World Travel Insurance

The travel bug has hit and you’ve decided to travel around the world because a 3-week vacation just isn’t enough time to explore all the incredible places that you have always dreamed of visiting. But before you set off on this world adventure and decide what to pack, you will need to think about travel insurance and which option will be best for your needs.

Travelling overseas at any time presents various risks, but travelling for an extended period of time can be even riskier, with more chance of getting sick, being involved in an accident, experiencing theft or loss of your personal belongings, or having a flight delayed or cancelled. You are also more likely to try out new activities as you travel around the world, and some of these activities could be high-risk adventures, where your safety is a concern.

Because of this, you will need to choose an insurance provider that provides a comprehensive policy for an extended period of time to cover you for all aspects of your trip and every destination. Before you look at world travel insurance, there are a few things to consider before you can compare travel insurance quotes.

  1.  Length of your trip: Determine how long you plan on travelling for. An around the world trip could be anything from two weeks to two years and your travel insurance will need to cover you for the duration of your travels.
  2.  Your destinations: Where you decide to travel to has a huge impact on your travel insurance. This is because some countries, or areas within a country can be unsafe for travel and as such, insurers might not cover you while you are travelling in – or through – that area. You can view safety guidelines by country through the Smartraveller website, which will tell you which countries or areas are unsafe for travel.
  3.  Your health status: If you are currently pregnant or have any other pre-existing medical condition, you might not be fully covered by travel insurance, or will need to take out additional cover for these conditions. You need to mention any pre-existing medical conditions to your insurer so that they can accurately assess your insurance needs. Some pre-existing medical conditions are not covered at all by insurers and you need to be aware of this before you travel.
  4.  Activities you will participate in: If you plan on doing any high-risk activities as you venture around the world, you will need to declare these to your insurer. Some activities are not immediately covered by travel insurance and you might need to take out additional cover for these. These could include activities like bungee jumping, paragliding, hiking, skiing, or scuba diving.

Before setting off on your world travels, it is advisable to visit your doctor for a checkup to ensure you are healthy and fit enough for travelling. You should also speak to your doctor about the necessary vaccinations for the countries you will be travelling to – or through – and ensure these are done at least eight weeks prior to travelling.

Compare travel insurance with Bupa travel insurance.