The Best Travel Insurance

The one thing no one ever really wants to think about. 

Something you hope to never use, but something you never want to be without. Travel insurance is usually at the bottom of the list when planning your next awesome travel adventure. But things go wrong. Even if you plan for the absolute worst, something might happen that throws your plans for a hard spin and you’re left stressing about it instead of enjoying your trip.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Murphy’s Law

Not to be a downer but let’s face it, this age old adage, is so true, especially when traveling.

If you’re on a short or cheap domestic ticket I would probably skip the travel insurance. It’s likely unnecessary and if you’re just looking for baggage coverage or delays, those are benefits most credit cards offer. The one I travel with and recommend is the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

But if you’re traveling to another country, Asia, Europe, or anywhere in between, I would get a policy. My current plan has been covering me from Australia and New Zealand to Asia to Europe and now Central America. Most health plans don’t cover you overseas, and credit cards offer really limited protection. 

Life happens

You might get robbed, you might get mugged, you might just get your phone stolen on the beach. Or you might get your nose broken at Oktoberfest in Germany. But it might just be a flight delay, or have your luggage lost for the whole week before a wedding.

I unfortunately have had all those things happen to me within my travels.

But not once was I really worried. I had done my research before going on my trips and was always covered by travel insurance, the best travel insurance.

And they covered my stolen gear, my hospital bills, reimbursed me for clothes and amenities when my bag was lost in Italy, and even my flight home when I got mugged in New Zealand and couldn’t walk anymore.

World Nomads

The company I went with was World Nomads. And as I write this article sitting in Costa Rica, I am still covered by them to this day. And have been covered by them for all my travels within the last 3 years. Why? Well read on to find out why I consider them the best travel insurance.

1. They are very responsive. If you have any issues, contacting your insurance company can be a pain. With World Nomads I just put their toll free number in my phone contacts and they always answer quickly. Their medical emergency team is there 24/7 and their customer service team is also available with 24/7 worldwide coverage to help you, even if it’s just a simple question.
   
   
2. They handle the claims efficiently, paid me quickly, and even helped me book an emergency flight back home once, which they ended up covering completely. I make sure I’m covered on every trip, things can go wrong and the more you travel, things will go wrong. World Nomads is hands down the only insurance company that I use.
   
   
3. No waiting period. Thinking about leaving next week? Covered. Thinking about leaving tomorrow? No sweat. Already on your trip and thinking, “I really should have insurance”? No problem, you can even buy your policy online while you’re already on your trip. Just visit their homepage. 
   
   
4. Trusted by travelers. Going on Working Holiday visas around the world, most countries require that you have insurance that covers you so that people don’t become dependent on the countries’ health system. Most of the travelers I met are covered by World Nomads.  Go to Australia, South East Asia, Europe or South America and you’ll find others using using this company too. Heck, even every Lonely Planet book even recommends World Nomads! They’ve saved many travel horrors from ruining peoples’ dream trips. Want to know exactly what’s covered, there’s a page for that.
   
   
5. It’s designed for you. I’m going to sound like their website for a bit but this is what they state. Coverage is available to people from 140 countries. It’s designed for adventurous travellers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities.
   
   
6. So let’s talk about adventure sports a bit more. Want to go bungee jumping, skydiving, or even just scuba diving? Most travel insurances have clauses that won’t cover these types of activities, and if some do they’ll charge you a hefty amount to cover these. For most young adults, what’s the point of having travel insurance if it’s not going to cover you in the most important parts of your trip?
   
   
7. It’s easy. They have two policies, a Standard Plan and an Explorer Plan. If you’re like me the Explorer Plan is what you’ll want as the riskier sports are covered with this plus the coverage amounts are higher. After you input your destination, what country you’re a resident of, and how long you plan on traveling you’ll be given the comparison between the two plans. If you don’t need the extra coverage provided by the Explorer Plan the Standard Plan is a fine plan. I would rather have the higher coverage amount for the Baggage & Personal Effects plus the adventure sport coverage thus I always chose the Explorer Plan. 
   
   1. They are not considered primary medical coverage meaning they won’t cover pre-existing medical conditions and non-emergency medical expenses (at least for US residents), such as going to routine physical exam. But in the event of an emergency, medical or dental, they will cover that
      
      
8. I travel with gear. I wanted a policy that not only would cover me medically, but also cover me if my gear got stolen. Their Explorer Plans usually cover up to $3000 for baggage and personal effects. If I travel with some photography or other high priced equipment I will also have a separate Personal Articles Policy just for the gear. But for most of the time, the coverage in the World Nomads plan is all I need.
   
   
9. Plans differ by country of residence and your destination so be sure to read the details of what you’re selecting. But they use trusted reliable underwriters. If you’re from the US, chances are it will be Nationwide underwriting your plan. They’ve always been quick to handle my claims when I need them and have provided the highest level of support to me.
   
   
10. They’re more than just travel insurance. Once you log into your member dashboard, not only will you find all the details about your policy, you’ll find travel insights from the experts like laws, scams, visas, vaccinations, and more. They have a great community forum where you can ask other travelers questions or share information if you’ve already been. They even have a blog area where you can journal your trip. You can also learn the local lingo through free travel language guides for your iPhone or MP3 player (any phone).

Give it a shot, put in the details of your next trip above and see what’s covered.

The best travel insurance

The more you compare policies I think you’ll find that World Nomads provides the perfect package. Just to summarize here are multiple reasons that I consider World Nomads the best travel insurance

From their flexibility:

• I usually travel on a one-way ticket. You don’t need a return ticket to buy a policy which is a huge bonus for me
• I usually don’t know where I’ll be going or for how long. Just log into your member dashboard and you can change your policy and even extend it without any issues
• Many other companies as for very specific details, such as trip cost, specific countries you’ll visit, or something else. If you are a free spirit or just don’t know them yet it doesn’t matter with World Nomads. Want to go to Europe? They’ll cover you throughout all of Europe. 

to their coverage

• Delayed baggage, stolen passports, emergency overseas medical and dental, emergency medical transportation, medical evacuation, terrorism, travel accidents or assault, trip cancellation, delayed or stolen baggage, flight cancellation, and most importantly, adventure sports!
• Make sure your travel insurance offers a high coverage limit on your medical expenses
  • A good company will provide up to $100,000 in coverage care, some provide higher but if you’re not in the states I’m not sure you would ever need a limit that high. Remember healthcare is usually more affordable around the world outside of the US. But definitely get a minimum coverage amount of $100,000 USD

to their digital portal

• the travel safety hub
• trip journaling
• super easy to use website
• but what I really like – the traveler forums

Compare policies

As I was researching different companies and policies it can quickly become daunting. The available companies and policies differ depending on what your country of residence is and where you are traveling to. Therefore, it is really difficult to give specific comparisons as there are so many variables. As I was doing my comparisons, some of the other companies that provide travel insurance are AXA, Allianz, IMG, Travelex, HTH, and John Hancock. If you want a super cheap bare-bones plan, STA Travel provides very limited coverage. 

If you can’t afford travel insurance than you can’t afford to travel. Most health insurances may not apply when you’re abroad. Things happen and your dream trip can quickly get very expensive. Before choosing any type of travel insurance it’s important to know what you’re looking for and find the policy that covers that. It’s common sense, imperative, and absolutely necessary to take the time to read the policy wording carefully. Please, take the time and compare policies for yourself. Fortunately, like many other travelers, World Nomads is the best travel insurance for me and provides everything that I need in a very easy and friendly package.

Document Everything!

If I could offer one piece of advice, it’s document everything!

Before you travel make sure you have a list of everything you have. Gather receipts and keep them some place safe online. Take a picture of your stuff if need be. I keep all of this on an encrypted folder in my Dropbox so if it’s every stolen I can easily pull it up. If you do get anything stolen make sure to file a police report right away.  You’ll need it to file a claim with any insurance company. Check if the area you’re going to has tourist police, those are usually the ones who speak English the best, otherwise just try your local police station. It might happen, but being prepared for it all will make the process smoother and hopefully get you back on your way to traveling again!

Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, they will keep this website supported. This site is independently owned, and the opinions expressed here are my own. I really have used them for the last 3 years and could not be happier with them. If you’ve found this article helpful, please consider booking through the links on this page and if not just click on through to WorldNomads.com