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You’ve saved hard for your backpacking trip and I know you would prefer to spend money on new gear over travel insurance and vaccinations but trust me, you need to invest in both.
This guide will detail what to look for in backpacker insurance and compare two leading companies: World Nomads Travel Insurance against True Traveller Insurance.
We will discuss – cost, and coverage and provide real-life examples of claiming experiences.
Do I Need Backpacker Insurance?
The easy answer is yes.
If you’re travelling for more than 30 weeks and leaving your home continent or country, it is unlikely, that the travel insurance included with your premium bank account will cover you for a backpacking trip.
Accidents happen– I’m looking at you mopeds in Southeast Asia, food can make you sick and just because you are on the trip of your lifetime, it does not make you are invincible, you can still catch common flu, get rashes and if unprepared, sexually transmitted diseases.
If you are backpacking South or Central America you’ll likely come across the local stray dogs that roam freely, and there is no knowing if they have rabies; if you get bitten you need to get to an international hospital ASAP, even if you have been vaccinated.
How does that fit into your dream itinerary?
Travel insurance isn’t just about health insurance though.
Plans can also include lost, delayed and stolen baggage, protection for electronics and sporting equipment and legal advice may also be included.
Case Study: Claiming in the USA
To put the price of healthcare into perspective, my friend went over her ankle at the Grand Canyon.
We spent half a day waiting for treatment and she received an x-ray and crutches.
Total cost? $500 USD.
Luckily she could claim this back as she had travel insurance.
What Type of Travel Insurance Do I need?
You should consider the following during your research on travel insurance.
The type of travel insurance you need depends on five factors:
- How long are you travelling?
Companies insure single and multi-trips, and short and long-term travel adventures. - What type of activities will you be doing?
High-altitude hikes, diving or winter sports tend to increase the price of your insurance. - Do you have pre-existing conditions?
You have to declare these. - Do you intend to work while travelling?
Working holiday travel insurance is a different ballgame!
Check out our FAQ section for information on WWOOFing and working. - Are you already travelling?
This costs more and some companies will not cover you. - Getting travel insurance while abroad
This is trickier but it is possible at an additional cost.
Read next: Which is Better Workaway or HelpX?
Key Terms For Travel Insurance
There are a variety of terms that you need to be aware of when shopping for backpacker insurance.
- Excess – Amount of money you are responsible for if you need to claim insurance while travelling.
- Emergency Medical Expenses – Figure the insurer will pay towards your medical care.
- Baggage and Personal Belongings – Amount covered if bags are stolen or damaged.
- Personal Liability – Legal expenses and liability for damage that you incurred by accident or claims made against you. It is unlikely that this will cover vehicle liability.
True Traveller Insurance
True Traveller travel insurance is aimed at residents in the UK and tends to be a little cheaper than World Nomads.
An over-planning friend recommended True Traveller to me before I fell down the rabbit hole of researching insurance types and costs.
Never one to rely solely on others’ advice, I spent days researching the possible insurance companies for our 18-month career break to travel the Americas and Europe, creating pages and pages of notes and tables.
Again, True Traveller was coming out on top so I called them (twice) to probe for reassurance (I’m anxious) and they were patient with me and my variety of questions each time; I am not your ideal customer.
True Traveller Website
The website asks you to complete the following criteria
- Where you live
- Are you already travelling?
- Travel insurance dates
- Ages of travellers
- Area of cover – Europe, Australia and New Zealand (duration sensitive stopovers included), Worldwide excluding USA/Canada (duration sensitive stopovers included), Worldwide (all countries)
The nicely designed site retrieves a quote which offers three price tiers.
- ‘True Value’ for the cheapest backpacker insurance, with a higher excess.
- ‘Traveller” is mid-priced with cheaper excess and higher payout.
- ‘Traveller Plus’ is the most expensive tier with the cheapest excess and highest payouts.
True Traveller also offers insurance add-ons for:
- Sports/activities at differing levels from everyday football playing to extreme skydiving.
- Winter sports.
- Baggage issues.
- Specified items such as electronics, sports equipment and musical instruments.
- Travel disruption.
- Travelling one-way option as some companies don’t cover without evidence of return flights.
- Already travelling.
True Traveller Example: Canada
While living in Vancouver I started to feel dizzy every time I moved from lying down to upright.
I tried a few suggestions from Dr Google and when that didn’t work, my medic friend advised me to seek help.
I attended a walk-in GP (with my passport which is essential for ID) who priced the visit at $100 CAD.
The doctor saw me promptly, asked a few questions, did some eye focus tests and felt around my head and shoulders.
GP’s diagnosis?
Blogging was causing the dizziness; yes you read that right.
Thankfully I was referred to a physiotherapist because that diagnosis was a heap of crap, I had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BBPV) also known as ear crystals.
I carried out two sessions with the physio at $100 CAD per visit.
Claiming Through True Traveller
I retained all the receipts and claimed for the GP visit and the two physiotherapy treatments.
The claim was easy, I used the website ‘make a claim’ section, uploaded copies of the receipts to a provided email address, accepted the waiver fee and was paid the remaining balance within three weeks.
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
There is no denying that World Nomads Insurance is the most popular backpacking insurance company used by thousands of travellers each day.
Unlike True Traveller, it offers coverage to all nationalities making it very accessible to every traveller however, it is not cheap.
World Nomads Website
The World Nomads website initially prompts you for the following information:
- Countries travelling to (you can add multiple or ‘worldwide’)
- Country of residence
- Start and end date of the proposed policy
- Traveller’s ages
You then hit the get the price button.
World Nomads then returns two pricing tiers – the ‘Standard Plan’ and the ‘Explorer Plan’.
The Standard offers less and is cheaper than the Explorer.
World Nomads Insurance Real Example
“When I was finishing my four-month trip around Southeast Asia I was in my last destination, El Nido, Philippines.
On an island-hopping day trip, I started to feel quite weak and tired but I blamed it on pushing so hard for the past four months of travel and shrugged it off as I was going home in a week.
The next morning I woke up with a raging fever so I decided to try and sleep it off.
Three days later the fever was only worsening, my throat was the sorest it had ever been and my ears felt blocked.
I had the front desk call me a ride and I landed myself in a doctor’s office where I learned that I had tonsillitis and wax build-up in my ears (most likely from wearing earplugs).
I was prescribed some antibiotics for tonsillitis and some drops to help my ears which cost around $100 CAD which was more expensive than I thought.
I returned when the fever didn’t break after another two days and got stronger antibiotics and my ears were cleaned out (thank goodness because I had 24 hours of travel two days later!).
All ended well and I was able to travel home healthy though tired.
A year later I found myself sick with a fever yet again but this time in Australia, attempting to enjoy the beaches with chills.
I did everything I could to get rid of it, rested in my hostel dorm for a few days and took medication to get it to go down but nothing helped.
Once in Sydney, I got myself an appointment at the closest clinic, worried because my sinuses were completely blocked and I had five flights within the next week.
The doctor saw me with no issues ($75 AUD fee just to see a doctor), prescribed medication for a sinus infection and recommended a nasal spray.
Luckily I was fully cleared before my flight to camp in the outback.”
Claiming Through World Nomads
Your sentence is mostly clear, but here’s a refined version for better flow and clarity:
“I’m happy that nothing more serious happened, and although I could have easily covered the expenses myself, I still claimed them through World Nomads on both occasions, including the medication I bought that wasn’t prescribed by the doctor.”
By Taylor from Taylor Tracks.
SafetyWing is another travel insurance company with a current 4-star rating on Trustpilot.
They target digital nomads, offering packages with global coverage and the option to purchase while abroad, which makes sense given their focus on this audience.
There are two options, essential and complete depending on the level of coverage required.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is cheap backpacker insurance worth it?
The definition of cheap is all relative but you should invest in travel insurance. - What is the best long-term backpacker insurance?
‘Best’ comes from personal experience. I can vouch for True Traveller because they paid out promptly and have 5 stars on Trustpilot. World Nomads has 4.2 stars and you can read Taylor’s review above. SafetyWing has 4 stars on Trustpilot. - Can I buy 2-year travel insurance?
Sure, True Traveller’s search function allows you to search for two years, World Nomads caps at 18 months. - What about travel insurance for electronics?
Most insurers cover electronics up to a limited value which is usually low. - Can you order travel insurance after departure?
Yes, but it will cost more. - Do I need separate work insurance?
It is not a given that you can work or volunteer with travel insurance.
True Traveller does offer farm work protection. - What happens if I am intoxicated?
This is assessed on a case-by-case basis. - Can I trust backpacker insurance reviews?
This is an important question. Most insurance companies have affiliate schemes so websites can make a small commission on sales and rightly so, no one should pour days over creating great content for readers without some form of payment but the reviews must be trustworthy.
As mentioned above I have not used World Nomads but Taylor has (I also asked in a female travel Facebook group and out of the five respondents, only one had a denied claim and she said she agreed to an extent) and my True Traveller experience is 100% honest.
Final Thoughts
The best travel insurance for backpackers really comes down to personal experience, budget and the reasons for needing insurance.
This guide has detailed real-life examples of two of the popular insurers on the market as well as setting out the terminology to look out for when shopping.
The main takeaway from this guide is not to get caught out, research and book before you go for a stress-free adventure!
Our Travel Planning Guides
Please note that the information provided is for general guidance.
Always review the specific terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure they meet your needs.
World Nomads won’t cover you if you have a medical condition; no one to phone 🙁
Thanks for heads up Chris, I’ll investigate and get back to you. Are you in Europe? True Traveller definitely does look at it case by case.
Hi Chris, WM got back to me and asked for you to check their
helpdesk here.