling. For open-ended travel you end-up having to buy cover for the longest period you might be away - potentially wasting money.

I found Big Cat and Sports Cover Direct that allow you to extend whilst travelling (and to add extras like altitude or extra activities. One of them you can do it online, other you have to telephone them.

I'm currently travelling using one of them (can't remember which one). One was somewhat cheaper than the other but I'm age 66 so who knows for somebody in a different situation. Plus they do the "Basic","Premium","Gold" (or whatever names the give them)

The fixed length/max. is daft as if the "must currently be in the UK. If I spend a week somewhere the risk is exactly the same whether the previous week was in the UK or elsewhere - and insurance is about risk. In fact you could argue if you've been travelling for 6 months then the risk for the next 6 months (all things being equal) is probably lower as you've become more "street-wise" and gathered natural immunity to local bugs ...

As said above, travelling independently most of the things covered by insurance is a waste of time e.g. flight delays (you just need a coffee shop and a book to read). Baggage cover is never adequate in a technology based world (phones, cameras, etc.). But I agree with others, medical is important.

Ian

Thanks for the suggestions Ian. I had myself wondered what will happen if I wanted to extend. And yes, I too would have thought that if you've been going 6 months without needing a claim then your risk profile would be lower.

Big Cat quote was pretty good and covered being away for 24 months so definitely going to consider it. They get mixed reviews but you always have to try to read between the lines on that.

Nice to hear from a senior(ish) gent and one who's travelling as we speak. Hope your travels are going well. One of my fears is being older than all the typical other travellers so I trust it's not all 'gap-yah' ravers on the trail

[ Edit: Edited on 22 Feb 2023, 20:35 GMT by twonk ]

Quoting twonk

...
Nice to hear from a senior(ish) gent and one who's travelling as we speak. Hope your travels are going well. One of my fears is being older than all the typical other travellers so I trust it's not all 'gap-yah' ravers on the trail

I've never found age relevant when travelling. I don't do "dorms" as I'm fortunate in not needing to stretch budgets that tight. But otherwise I'll talk to anybody and everybody.

In relation to age, one aspect I have noticed is that younger people tend to sit around burying themselves in their phones ... "lonely phone syndrome". It's a terrible isolating thing and prevents striking up conversations and I do sometimes wonder if it's subconscious deliberate to avoid having to talk to others. It's the best way of finding out all the interesting stuff (talking to others), discover the amazing things that bloggers have missed as they were to busy focusing on their phones. Phones are very useful but they don't need 24x7 attention.

Ian

Suggest you cast a wider net of information sources for global medical and evacuation coverage. There are organizations (insurers, etc.) that can meet your needs. Age does matter, particularly for those older than 74. Cost is likely to be higher and/or coverage amounts reduced. An evaluation from a physician may be required before a policy or membership can be approved. I live in the U.S. and I have medical/evacuation coverage with an insurer for an entire year for multiple trips up to 70 days. Supplemental coverage is available. A friend has somewhat similar coverage with a Germany-based insurer. There are organizations that provide global medical/evacuation services for as long as 365 days for a membership fee. You don't have to be a U.S. resident to participate. Some U.S. credit cards, particularly those with annual fees (some in the hundreds of dollars), also provide travel and medical/evacuation coverage.