What’s the BEST Backpacker Travel Insurance in 2022?

What do you search for in a backpacker journey insurance coverage plan? That is an important query you have to be asking!

We perceive that backpackers prefer to journey a bit in another way than others. I imply, we’re backpackers ourselves.

As a backpacker, your low-budget life-style is prone to take you off the crushed path. Typically you prefer to go locations the place you may immerse your self in tradition. Different instances you may need to meet different vacationers from world wide.

However identical to any traveler, backpackers also needs to shield themselves with complete backpacker insurance coverage.

Even if you happen to’re quick on money, being a backpacker doesn’t imply that you need to put your self in danger. There are many low-cost and inexpensive backpacker journey insurance coverage choices on the market. 

As a result of let’s be trustworthy…

The very last thing you need to threat in your journey is your well being and security. To not point out, touring with out journey insurance coverage may also depart you with hundreds of {dollars} in medical payments and bills.

Bear in mind. One huge medical invoice can rapidly flip an in any other case wonderful journey right into a traumatic reminiscence.

That’s why it’s essential to at all times shield your self with journey insurance coverage. For only a few {dollars} a day, you may arm your self with the instruments wanted to make your backpacking journey a protected and memorable one.

As vacationers ourselves, we perceive the safety that backpackers want whereas on the street. That’s why we put collectively this complete checklist of our favourite backpacker journey insurance coverage corporations.

We’re right here that will help you work out what to search for in a coverage. Then you may resolve which firm is true to your journey.

What Is Backpacker Insurance coverage?

Let’s begin with the fundamentals.

Backpacker insurance coverage is journey and medical insurance coverage created for wanderlusters and journey seekers. It protects you towards plenty of journey mishaps, like canceled flights, emergency hospital visits, and even misplaced baggage.

And I guess you agree with me right here. Something that may shield your misplaced baggage is value each penny.

Backpacker insurance coverage is extra versatile than different sorts of journey insurance coverage. It covers a broader vary of nations and actions. It’s additionally so much cheaper than conventional journey insurance coverage.

And look, there are dozens of insurance policies and firms to select from. However some journey insurance coverage corporations are higher fitted to backpackers than others.

As a result of the reality is, backpackers have totally different wants than different vacationers. They’ve totally different journey necessities and wish a journey insurance coverage firm that understands their particular life-style.

It doesn’t matter the place you’re touring. It’s important to overview your choices for backpacker insurance coverage. 

Why Backpackers Want Journey Insurance coverage

In relation to planning your once-in-a-lifetime backpacking journey, journey insurance coverage could also be the very last thing in your thoughts. Actually, isn’t it extra enjoyable to spend time choosing out the correct backpack or reserving the best hostel?

Nicely, your well being and security can be one thing to contemplate. That’s why we consider journey insurance coverage is the only most essential factor to carry in your journey. Journey insurance coverage protects you towards any unexpected accidents or emergencies that you could be encounter in your journey.

• Damaged leg from a scooter crash? Your backpacker insurance coverage coverage will cowl your medical payments.
• Stolen digital camera on the practice? Backpacker insurance coverage will reimburse the price of your belongings.
• Tropical thunderstorms cancel your flight to Thailand? You’ll be reimbursed and scheduled on the subsequent flight out.

It’s straightforward to see how journey insurance coverage can shield you in quite a lot of unlucky conditions. It could additionally prevent hundreds of {dollars} in medical bills. For that reason alone, backpacker insurance coverage is completely value it.

However journey insurance coverage isn’t just for backpackers. Regardless of the place you journey on the earth, it’s essential to guard your well being (and your pockets) with journey insurance coverage. 

The Greatest Backpacker Insurance coverage Firms

The sheer variety of backpacker insurance coverage corporations in the marketplace might be considerably overwhelming. Nonetheless, choosing the proper supplier to your journey doesn’t should be difficult.

There are particular journey insurance coverage corporations which can be higher fitted to backpackers than others. 

Let’s take a better take a look at a few of the finest journey insurance coverage corporations which can be made particularly for backpackers.

World Nomads: The Greatest Total Journey Insurance coverage for Backpackers

World Nomads is, in our opinion, the very best backpacker insurance coverage firm in the marketplace. It’s made for vacationers by vacationers.

They really perceive the wants and life-style of backpackers.

World Nomads gives two totally different insurance policy:

1. The Normal Plan contains $100,000 in emergency medical protection, $300,000 in medical evacuation and repatriation, and $1,000 for stolen or misplaced baggage.
2. The Explorer Plan contains $100,000 in emergency medical protection, as much as $500,000 for evacuation and repatriation, and better protection limits for journey cancellation, journey interruption, and misplaced or stolen baggage.

Not solely do they provide complete journey and medical protection, however in addition they cowl excessive sports activities and actions. Each of World Nomads’ insurance policies include safety for over 300 actions, like bungee leaping, scuba diving, and white-water rafting. 

Better of all? Your coverage might be edited or prolonged on the go, which is essential for backpackers.

And relating to value? World Nomads can be one of the inexpensive backpacker insurance coverage choices. For the worth, you’ll obtain complete protection for many actions and emergencies that you just’ll encounter in your journey.

If World Nomads appears like the corporate for you, simply fill out the shape under to get a quote or click on right here to learn our full World Nomads Journey Insurance coverage overview.

SafetyWing: The Greatest Lengthy-Time period Backpacker Insurance coverage

As one of many latest names within the insurance coverage biz, SafetyWing is a superb choice for long run journey insurance coverage. Whether or not you’re occurring an prolonged trip or just touring open-ended with no return date, SafetyWing will cowl you.

Not like the opposite insurance coverage corporations on this checklist, SafetyWing enables you to journey for so long as you need. You don’t even must specify the period of your journey — your insurance coverage mechanically extends each 28 days till you resolve to finish it.

Plus SafetyWing is without doubt one of the most inexpensive journey insurance coverage corporations on this checklist, with insurance policies ranging from about $40 for 4 weeks.

SafetyWing solely gives one insurance coverage plan. This plan comes with $250,000 in emergency medical protection and $1,000 in dental protection. In our opinion, this quantity is adequate for many medical emergencies or accidents.

SafetyWing additionally gives evacuation safety. Not solely do they supply $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation, however in addition they cowl evacuation on account of political unrest.

Some of the important variations between SafetyWing and different backpacker insurance coverage corporations is journey safety. Journey cancellation just isn’t included in your SafetyWing insurance coverage coverage. Nonetheless, they do supply $5,000 for journey interruption in case you must return house.

And in contrast to different corporations…

SafetyWing additionally gives house nation protection, together with protection within the US. So, if you happen to return house for the vacations or summer time trip, you’ll nonetheless be protected in case you get sick or injured.

SafetyWing is a superb choice for vacationers who solely want medical protection. By forgoing journey cancellation protection, you may nonetheless shield your well being whereas additionally saving a couple of further bucks.

If SafetyWing appears like the corporate for you, simply fill out the shape under to get a quote or click on right here to learn our full SafetyWing overview.

battleface: The Greatest Journey Journey Backpacker Insurance coverage

battleface is a brand new journey insurance coverage firm, however it has rapidly develop into one in all our favorites for its extremely complete insurance coverage insurance policies.

The oldsters behind battleface have tons of expertise offering protection for Struggle & Terrorism journalists, NGO staff, journey vacationers, and extra. They already know what’s essential for high-risk vacationers and thrill-seekers, so that they’ve created merchandise for all sorts of vacationers, whether or not you’re a digital nomad or an excessive sports activities fanatic. 

battleface has two totally different plans, together with the essential Journey Medical Insurance coverage, which covers the same old issues like emergency medical and evacuation.

battleface’s Journey Journey Insurance coverage additionally has emergency medical and evacuation, however further Search & Rescue protection for journey to off-grid locations. This plan covers actions like snowboarding, snowboarding, diving, mountaineering, white or black water rafting, snowmobiling, biking, and crusing.

All of their journey plans embrace 24/7 emergency journey and medical help companies and on-the-ground brokers, which is extremely useful whenever you’re out of the country.

Plus you may improve your coverage to incorporate Disaster Response, which incorporates protection for issues like terrorist assaults, wrongful detention, hijacking, and violent crime.

The utmost medical protection quantity will rely in your plan. The best quantity of emergency medical protection you’ll get is $500,000 for the Journey Medical Insurance coverage, whereas Journey Journey Insurance coverage covers as much as $100,000. That is greater than sufficient!

For all these causes, battleface is our best choice for journey journey insurance coverage.

Simply fill out the shape under to get a quote or click on right here for our full battleface journey insurance coverage overview.

Journey Guard: The Greatest Backpacker Insurance coverage With the Most Coverage Choices

Decide and select the correct journey safety to your wants with Journey Guard. Not like different one-size-fits-all insurance policies, Journey Guard permits you to select the correct journey and medical protection to your journey.

Select between quite a lot of plans reminiscent of annual journey protection, cruise safety, medical protection, and even enterprise journey. You too can buy their Pack N Go plan. This plan is good for last-minute journeys that don’t require journey cancellation protection.

You possibly can additional customise your plan to your particular wants by including non-obligatory upgrades. Add automotive rental collision, flight accident, and cancel for any cause protection to any one of many accessible journey insurance policy. And if you happen to plan on collaborating in high-risk actions, Journey Guard additionally gives non-obligatory journey insurance coverage.

It’s additionally essential to notice that some plans are solely accessible to residents of sure states. Emergency medical protection, accessible advantages, and coverage value will rely completely on which state you reside in.

In comparison with different backpacker insurance policies, Journey Guard costs could also be a little bit bit larger. Nonetheless, the largest profit to their plans is the power to constructed out the correct insurance coverage coverage to your journey.

TravelGuard is a superb backpacker insurance coverage firm if you wish to tailor your protection to suit your journey wants.

Seven Corners: The Greatest Medical Backpacker Insurance coverage

Seven Corners has three totally different backpacker insurance policy. Emergency medical protection for the most cost effective plan is $10,000, whereas the elite coverage comes with $250,000 in safety. Journey cancellation and journey interruption are additionally reimbursed between 100%-150% (as much as a specific amount).

However to actually customise your backpacker insurance coverage coverage, you may add one of many many advantages to your plan. This contains rental automotive harm, cancel for any cause safety, and unintentional dying and dismemberment. As well as, you can too add safety for ski and golf tools!

Nonetheless, you may forgo journey cancellation protection and simply buy a journey medical coverage as a substitute. These customizable medical plans help you select your most restrict in addition to the deductible. And, you’re coated for medical and dental remedies, emergency evacuation, and even private legal responsibility. 

And right here’s the loopy half.

Should you e-book a journey medical plan at the very least 20 days earlier than you permit, you could be eligible for pre-existing medical situation protection.

Should you plan to take a number of journeys in a single 12 months, then Seven Corners additionally gives a separate annual journey insurance coverage plan for frequent vacationers.

The Wander Frequent Traveler plan gives medical protection inside and outdoors the US for brief time period journeys all year long.

So, in case you are in search of a coverage with the very best medical safety, then Seven Corners is perhaps the correct backpacker insurance coverage for you. (For an additional choice that covers pre-existing medical circumstances, contemplate Travelex.)

What to Search for in Low-cost Backpacker Insurance coverage

There are a number of key components to contemplate when taking a look at backpacker insurance coverage. Some journey insurance coverage corporations supply particular advantages that cater to adventurous backpackers and long-term vacationers.

Take the time to search for a plan that matches your journey plans.

Flexibility is Key

Similar to your plans, your backpacker insurance coverage must be versatile. 

Let’s take a look at an instance.

You resolve final minute to go snowboarding in Germany and Austria, two nations that weren’t initially in your itinerary. Or maybe you spontaneously resolve to increase your trip by a couple of months. 

In these conditions, you’ll be grateful to have insurance coverage that you may regulate on-the-go. You may search for backpacker journey insurance coverage that’s paid in installments, or that may be up to date and adjusted halfway via your journey.

This flexibility is nice, and it enables you to journey in your phrases.

Protection for Excessive Actions and Sports activities

Let’s face it; backpackers love their excessive (and typically reckless) actions. That’s why you must search for backpacker insurance coverage that gives safety for no matter journey you could encounter in your journey.

From scuba diving in Indonesia to sky diving in Hawaii, you’ll need protection for all these enjoyable and exhilarating moments. 

Nonetheless, many conventional journey insurance coverage corporations don’t supply safety for these occasions. So if you happen to plan on doing any excessive sports activities, be certain that your backpacker insurance coverage supplies exercise protection.

An Inexpensive Value Level

Lastly, good backpacker journey insurance coverage must be inexpensive. Flights, hostels, and meals prices rapidly add up. This may make worth an enormous issue when selecting journey insurance coverage.

Even if you happen to’re hoping to maintain your journey low-cost, you must nonetheless spend money on journey insurance coverage. Luckily, there are a number of backpacker insurance coverage corporations that provide complete insurance coverage that gained’t break the financial institution. 

Most backpacker insurance coverage solely prices a couple of {dollars} a day. There’s no excuse why you shouldn’t have it to your backpacking journey!

What’s Coated by Backpacker Insurance coverage?

Now you’ve gotten an thought of why journey insurance coverage is essential. So, what ought to your backpacker insurance coverage plan cowl?

The precise protection will fluctuate from coverage to coverage. However there are particular advantages you must search for when selecting backpacker insurance coverage firm.

Journey Cancellation

Think about dropping hundreds of {dollars} on a backpacking journey solely to cancel since you caught the debilitating flu days earlier than.

Not enjoyable. This has occurred to me.

When you’ve got journey cancellation protection, you then’ll get a reimbursement for these non-refundable flights and resort stays.

It’s essential to notice that you may’t cancel for any cause. Journey insurance coverage solely enables you to cancel in severe conditions, like household emergencies or pure disasters.

Journey Interruption

Journey interruption covers you in case you must return house early. It covers issues like a household emergency that requires you to alter your plans.

The checklist of acceptable causes for journey cancellation protection additionally applies to journey interruption protection. 

Journey Delay

Should you miss your connection on account of dangerous climate or an airline strike, then your journey insurance coverage coverage will kick in.

Some insurance policies will cowl your every day prices for resorts or meals. Different insurance policies may pay for the airline or practice prices related to getting you to your closing vacation spot.

Stolen, Misplaced, or Broken Property

Your backpacker journey insurance coverage may additionally cowl stolen, misplaced, or broken baggage and private belongings.

Let’s say you lose your smartphone or break your digital camera lens throughout your journey. With journey insurance coverage, you may get reimbursed for a few of the related prices. And with some insurance policies, you may even be coated if an airline loses your bag throughout your flight.

Delayed Baggage

Not solely does backpacker insurance coverage cowl misplaced baggage, however it may additionally cowl delayed baggage. If the airline misplaces your bag, you’ll be reimbursed for toiletries or every day bills till your baggage arrives.

Medical Therapies and Bills

Emergency medical protection is without doubt one of the most essential advantages to have when touring overseas. You possibly can by no means predict whenever you’ll get harm, particularly if you happen to’re a thrillseeker.

Give it some thought like this.

Say you break your leg mountain climbing via China or get a foul case of meals poisoning. Your China journey insurance coverage will aid you pay for any medical care wanted whereas abroad.

With out emergency medical safety, you’re caught paying for any costly medical payments or hospital stays completely out of pocket. And relying on how extreme the sickness or damage is, these payments may very well be hundreds and hundreds of {dollars}.

As we prefer to say—touring with out medical safety is actually like touring with out medical insurance. Should you don’t have safety towards emergency medical remedies, then you possibly can be placing your life in danger!

Medical Evacuation

Should you get into an accident in your journey, likelihood is, you’ll must journey by ambulance to the hospital. And if you happen to’re someplace distant, just like the mountains or desert, you may must be airlifted to the closest facility. 

In these instances, you possibly can be taking a look at transportation prices of round $100,000. And with out medical evacuation protection, you’ll must pay for these bills by yourself.

Do you’ve gotten $100,000 laying round?

Some insurance policies additionally supply non-medical evacuation protection. This contains safety in case your vacation spot is impacted by political unrest or pure disasters.

Medical Repatriation

The most effective backpacker insurance coverage may even embrace medical repatriation. In case your damage or sickness turns into too extreme, then medical repatriation will cowl the bills to fly you again house. That approach, you may obtain medical care in your house nation.

What’s NOT Coated by Backpacker Insurance coverage?

Though backpacker journey insurance coverage covers quite a lot of conditions, it does have its limitations. Listed below are a couple of situations that can most likely not have protection underneath your journey insurance coverage coverage.

Alcohol and Drug-Associated Accidents

Most backpacker insurance coverage corporations is not going to reimburse for accidents that occurred whereas intoxicated. If the police or the hospital breathalyze you, you then would most likely be accountable for paying the medical payments your self.

As well as, you most likely can’t declare objects that have been misplaced on account of neglect. Which means you may’t declare your misplaced telephone if you happen to have been out ingesting and partying the evening earlier than.

Costly Electronics

If you’re touring with costly digital camera tools or gear, you must contemplate taking out supplemental digital insurance coverage. Most backpacker insurance coverage corporations solely reimburse as much as a specific amount per merchandise. This implies it most likely gained’t cowl your costly laptop computer or DSLR.

For separate digital protection, we suggest InsureMyEquipment.

Pre-Present Situations and Test-Ups

Pre-existing medical circumstances are often excluded from each backpacker insurance coverage and conventional journey insurance coverage insurance policies. The look-back interval for well being protection will fluctuate by firm. So, be certain that to learn the tremendous print in your coverage.

Medical check-ups and regular physician visits aren’t included in most backpacker insurance coverage insurance policies both. Ensure that to see your physician for a checkup earlier than you permit to your journey.

Misplaced Money

Whereas most backpacker insurance coverage insurance policies will cowl the price of misplaced baggage or private property, this often doesn’t embrace money. Should you get pickpocketed, you may have the ability to declare the worth of the pockets. Nevertheless it’s unlikely you may declare the cash inside.

For that reason, it’s a good suggestion to not carry some huge cash whilst you exit. Go away cash locked within the resort protected, or use the ATM every time you want spare money.

Tips on how to File a Declare on Your Backpacker Insurance coverage

If an sudden incident occurs throughout your journey, you’ll be glad that you just familiarized your self with the declare submitting course of. This fashion, you may file a reimbursement declare for any bills or prices you’ll have incurred.

The precise course of to file a declare will fluctuate between backpacker insurance coverage corporations. It’s best to seek the advice of the tremendous print of your coverage to see the exact steps you must take.

Name the Backpacker Insurance coverage Supplier’s Hotline

A dependable journey insurance coverage firm may have a 24-hour hotline that you may contact anyplace on the earth. The customer support agent may help you:

• File your declare.
• Discover the closest in-network physician.
• Work with the native police or authorities (if wanted).

Simply bear in mind:

Should you’ve been in a severe accident or emergency, name the police or search medical consideration as quickly as attainable. You possibly can at all times contact your insurance coverage supplier after.

Doc the Incident or Accident

Whenever you file your backpacker insurance coverage declare, you’ll must submit the suitable documentation as proof for reimbursement. 

Your insurance coverage supplier will ask for copies of the medical payments and accident report for medical claims. And if somebody stole your smartphone, you’ll want the filed police report and a purchase order receipt.

Bear in mind, it’s your duty to gather as a lot info as attainable. The extra info you submit, the extra seemingly the insurance coverage firm will approve your declare.

File and Submit Your Declare

For backpackers, it’s essential to have a coverage that permits you to submit your declare from wherever you might be on the earth. That’s why the very best backpacker insurance coverage firm will help you submit your declare on-line. Some corporations will even help you file the declare in your cell phone!

You’ll must fill out your info and any related details about the incident. Then, you’ll connect your supporting documentation and payments to the declare. After you submit your info, your backpacker journey insurance coverage firm will overview your declare to see if you happen to’re eligible for reimbursement.

The processing time might be anyplace from a couple of days to a couple weeks. If the corporate requires additional documentation, they may contact you for extra info.

In relation to submitting a declare, an important factor to remember is the corporate’s timeline. In lots of instances, you solely have a sure variety of days to submit and file your declare. Should you submit your declare previous the date, you then gained’t be eligible for reimbursement!

What You CAN’T Declare with Backpacker Insurance coverage

Merely having backpacker journey insurance coverage doesn’t imply you may file a reimbursement declare for each state of affairs. Naturally, there are some circumstances you may’t declare together with your insurance coverage supplier.

Incidents Exterior Your Protection Dates

This could go with out saying, however your backpacker insurance coverage solely covers you for a particular period of time. 

For the complete coverage to take impact, some corporations require that you just buy your plan earlier than your journey begins. Which means you might be solely in a position to declare incidents or accidents that happen after you’ve gotten full protection.

Similarly, you must renew your backpacker insurance coverage if you happen to prolong your journey previous the preliminary protection dates. If you don’t prolong your insurance coverage, you then won’t be able to file a declare after your coverage has ended.

Claims Filed Previous the Coverage’s Timeframe

If one thing occurs in your journey, you’ll must file a declare together with your backpacker insurance coverage firm inside a particular timeframe. Should you wait too lengthy to file the declare, you then may not be reimbursed.

Some corporations require that you just file the declare instantly, whereas others help you file inside a number of weeks or months of the incident. Ensure you perceive your organization’s coverage earlier than you buy backpacker insurance coverage.

Journey Cancellation or Interruption for Any Motive

Beneath sure circumstances, you could want to go away early or cancel your journey completely. Nonetheless, it’s essential to notice backpacker insurance coverage solely covers you in sure conditions, like sickness, damage, or household emergencies.

You’ll most likely not get reimbursed if you happen to change your thoughts, or discover a higher worth some other place. Then again, some backpacker insurance coverage suppliers supply “cancel for any cause” protection. Should you add this profit, you’ll have the ability to file claims for causes exterior what was listed by your backpacker insurance coverage supplier.

Accidents in Excessive-Danger Nations

Though most locations are protected to go to, there are some nations that the US authorities has deemed too harmful for vacationers. So if you happen to plan to journey to a high-risk nation, you may not have the ability to file a declare if one thing have been to occur to you throughout your journey.

Then again, some backpacker insurance coverage corporations will present partial protection. For that reason, you must learn the tremendous print to see in case your insurance coverage coverage will cowl your vacation spot.

Conditions With out Correct Documentation

In an effort to get reimbursed to your medical payments or misplaced objects, you’ll want to supply your insurance coverage firm with proof. With out this paper path, you most likely gained’t get reimbursed.

Relying on what you might be claiming, you’ll want itemized receipts, hospital payments and even police stories. The extra info you’ve gotten, the extra seemingly your insurance coverage supplier will approve your declare.

Remaining Ideas

In addition to your passport, backpacker journey insurance coverage is without doubt one of the most essential issues to take with you in your journey. It’s there to guard you towards sudden incidents from bike accidents and meals poising to stolen baggage and misplaced smartphones. 

And as you now know, you don’t should spend an arm and a leg to guard, effectively, your legs and arms! There are many corporations and insurance policies that provide respectable protection for only a few {dollars} a day. 

With inexpensive and complete protection, World Nomads is our backpacker insurance coverage supplier of selection. Nonetheless, you could discover that there are different corporations which can be higher suited to your journey. 

Try totally different insurance policies, evaluate corporations, and store round for good offers. However on the finish of the day, simply be sure you buy journey insurance coverage from someplace. As a result of if you happen to can’t afford journey insurance coverage, you actually can’t afford to journey!