Affordable Travel Insurance
Mercifully, over the course of 7 years travelling together, we have only had to claim on our travel insurance once (you can read about our misadventure in Bolivia below), but this showed us that travelling without travel insurance can prove to be a costly mistake.
We agree that travel insurance can be pretty expensive if you travel as much as us, and many even see it as a waste of money. But statistically speaking, if you travel regularly, chances are you’re going to rely on your travel insurance at one point or another.
That is exactly why we have created this travel insurance guide for you. In this guide, we will tell you our recommendations for the best affordable travel insurance and answer a few common questions surrounding travel insurance.
So, let’s dive into: Best Affordable (yet still reliable) Travel Insurance
Disclaimer - this blog post contains affiliate links where we can earn a commission if you make a purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
Quick Answer: What are the best affordable travel insurance providers?
SafetyWing - Best Insurance for Long-term Travellers
SafetyWing is slightly different to most insurance providers because they provide worldwide ‘medical insurance’ packages rather than traditional ‘travel insurance’.
This means they may cover your medical expenses when abroad but offer far less coverage for events such as lost baggage, flight cancellations and trip delays.
We think SafetyWing is definitely the best option for long-term travellers or digital nomads who need medical coverage for spending prolonged periods away from home.
World Nomads - Best Overall Affordable Travel Insurance Provider
World Nomads Travel Insurance is highly regarded amongst the travelling community, and who are we against the masses?
If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Right?
We’ve been using World Nomads for years because they can cover over 200 different adventure activities and sports, including snowboarding and hiking - our favourite things to do when travelling.
Do you need travel insurance?
Honestly, the answer is - it’s entirely your decision. But do we recommend getting travel insurance? Absolutely yes.
The reason is that if anything happens out of your control during the trip, it’s likely that you will need to rely on your travel insurance to help you out.
It’s particularly important to invest in travel insurance when you’re solo travelling because you may find yourself stranded without anyone to help you out of a tricky situation.
Travel Insurance Story time: the reason we are so adamant that you need to have travel insurance is because of our 2019 backpacking experience in Bolivia. You can read our full advice on how to avoid ending up in a Bolivian hospital here, but essentially, we both contracted salmonella, and Orla also had a parasite.
We needed pretty urgent medical help and were both hospitalised for two days. I (Ben) had travel insurance with World Nomads and Orla had taken out coverage with another company that shall remain unnamed. The medical bills for both of us totalled in excess of £5000.
Thankfully, World Nomads covered my costs up front, so everything had been paid for before I stepped foot out of the hospital.
Orla on the other hand, was forced to pay everything up front and was unable to get the money back for nearly 6 months. If we hadn’t had enough money in our account to cover the costs of Orla’s treatment, the hospital said they would have called the police.
£5000 is obviously a lot of money but imagine for a second if we’d have broken a bone or required surgery. We dread to think how much that would have cost, and we certainly wouldn’t have had the funds to pay that upfront.
Moral of the story: travel insurance is very important!
What does your travel insurance cover?
You must read the terms and conditions for your individual policy, but generally, these are some of the basic things that your travel insurance can cover:
Coverage for lost, damaged, or stolen possessions
Compensation for cancelled/delayed flights
Medical Repatriation Costs - most insurance companies will cover the cost of getting you flown home (or to another country) for emergency medical treatment. Rather soberingly, medical repatriation cover also covers the cost of having to fly your body home in the event of death.
Personal Liability - covering your financial responsibility during unexpected events where you are legally required to pay somebody else
What isn’t covered by your travel insurance?
Unfortunately, not everything is covered by travel insurance, so here is a quick look at some things that won’t be covered:
Prescription medication
Routine check-ups
Pre-existing medical conditions (except when stated on the specific coverage described in the policy)
Travel to countries outside of your specific policy coverage
Medical tourism - an insurance company won’t cover your nose job in Istanbul
Our picks for the Best Travel Insurance
Now you’ve had a brief overview of everything travel insurance-related, you probably want to know our recommendations for the best travel insurance.
There isn’t such a thing as the ‘best travel insurance company’ because hundreds of companies offer different services, packages and price points. Ultimately, it comes down to your own personal circumstances and budget.
To get you started though, here are our personal best travel insurance picks:
Best Travel Insurance for a Longer Trip (1 month+): SafetyWing
SafetyWing is travel insurance for nomads created by nomads. More so than any other insurance company, SafetyWing understands the nomadic lifestyle and appreciates the need for insurance that covers flexible, lengthy travel itineraries.
How SafetyWing differentiates itself from other travel insurance companies is that they specifically offer Travel Medical Insurance, which can cover you in the event of a medical emergency abroad.
As mentioned, this does mean they offer less coverage for stolen possessions and trip delays/disruptions, so you will need to take out possession insurance with an alternate company if you want that coverage.
Why is SafetyWing so good?
You can buy insurance while travelling - a helpful option for people with flexible travel itineraries who may already be abroad
Automatically renews after 28 days - a great feature for those who don’t know how long they’ll be travelling for. You have the comfort of mind to know you’ll continue to be covered until you choose to cancel the policy when you get home
Visits to your home country are covered - need to go home for a few days to visit a loved one and don’t want your insurance to be void? SafetyWing has got you covered!
Best Travel Insurance for a Shorter Trip (<1 month): World Nomads
World Nomads is travel insurance for travellers designed by travellers.
Our favourite feature of World Nomads travel insurance is you can purchase a joint package, regardless of relationship status, making it easier to buy travel insurance as a couple.
Similarly, we also love the flexibility that World Nomads offer. When buying travel insurance, you can choose between the Standard and Explorer packages, depending on your required coverage.
We’ve been using World Nomads for years and we honestly can’t recommend them highly enough!
Why is World Nomads so good?
Coverage for 200+ activities - if you’re like us and love snowboarding, hiking and zip-lining while travelling, travel insurance that covers these activities is essential
Technology coverage - World Nomads will cover the cost of stolen phones, laptops and drones (providing they are under your supervision)
Micro-donations when you purchase insurance - you can make a micro-donation to World Nomads’ global community development projects when buy their insurance
