Is Travel Insurance Worth It? Real Talk From a Real Nomad
You’re thousands of miles from home, doing a light hike at a nearby trail (nothing new to you). But, as life likes to throw curveballs, you stumble and twist your ankle. Sprained, fractured, broken — it’s hard to say. You need to go to the hospital.
That’s when it sinks in — you don’t have health insurance in this country you’re exploring.
This situation is common and illustrates the importance of protecting yourself and your stuff while overseas. So, is travel insurance worth it?
Definitely.
But admittedly, I used to skip this part and go without it for many of my trips abroad. But now, I never go without it.
For the record, I use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. They’re super affordable, comprehensive and work like an easy subscription plan (which is totally convenient).
So let’s dig deeper and look at why it’s so worth it (even though, chances are, you’ll have a safe trip and won’t need it).
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Hey there, just a heads up some links in this post may be affiliate links, which earn me a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you, but helps me keep the lights on. Thanks for your support!
Also keep in mind that I am not an insurance professional or an insurance company. So always be sure to do your own diligence and research companies fully to understand your options. These are simply my experiences.
Travel Insurance 101
Travel insurance is coverage for domestic travel and/or trips abroad. It protects you from things like medical emergencies, evacuations, natural disasters, lost luggage, trip interruptions and more.
And it’s totally different than just grabbing some simple airline insurance. It’s much more comprehensive — plus, your medical insurance won’t likely cover you while overseas.
Travel insurance isn’t required, but it is a smart move that most seasoned travelers will prioritize.
Here are some different types of coverage options you get with travel insurance:
Rental insurance
Emergency evacuation
Health/medical insurance
Adventure sports coverage
Lost or damaged baggage
Trip cancellation or interruption
Accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
Explore more:
➤ Best Long-Term Travel Insurance Options
7 Reasons Travel Insurance Is Totally Worth It
1. Don’t Leave Your Family High + Dry
Hopefully, you never have to worry about anything serious happening. But if something ever does happen, and you have no insurance or funds to cover it, there’s a chance your family may have to step in.
This is the one thing that finally motivated me to get insurance. I don’t want to put that burden on anyone, especially my loved ones.
So if nothing else, getting travel insurance is a selfless act that not only protects you, but those that care about you most.
Plus, it’ll make them feel better knowing you’re protected while exploring the epic freaking world.
2. Save Money — Be More Flexibility
A big reason to get travel insurance is extra trip cancellation coverage should things go awry.
While you often get basic coverage through your airline (for lost luggage, plane delays, etc.), travel insurance is way more extensive.
For example, say you get sick and have to cancel an upcoming trip, or say you have an unplanned overnight stay due to travel interruptions or delays — or worse yet, say you need to quickly get back home for a family emergency.
In many of these situations, you’re left with the bill and usually out of luck.
But if you have good travel insurance, you can simply put in an online claims and get these things covered (rather than going through the bureaucracy of an airline help line — face shudder 😖).
All of this saves you money and makes travel more flexible — because rogue circumstances happen and not having to front the bill is nice.
3. Have More Adventurous Travel
If you’re at all interested in adventurous travel (beyond lounging at a resort or shopping — nothing wrong with that though!), then travel insurance is absolute must.
Hiking, kite surfing, surfing surfing, four-wheeling through nature, skiing and snowboarding, swimming with the sharks! These things are all epic fun, so whatever adventure travel you’re into, insurance lets you do more of it.
Although, keep in mind you may need a policy add-on for adventure sports to be covered for the more extreme stuff.
Explore more:
➤ SafetyWing vs. World Nomads Insurance
4. Why Navigate International Healthcare Systems Alone?
Want to know what’s worse than getting injured or losing your belongings overseas? Having to deal with the admin of it all — alone!
Different languages, cultural barriers and logistical headaches abound!
But having a quality travel insurance policy can help alleviate some of that headache.
For example, I use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance and they offer 24/7 supports, a simple online claims process and helpful resources to help you navigate international healthcare systems.
5. Protect Yourself + Your Stuff
This is probably the most obvious benefits of having travel insurance. It protects you and your stuff from damage and emergencies abroad.
This is a “boring” reason (like yea duh, I get it), but it’s super important to remember.
But you can even get coverage beyond emergencies. For example, if you sign up for Nomad Insurance Complete (SafetyWing), you’re covered for things like wellness therapies, routine checkups and preventative care, doctors visits, maternity care and more.
It’s like full-coverage international health insurance — we live in good times!
So if you’re looking for a compelling reason to grab travel insurance (besides protection for expensive belongings), self preservation is a pretty good one.
6. It’s Calming Peace of Mind 😌
It’s nice to know you’re covered if something goes wrong. Whether that’s a stolen bag, a missed flight or a sprained ankle, having travel insurance is peace of mind.
While I’m not the type to worry much (it’s my default state), international travel does make me think about things more.
Grabbing some basic travel coverage will help you stay chill and relaxed while exploring. And I like that.
7. It’s Pretty Freaking Affordable
“I’m all for budget travel, but you should always include travel insurance when planning your trip. Luckily, it doesn’t need to be expensive.”
Travel insruance doesn’t need to break any banks. Actually, it’s pretty freaking affordable!
For example, I pay around $56/month for my coverage with SafetyWing, which gets me comprehensive coverage for any emergencies or medical injuries while abroad (+ short trips back home to the US).
So when planning an international trip, I just add this cost into my travel budget. I can still keep things affordable by choosing good destinations and saving money by staying at a share house.
So an extra ~$50/month for protection is totally worth it (and way cheaper than a lot of the plans I find back home in the states lol).
Travel insurance is worth simply because it’s so affordable on most budgets.
Later ✌️
So, is travel insurance worth it? Definitely!
It’s protection for yourself, your stuff and so much more. It’s peace of mind that’s affordable. And it’s selfless, so your family isn’t left fronting bills or stressing over your safety.
It’s also nice knowing that you have extra support while overseas, should you need to navigate any international healthcare waters.
So that’s my thesis — grab some travel insurance before you head out. Even if you’re already overseas, you can sign up with a company like SafetyWing.
Now go explore and do epic stuff!
Want More? Nice. Here’s More.
