In this section we show you step by step how to understand and buy travel insurance.
We also enable you to compare what we consider to be five of the best travel insurance companies head to head. We included these companies in this section for a reason – they are the companies that we recommend to our own friends and family – based on quality, price and relevance to backpackers.
How do I use this hub?
To make sure that you understand what you are buying and buy the right insurance for your trip (and so leave fully covered) we would strongly recommend that you follow Steps 1- 3 below. Trust us, this section really will show you how to buy travel insurance and will enable you to find the right policy for you.
Scroll to the bottom to read how our travel insurance hub has helped others save money / understand insurance.
We say:
“People buy insurance like they buy bread…‘It looks right, nab the cheapest, off I go’. However, you’d never go into a supermarket and choose the cheapest ready-filled trolley of shopping available would you? That’s because you want to choose the stuff you need for the right price and quality, right? Insurance is the same.
Do not choose a package that just looks right. Work out what you need and choose a package that is right. Why spend more on ‘medical’ and ‘Personal liability’ than you need? Why pay for baggage and travel delay if you’re never going to claim? By getting this right you could save over £50 on policies over 6 months long! This section is here to help you find out what you need, what you don’t and where you can get it from. So there’s no excuse to travel uninsured. None whatsoever”
Three easy steps to understanding and buying insurance
Step 1: What do you need?
Click on the big button to print off our insurance ‘assistant’. Here we explain what those weird insurance terms mean in plain English, such as ‘excess’ and ‘curtailment’ (just click on ‘What is this?’). We also give you an idea of how much cover you’ll need for your trip so you can simply grab a pen and fill in the boxes relevant to you on the insurance assistant. What you are left with is the exact policy that you need for your trip.
Figuring out your needs in advance will also save you money, as you won’t spend extra cash on a policy paying for the ‘bits’ you don’t need. Put that money towards a bungy jump, night in hostel or a couple of beers!
Step 2: Where are you going?
Most online insurance sites now will let you compare multiple coverages and companies. Cover depending on how much cover you want, or how much you want to spend. Work through a few options online and compare the policies you’ve marked. Hopefully the exact policy, or those near to it, will appear.
Any problems or questions that come up, give the companies a call on the numbers supplied using your assistant sheet as guidance. It’s better to be safe than very very sorry…
Insider Tip
– If your visit to America is for less than 25% of your full RTW trip you may get a cheaper policy.
– If you are only going to Australia and New Zealand you may get a better deal than on Worldwide.
Step 3: Comparison and decision
Once you’ve got a good idea of the policies that match your requirements so you can write the different policies down next to each other to compare them. Jot down the crucial info such as company, price and all the cover details. This way you’ve got all the policies suitable for you and your trip in the one place. Make sure you write down any reference numbers you are given with your quote so they can refer to your quote quickly if you need to call back.
Once you are decided, buy your chosen policy online then free to head off round the world, bungying, kayaking and trekking to your hearts content! Woohoo!
How our insurance advice section has helped others
Thanks for the insurance advice! I was just about to buy (what i thought was a great insurance deal over the internet) until I read the information on here. It could save me A LOT of money! – Paul Anderson
Cleared up a lot of crap that the insurance companies don’t tell you (at least not in plain English) – Thanks! – Danni Purchon
Great guide on insurance! This was a bit of a cloudy area, but your guide explains all those complicated ‘must read the tiny tiny small print’ terms! – Thom Locke
This is the most useful info I’ve seen so far on insurance, it definitely cleared up some of my questions. It was so good to have it all broken down. Thanks! – Anna Bilton
I’ve just started researching into which insurance I need for my RTW trip in May for a year and found your section for first time buyers who are unsure of all the insurance terminology (like me!) very useful and I now feel knowledgeable enough to think about and purchase the right insurance. Many thanks – Charlotte Lindsell
Just a quick note to say how informative and helpful the site has been to me. Thanks! The section on travel insurance has been particularly useful as I really didn’t know where to start, and it’s a subject that most travel websites and books seem to neglect. It was explained very clearly, and with your advice I now feel a lot more confident to select the right insurance for my trip around the world. What a relief it was to find your website! Thank you all so much! – Suzi Schafer
From someone who has bought travel insurance before I just wanted to say that your insurance section is brilliant! I didn’t understand half of the terms in the last policy document I bought (and I work for an insurance company!!) and even if I had understood the terms there’s no way I would have known how much would be the minimum cover I would need. Last time I just took the travel agents offer, checked it covered all the adventure sports I needed, and went with that. I tried shopping around but didn’t know which companies to look at and in the end I just gave up. Reckon, I could have saved myself loads of money if I’d had this information! – Hannah Simmons
Co-Founder of the OFT Blog. Mother of 2 who disguises as a 9 to 5 finance professional on most days. She loves to travel, is an amateur website builder and cook. And given her day job, she loves travel planning and saving money. Follow along!
