Is there Travel insurance for backpackers?

Many people go away in the gap year between high school and university for long periods of time. On many occasions, they go on long trips around the world, with their possessions in a backpack. Some people also go during the summer holidays at school and university. These backpacking trips can be for an indefinite length of time. You may go country hopping as well. All these things make it very unlikely that you will be able to find a regular travel insurance policy to cover you, for various reasons. Luckily, riding in on a white horse is the brave, gallant knight Sir backpacking travel insurance, here to rescue you.

The ultimate reason you need specialised travel insurance for backpackers is that both single trip insurance and annual travel insurance will only cover you for a trip of less than 90 days. So, should you be studying abroad or going on a very extended holiday, this is the product for you. This kind of insurance is also known as worldwide travel insurance, and very occasionally and for particular purposes has been called student travel insurance.

Should you be wishing to go on a backpacker holiday, it is not compulsory for you to buy a specialist backpacking travel insurance policy, but it is more or less essential for you to do so for quite a few reasons. First of all, since you have a very long time abroad, and you are also going to a high number of countries, there is no other policy to give you cover as a would-be globetrotter.

When you make your application for backpacking travel insurance, the insurance company will ask you where you are going. Ideally, you will know where you are going as most people end up planning where to go. But, if you have actually been away around the world, then you'll know that if you have planned to go to Australia for a portion of your stay but end up in Thailand or maybe Bali for a period then you do need to tell your travel insurance company.

The reason for this is that different areas of the world pose a different perceived risk for the travel insurer. The USA poses one level of risk - in that the longer you are there the more chance you may have to use their extremely expensive healthcare system. Meanwhile, should you be in Europe, it will be easier for them to get you home, so that will be cheaper. Should you be in Australia and New Zealand, it'll cost more to get you home, or transport your family over to be with you. Plus, you may be more likely to take part in extreme sports, so you need more insurance for that.

© AskFinancially.com 2008

Travel Insurance

Insurance & Loans

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Is there Travel insurance for backpackers?

© AskFinancially.com 2008

Travel Insurance

Insurance & Loans

Copyright