Backpackers insurance

For a down-to-earth travel experience, backpacking ticks all the boxes. As a backpacker you can enjoy exploring and living with other cultures and in other countries in a way that just isn’t possible with a fortnight’s package holiday. But along with those extra experiences also come extra considerations on health, safety and of course insurance.

All travellers should have appropriate insurance to cover any unexpected eventualities while overseas, such as accidents, loss of belongings or other emergencies. Our backpackers travel insurance is designed to cater to the needs of longer term travellers who are getting right to the heart of their destinations.

We offer easy-to-add optional upgrades to cover more specialised activities (such as winter sports, additional valuables, and hazardous activities) which wouldn’t necessarily be included in regular travel insurance cover for short term holidaymakers. Our backpackers travel insurance covers trips of up to 18 months, and is available to travellers who are up to and including 65 years of age.

Practical details

Travel insurance is available in four tiers of coverage for backpacking – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Black – with differing allowances and excesses applicable depending on the level of cover that has been purchased. Pages four and five of the InsureandGo backpacker cover policy wording booklet outline these levels of cover in detail, which you can find here.

If you find you need to claim, this can be done in writing, by email or phone, or by downloading a claims form online. Details of how to claim can be found here.

Applying is easy online or simply call 0844 888 1587 with full details of your backpacking trip.

What’s covered?

As well as standard travel insurance coverage including holiday cancellation, personal belongings, legal and medical expenses and personal accident cover, our backpackers travel insurance is valid for longer periods, with options for one-way trips for a specified period of time to allow open travel. You can also extend your cover if your trip is prolonged and an allowance for one visit home during your travel time is included in the policy.

Insurance for your valuables can be extended optionally to cover items with a value of up to £2,000, which many holidaymakers don’t need to take into consideration but backpackers might require on an extended trip. Hazardous activities cover is available as an additional extra, subject to exclusions as listed on page 28 of the policy wording booklet and as long as you let us know about the activities in advance.

Because our backpackers insurance is designed to cover longer length trips, your policy will include some elements of coverage for issues that might come up while you’re spending extended periods abroad.

These include:

Mugging benefit
Loss of limbs or sight
Permanently disabled
Death benefit (aged 18 to 65)
Death benefit (aged under 18)
Student loan repayment
Child assist cover

When you’re travelling for an extended period of time, there’s always the chance things could go wrong. If you suffer a medical emergency while abroad, you can call our emergency phone number on +44 (0)207 748 0060.

What’s not covered?

Exclusions include: undisclosed medical conditions, costs of phone calls, taxi fares or meals, loss of earnings, any claim resulting from war or similar event, any claim resulting from natural disaster or civil unrest and any events resulting from being drunk or intoxicated. A full list of exclusions is available on pages 15 to 17 of the policy wording booklet, and you should be familiar with these items before claiming.

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