Travel Insurance for Backpackers

If you’re off on a backpacking adventure, your focus is probably on the excitement of it all - meeting new people, exploring new places, and experiencing true freedom! But remember that along with the good usually comes the not-so-good, which is why it’s a good idea to have a think about travel insurance.

Backpacking trips often mean multiple destinations, various forms of transport, and plenty of stays in unfamiliar places. And although that sounds exciting, it also increases the possibility of things going wrong. A missed flight or train, lost or stolen gear, a sudden illness, or an accident while hiking can turn your adventure into an ordeal. Even the most organised of travellers can be waylaid by emergencies and cancellations.

So, before you and your backpack get going, take a minute to research and secure travel insurance. Such a small step can make a big difference, so you’ve got that extra little safety net, just in case. 

1. What's Covered?
2. What's Not Covered?
3. Getting Backpacker Travel Insurance

1. What’s Covered?

You might’ve already forked out a bit for your backpacking trip and might not want to spend more on travel insurance. However, it often costs just a fraction of your budget, and won’t feel expensive if you find yourself in a situation where you actually need it. Experiencing the unexpected on the other side of the world can be stressful even for the most confident or seasoned travellers.

The good thing about most policies is that they can be tailored to fit your needs. This means you’ll have the coverage you want, for the duration you want it, for the activities you want covered - that way, you’ve got complete control over your level of protection.

South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe… wherever you’re off to, having travel insurance is a way to enjoy your trip with a financial safety net for the unexpected. 

TRIP CANCELLATION

If you need to cancel your backpacking trip, there are usually a handful of reasons inside a Policy Wording which would allow you to claim for non-refundable trip payments. With Direct Travel Insurance, these reasons include (but are not limited to) injury and illness, involuntary redundancy, and the theft of your travel documents prior to travel.

With a backpacker insurance policy, you can be reimbursed for pre-booked tours, flights, accommodation, and cancellation or change fees. In addition, if your travelling companion has to cancel due to any of the reasons listed,  any additional accommodation fees you are required to pay because of this can be reimbursed too.

TRAVEL DELAY & MISSED DEPARTURE

If your trip is delayed for one of several covered reasons, your travel insurance will generally include some form of cover. You can get reimbursed for extra expenses like meals, accommodation, and transportation while you're stuck waiting (as long as the delay lasts at least 12 hours). Plus, if the delay makes you miss your flight, train, cruise, or tour departure, your policy can cover the costs to help you catch up to your destination or rejoin your trip.

Covered reasons include things like delays caused by your travel provider, strikes (as long as they weren’t announced before you booked), natural disasters, or even losing your travel documents. If you’re quarantined due to exposure to a disease (like COVID-19) under specific conditions, or if a travel carrier denies you boarding because they think you’re unwell, those are covered too. Other scenarios, like hijackings, civil unrest, or being delayed by a traffic accident, are also included. 

Bear in mind, this cover is usually in place for the initial inbound and/or outbound legs of your trip; many policies will not cover travel made internally during your travels.

BAGGAGE DELAY & LOSS OF BELONGINGS

Backpacking often involves carrying all manner of apparel, gear, and equipment. If your belongings are lost, stolen, or delayed, insurance can help with reimbursement for the cost of replacements. Bear in mind, different insurers, providers, policies, and policy levels will mean different cover. This includes what you are covered for,  when you are covered for them, and how much you are likely to be reimbursed. For instance, there are plenty of policies which don’t cover gadgets like phones or laptops, so you might have to purchase an extension or additional gadget insurance policy.

Baggage Delay
If your luggage is misdirected, you can be reimbursed for essentials like clothes, toiletries, or gear needed until your bag is returned. The delay might need to last a minimum amount of time, and you’ll almost definitely need to provide receipts for the items. There might also be restrictions as to which leg of your journey this applies to (ie. outbound only).

Baggage Loss
If your bag is lost entirely, insurance helps cover the cost to repair or replace your stuff (minus any refunds or depreciation). Again, all policies contain exclusions and there will be items which aren’t covered.

Loss of Travel Documents and Personal Money
If it’s not your luggage you lose while backpacking, and instead your passport or cash, there are also sections in travel insurance policies that can help in this scenario.

Your visa, personal money, and passport are probably the most important things to keep safe while you’re travelling, especially if you’re going to various destinations and have paid in advance for the privilege. So if they’re stolen, lost or damaged, it’s quite a big deal. 

For visas and passports, insurance can usually reimburse the cost of emergency replacements (often including any extra travel or accommodation costs which come with collecting them), and the remaining value of your passport.

Regarding your money, policies usually have provisions if it is stolen. You’ll need to provide evidence of the value, and there are fairly strict limitations for when you can claim. For example, they probably won’t cover losses if the money wasn’t on you, locked in secure accommodation, or stored in a safe.

By following the rules and keeping the necessary documentation, you should be able to recover some of the costs and keep your trip on track.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

There’s always the risk of illnesses, injuries, and accidents when you travel - backpacking or otherwise! Which is exactly why travel insurance usually includes cover for emergency medical expenses; so that you’ve got a financial fallback if the unexpected happens. Generally, there’s also cover for more long-term travel accidents, inclusive of compensation if specific medical events occur once you’ve returned home.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need medically necessary attention, insurance can step in to help with the expenses. This can include medication, surgery, dressings, and topical treatments. In a more serious scenario, such as a hospital admission or needing immediate care, the insurer’s medical assistance team might even be able to arrange advance payment to the medical provider.

However, if you travel with the intention to get medical treatment, this would usually invalidate a policy. Examples include cosmetic surgery, ongoing treatment, and regular check-ups. Before you even leave the UK, you must also be fit to travel. Travel insurance also won’t cover medical issues if you went against government or public authority warnings about your destination.

Emergency Medical Transport
The thing about backpacking is that you often travel to remote destinations where access to emergency medical care might be limited. The useful thing about a travel insurance policy is that they can cover emergency transport to the nearest adequately-equipped medical facility. If necessary, they can also organise a return to your home country in the event your recovery extends beyond your holiday. Also, under especially difficult or serious circumstances, a policy can often arrange for a relative or friend to visit you, covering both their round-trip and accommodation.

Repatriation is an important part of travel insurance, and indeed the reason a lot of travellers purchase it. If the worst were to happen, your insurer’s medical assistance team can manage the return of your body to your home country, or help with burial/cremation costs in the country you were visiting at time of death. It’s an overwhelming experience, both emotionally and financially, so it’s useful to have this cover in place.

Remember: as soon as there’s talk of medical intervention while you’re abroad, get in touch with the emergency medical assistance team connected to your policy. Make sure they’re aware of what’s going on, so that you can get a handle on what’s covered. If you’re travelling alone and aren’t able to, a medical professional can contact them on your behalf as long as they have access to your personal information and travel insurance details.

PERSONAL LIABILITY & LEGAL EXPENSES

Personal Liability
If you injure someone, or cause damage to property which isn’t yours (including rented accommodation), your backpacking travel insurance should cover liability claims made against you. Bear in mind, this also doesn’t include liabilities related to employment, deliberate actions, animals, or using vehicles, boats, or aircrafts.

Legal Expenses
If you decide to pursue legal action for negligence as a result of being injured, becoming ill, or even your death, travel insurance can also assist with this.

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

Backpacking is often synonymous with adventure and risk-taking, whether that’s scuba diving in Bali, ziplining in Costa Rica, or bungee jumping in New Zealand. Travel insurance policies tend to cover a good handful of sports and activities as standard, but it’s always worth checking if you need additional cover for your specific endeavours. You don’t want to suffer an injury while hiking the Inca Trail, only to find you do not have adequate cover. 

CONFLICT AND UNREST

Backpacking often takes you to unique destinations where unexpected events like political unrest, terrorism, strikes, or riots can arise. Sometimes, travel insurance policies can cover trip cancellations, changes, or emergency evacuations if such disruptions occur before or during your trip, so that you’re reimbursed and can safely adjust your plans.

2. What's Not Covered?

Travel insurance policies can be difficult to decipher at the best of times! They’re very wordy, and sometimes it can be difficult to work out what’s covered and what’s not. We’d always suggest that if you’re in any doubt, just give the insurer a call - especially if there’s a specific eventuality you’re concerned about.

The rule of thumb is that travel insurance is designed to cover you for unknown and unexpected circumstances. With this in mind, here’s a couple of examples of what’s not covered:

KNOWN EVENTS

If you are aware of an event, or it is public knowledge at the time you book your holiday or travel insurance (whichever is sooner), you would not be covered for claims in association with this event. ‘Events’ can include epidemics, pandemics, severe weather events and political unrest.

GOVERNMENT & TRAVEL ADVICE

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) releases information about the safety of travel to each country. The country or area itself might also have restrictions surrounding entry. If you do not follow advice regarding your safety abroad, this would not be covered on a travel insurance policy. 

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE 

There’s usually no cover if a claim comes about as a result of being intoxicated. You should be taking all possible precautions to keep yourself safe, and unfortunately a beer or two can really diminish that attempt.

3. Getting Backpacker Travel Insurance

No matter which policy you select, you want to make sure the insurer is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so that you have no doubts about the legitimacy of your provider. It's also easy to search online for reviews and feedback on particular insurance providers. Trustpilot, Google Reviews, and Feefo are all platforms which allow customers to do this.

You can purchase travel insurance through your travel agent, a specific insurance provider or a comparison site. If you have booked through a backpacking tour organiser, then they’ll probably have access to travel insurance providers who cover their kind of trip.

Even if you don’t end up purchasing your backpacker policy through a comparison site, it’s still important to research what’s available to you and see what kind of premium you could be looking at. You need to know exactly what’s covered, especially if you’ll be travelling for a while. Most websites will give you access to policy documents ahead of purchase, so you can deep dive into the details before you part with your hard-earned cash.

You can purchase insurance plans right up until you leave the country, but if you’re backpacking then you’re probably going away for a fair amount of time and visiting multiple destinations. To make sure your dates, destinations, and cover limits are exactly what you need, we wouldn’t suggest getting insurance last minute! If you’re rushing the process, you might also miss crucial information regarding pre-existing medical conditions. The general rule is to buy insurance when you book your trip, or in the case of a backpacker, when you begin making payments towards it. You get to decide when this is, but for many it’s the point at which the initial outbound and return flights are made.

Also bear in mind: the earlier you book your travel insurance, the earlier you’re covered for pre-trip cancellation.

Backpacking can be a truly unique and exciting experience, but you must remember that it’s not without its risks. Travel insurance is a smart (and often essential) investment in your safety, and is there to catch you if the unexpected happens. Cancellation, delays, lost gear, and medical emergencies are real possibilities, so getting cover to fit your destinations, activities, and needs, can really give you clarity and avoid financial surprises.

So, as you prepare for your backpacking journey, think about how comfortable you are with the uncertainty - and remember that with a little research, you can find a policy that fits your plans and budget.

BY HOLLY GARWOOD, 11TH DECEMBER 2024