Do I, Or Don't I? The Case for Travel Insurance

For many people, travel insurance isn't something even thought about. Trips can be super expensive in the first place: getting flights, the accommodation, all the tours, eating out, taxis back and forth, and entrance fees to all the spots you want to check out...it all adds up. To get an additional expense, insurance, for something that you will probably (more like gratefully) never use may not make sense at the time. Especially for budget backpackers, the couple hundred you spend on insurance is like a plane ticket or two! But take it from this remorseful nomad, travel insurance can be a real good thing, and for some even, a lifesaver. Here are some benefits, to consider of investing in travel insurance.

I assure you that spraining both ankles was not part of the program!

1. Peace of Mind - When we start dreaming of our next trip, we never think of all the things that could go wrong, right?! We only think of all the reasons why we want to go to said destination. We don't think about the sprained ankle on the dream hike/trek. We don't think about the food poisoning from the Instagrammable street food stalls. We don't think about a mystery mutant infection impervious to antibiotics that will hospitalize you. We don't think about missing a flight or waking up to your newly vandalized rental car. Yes, there are all things I didn't think about but happened to me. I have shared stories with others who've been in much harrier spots. While thankfully, most of us come back home from our vacay or trip in one peace and a boatload of pictures, some of us have these unfortunate situations occur. These things aren't ever budgeted for but will take a huge chunk, if not a lot more, of your travel money.  When they do happen, we think, gee, I wish I had purchased the insurance.  The peace of mind knowing that if something ever occurred, the insurance will help you to cover it, is hard to put a dollar amount on. But you will definitely sleep better knowing you are covered when the unlucky happens.

The most expensive room I've ever checked into 😭😭😭😭

2. Save Money - I know you just laughed out loud right now, insurance costs an arm and a leg, how do you save money? But seriously, as I sit here with my head spinning from medical bills, I can tell you I wish I didn't let my travel insurance lapse.  I'm the type of person who avoids going to the doctor if I don't have to, and was quite happy that the insurance I had expired, and instead of renewing, I used that money to go to the next location...sigh. For 13 months I've trekked all over the world, have done some risque cliff jumps, eaten street food that has gotten me sick multiple times, walked around some unsavory places... but I've never had to see a doctor. Until month 14, then a slew of medical mishaps occurred and now I sit grateful that I have my health, but am officially broke from hospital bills-palooza (Hong Kong hospitals are expensive y'all!!!). That travel insurance could have saved me THOUSANDS of dollars. Learn from my mistake, please.

So What Do I Do if I Want Insurance for My Travel?

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

1. Check Online - Do your research. You can go to travel forums on Reddit/Facebook and ask questions, visit the Nomadic Matt site, or just do a search for travel insurance. You're going to want to know ahead of what you're planning on doing on your trip to properly insure yourself. For instance, I knew I was going to Nepal to do some high-altitude trekking, so I needed to ensure that whatever company I went with, high-altitude trekking was included. You may also want to check if the countries you are visiting will be insurable (they wouldn't insure you in places of war). Once you have that info, you can do your comparisons on the plans, plan length, price, etc to find one that fits your needs the best. I ultimately went with World Nomads, but there are a lot of other options around. It will take some legwork, but it will be worth it.

Photo by Avery Evans on Unsplash

2. Credit Cards - If you are able to qualify for Credit Cards, some come with some really handy travel benefits. Many will come with coverage for rental cars. Some cards focused on travel specifically will give you bonus incentives to sign up for cards (love those free mileage bonuses!), and increased benefits when using the card for travel purchases. Yet, it was the insurance benefits that attracted me: trip cancellation/interruption coverage, lost baggage, travel and emergency service coverage, etc. While some of these cards can come with hefty annual fees, choose the one that meets your needs best. Here is a good place to see a breakdown of travel cards.

I've enjoyed my 15+ months of traveling, doing all kinds of things that my heart desired. And, I've spent way more money than I needed to on unfortunate occurrences that insurance could have covered. I did have insurance for a time, especially since I was doing a lot of trekking. However, I let it lapse after I thought I was in the clear. That's not how the universe works (😭😭😭). So here I am, venting blogging about my woes so that you can consider travel insurance as part of your travel budget. I hope you'll never have to use it, but if it's within your means, please think about getting some. Do you have any travel horror stories? Or have any tips in regard to insurance. Please share below.

Officially broke, but grateful for my health!

Light and Aloha 🙏🏽🤙🏽