If you’re looking for backpackers’ travel insurance, this guide will help you decide which insurance company could be best for you and give you some tips on how to choose the best backpackers' travel insurance policy.
What is backpackers' travel insurance?
If you have an upcoming trip to discover the world backpackers travel insurance is recommended to keep you covered should any accidents or incidents occur. Backpacking travel insurance is sometimes referred to as gap year insurance or extended leave travel insurance and covers you for as long as you’re abroad, typically between 12-18 months. It can cover multiple destinations during one trip and usually allows you to temporarily return to the UK to visit friends or family, or deal with an emergency and then go abroad again.
Why do you need backpacking travel insurance?
It's always recommended you take out insurance when travelling, and backpacking is no different. The benefits include reimbursing any expenses you may incur from loss of belongings, accidents, flight delays or cancellations, medical bills, and events outside of your control. Some destinations may be more dangerous than others, some have higher levels of crime, and accidents can happen to even the safest of travellers.
Taking out cover will provide you with security and support should you need it during your travels.
What does backpacker insurance cover?
Depending on the company and level of cover you choose, most companies cover the following:
Medical and hospital cover, including emergency medical treatment, surgery, hospitalisation fees, and hospital transfers.
Emergency evacuation in the case of injury or a natural disaster.
Trip cancellations in case you need to cancel your trip due to emergencies, injury, or family bereavement.
Travel delays due to delays caused by an event for which you're insured.
Personal liability / legal fees, if you're liable to pay damages due to accidentally injuring someone or damaging/losing someone's property.
Losing your passport.
Lost or stolen personal possessions will be covered (this may not include gadgets), provided they haven’t been left unattended.
Dental emergencies may be covered by your insurance company.
Coverage for most countries; however, check for any labelled as unsafe.
Death overseas and repatriation.
Always read the small print to ensure you have the level of cover you're happy with.
What isn't covered?
Typically, backpacker travel insurance doesn’t include:
Extreme sports or high-risk activities, including base jumping, solo climbing, or caving.
Diving may require additional coverage.
Accidents or loss of belongings whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Injuries or accidents whilst partaking in reckless or illegal behaviour.
Traveling to unsafe places as advised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Changing your mind and cancelling a trip.
Not disclosing pre-existing conditions may invalidate your policy.
If a destination requires a visa that is denied, you won’t be reimbursed for your trip.
Stolen cash
Jobs, including operating heavy machinery or manual labour, whilst on a working holiday visa.
If civil unrest makes your destination unsafe but the government in this destination hasn’t called for an evacuation, you won't be covered.
Comparing the best backpacking insurance companies
TrueTraveller
TrueTraveller offers great value coverage up to 18 months, offering outstanding medical cover and personal accident cover, as well as legal expenses. They cover 92 activities as standard, and cover you for non-manual work. You can also add on Adventure, Extreme and Ultimate Activity Packs to cover you for additional activities.
Go Walkabout
Go Walkabout offers a range of policies for gap years, a working holiday visa, or extended travel. The ‘Walkabout' policies come in ‘Walkabout' and ‘Walkabout Plus' and are perfect for budget-conscious travellers looking to tailor their level of cover and travel for up to 18 months. They also offer ‘work packs,' which cover various jobs, from farm labouring to operating machinery or working with animals, plus ‘activity packs' for those looking to add on certain sports and activity cover.
Outbacker
Outbacker offers flexible cover for those aged under 40. It covers travel for up to 18 months, over 230 sports and activities, covers if you need to return to the UK, and working abroad is covered as standard. Policies all include My SOS Family app to provide peace of mind. The app includes location sharing, sending out alerts when triggered, and notifying emergency contacts & emergency services in the event of a crisis.
Tesco Backpacker Insurance
Tesco backpacker insurance offers travellers cover for up to 18 months; travellers can choose between Economy or Premium cover. Policyholders will have access to an English-speaking online doctor, and a 24/7 helpline will be available in case of medical emergencies. Clubcard members get 10% off when buying directly.
World Nomads
World Nomads is a global insurance company designed by travellers. Their standard or explorer plans cover you for destinations around the world for up to 12 months, with the added benefit of taking out cover after you've left the UK.
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TrueTraveller ‘True Value’ |
Go Walkabout ‘Walkabout’ |
Outbacker ‘Economy’ |
Tesco ‘Backpacker Gold’ |
World Nomads 'Explorer' |
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What is the difference between backpacker, multi-trip & single-trip insurance?
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Single Trip |
Annual Multi-trip |
Backpacker Travel Insurance |
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How much does backpacker travel insurance cost?
Backpacker travel insurance can cost anywhere from £220 and over £1500 and beyond, depending on the level of cover you choose.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Backpacker Insurance
The destinations you travel to
Trips to higher-risk countries, and those with expensive healthcare, such as the USA, will incur a higher premium.
Duration of travel
The longer your trip, the more expensive your cover will be.
Age of the policyholder
Premiums increase with age, as older travellers are considered higher risk. Typically, gap year travel insurance covers those aged between 18 – 49.
Pre-existing health conditions
Pre-existing health conditions will increase premiums. Travellers are considered at higher risk of needing medical treatment. You must declare all pre-existing health conditions when taking out your policy.
Activities
Certain activities or extreme sports will require additional specialist cover. The premium will depend on the activity and the destination of the activity.
Backpackers with pre-existing conditions
It's important to declare any pre-existing medical conditions. Failure to do so could mean you incur costly medical bills should you need any treatment. Insurers will assess the risks of your condition to determine how likely it is that you'll require medical treatment.
The following conditions should be declared before you travel:
Chronic illnesses
Heart conditions
Diabetes
Asthma
Mental health issues
Please declare any medical conditions during the application process. Some gap year travel insurance companies will cover many conditions as standard, provided you have not been hospitalised (including day surgery or visits to A&E) for the condition in the past 24 months.
It's worth checking the policy wording to ensure you meet certain requirements, for example, if you have Cancer, certain policies will require that you have not had any chemotherapy or radiotherapy in the 12 months before you purchase the policy.
All policies vary, so discuss any concerns directly with the insurance company, be truthful during your application, and read the small print.
What add-ons are available for backpacker travel insurance?
There are several add-ons you may want to consider for additional benefits that won’t always be covered as standard on your policy.
Gadget cover
Standard backpacker insurance covers for lost, stolen, or damaged gadgets, including mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Check how much your items are worth and increase the coverage should you need it.
Winter sports cover
Activities including skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding, tobogganing, or snowmobiling require you to add winter sports coverage to your policy. Every insurance provider offers a different level of coverage, so it's crucial to check the policy details.
Extreme sports/activities
Extreme sports can include base jumping, free solo climbing, solo mountaineering, wingsuit flying, and trekking, but for anything more ‘extreme', you'll need to get specialist insurance.
Volunteering cover
Some gap year travel insurers will cover volunteering positions; however, it depends on the type of work. If you're primary reason for travel is to volunteer, volunteer travel insurance offers specialised coverage. Volunteering jobs which aren't covered as standard include manual labour or high-risk activities such as using machinery, working at heights above a certain level, or working underground.
Trip disruption cover
This will cover costs incurred if your trip is disrupted and you need to change your plans due to events such as natural disasters.
Extending your trip
Some insurance providers allow you to add cover to extend your trip, giving you the flexibility to stay and enjoy your travels for longer.
Excess waiver
This add-on means you can travel and not need to pay excess should you need to make a claim.
Top tips
Check the duration of cover - your policy must cover you for the entire trip. If you extend, you must update your policy whilst abroad.
Check that the cancellation cover is enough to cover the costs you’ve paid for your travel.
Ensure you declare all pre-existing conditions.
Check the policy wording in detail and make sure you read the small print!
Keep a record of the events if an emergency or incident occurs, and keep any receipts of expenses.
Compare several insurance providers to get the best deal.
Make sure your insurance will cover the cost of any expensive gadgets should you need to replace them.
If you’re trekking, any activity over 3,000 metres above sea level is generally not covered by travel insurers – make sure you check!
Ensure your policy covers you for at least 2 million pounds of emergency medical cover and repatriation.
If you’re travelling worldwide, it’s recommended you increase this to £5 million.
Check the Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Aware website for safety and security in your destinations.
If you're volunteering, check whether you're covered and what type of volunteering work it will cover.
We recommend taking a travel wallet to keep your travel documents safe.
Take a small first aid kit to help with any minor injuries you might suffer.
Take a photocopy of your passport, so if it's lost or stolen, this can help you when applying for new travel documents.
Take a padlock to secure your belongings when leaving them in hostels/accommodations.
FAQs
Do I need a return flight for backpacker travel insurance?
Some insurance providers require you to have a return date when taking out backpacker insurance. However, there are some travel insurers, such as Big Cat Travel Insurance will allow you to take out one-way travel insurance.
What is the difference between backpacker and annual travel insurance?
Backpacker insurance allows you to travel for up to 18 months, to multiple countries as part of one trip. Whereas annual travel insurance is designed to cover you for up to 12 months, for multiple trips throughout the year.
Are dental accidents or emergencies covered under backpacker travel insurance?
Most insurers will cover you for urgent dental emergencies that require immediate treatment.
Can you take out backpacker travel insurance once you’ve already left your country of residence?
This can depend on the insurance company; some will require you to take out insurance before you travel. Others, such as TrueTraveller, will allow you to take out insurance after you leave your country of residence.
What should I do if I want to travel to a destination not covered in my policy?
Destinations the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advise against visiting will not be covered by backpacker insurance or any travel insurance policy. If you choose to travel to these destinations, you won’t be covered by your travel insurance.
Some insurance companies may offer European FCDO Travel Advice Extension cover, which provides compensation towards accommodation or travel expenses should the FCDO advise travellers to return home.
What gadgets won’t be covered under standard backpacker travel insurance?
Depending on the provider, some will allow you to insure a certain number of gadgets under a standard policy or will pay up to a certain amount should you lose or break items. However, if you have any expensive tech, you might want to include an add-on which gives you additional cover.
If you don’t get appropriate vaccinations for your travel destinations and become unwell, are you covered for medical treatment?
If you choose not to get the recommended vaccinations and become ill as a result, you will invalidate your gap year travel insurance policy.
Is diving covered under backpacker travel insurance?
Most standard backpacking policies will cover you for diving, but with limitations. Some will only cover you for dives up to a depth of 18 meters. Others will allow you to add adventure activity cover, which will cover you for deeper dives.
If I miss my flight, due to unforeseen circumstances, am I covered or entitled to compensation?
You will be covered if you miss your flight for any reason which are mentioned in your policy. If they’re not mentioned, you won’t be covered. It's worth checking your policy, as each provider will be different.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that if you miss a flight due to a fault of airline, such as delays or a mechanical failure, it is the responsibility of the airline to ensure your flight runs on time. If they fail to do so, the airline is responsible for compensating you, not your backpacker insurance provider.
Summary
Choosing the right backpacker’s insurance policy is imperative to make sure you’re covered in case of any unexpected events. For those backpacking on a budget, it’s tempting to opt out of this to save on costs, but the alternative could be very expensive should any incidents arise. Checking the policy wording in detail is recommended to make sure you’re covered for everything you require, and any extras are added on if you need more coverage.
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