Gap Year Travel Insurance
Adventure and Backpacker Policies and What Exactly They Cover
Aug 10, 2009
A gap year is a year or less taken out of formal education, generally before a high school graduate starts college, or after completing all formal education but before entering the workforce.
Generally, options for taking a gap year include travel, volunteer travel or work. Many young people opt for a backpack adventure that will take them across South America or Europe. Others head for South East Asia and India, Australia, Africa or see as much as they can of their own country before they have to come back home and settle down to hard work at college.
Conservation and education work attract a great amount of attention from students considering gap year volunteering in another country. A gap year is also used by some to obtain certification in some field, such as ski-instruction, becoming a TEFL English language instructor or beauty therapist.
Gap Year Travel Insurance – Is It Necessary?
Backpacking across the world has its risks. A traveler may be in a country where he or she cannot speak the language and where medical facilities may be very limited. There are many countries without free medical services, or that have limited medical facilities.
If a serious accident were to occur, thousands may have to be spent for a something as simple as fixing a broken leg. According to UK Travel Insurance "A person in a coma as the result of an accident on holiday could be looking at a bill of over £40,000 should they need to be flown back to the UK, that's just for the flight."
There is also the risk of having personal belongings and money stolen or lost, which can turn the adventure of a lifetime into a nightmare.
Backpacking Travel Insurance Options
Typically, a good year long travel insurance will include:
- 24 hour emergency help line and medical rescue
- Cover from 31 days to 18 months
- Hospital benefits
- Missed departures cover
- Baggage, possessions and money cover
- Personal liability
- Expenses related to hijackings
Adventure Travel Insurance Options
Additional activities can be added onto a travel insurance policy, such as cover for scuba diving, snowboarding and other risks. An annual worldwide travel insurance for a couple including cover for baggage insurance, ski, medical, cancellation, personal liability and personal accident ranges anywhere between £80 to £140, depending on the provider.
Volunteer Travel Insurance
Volunteering in continents such as Africa are challenging and also rewarding. Programmes include wild animal rehabilitation and release, teaching, community initiatives and so on. Some project leaders such as Africa Impact will not even consider accepting volunteers without proof of comprehensive insurance, including repatriation. Volunteers need to apply for insurance in their country of origin.
Source:
1. Africanimpact.com
2. Travelinsurance.co.uk
More Articles on Insurance:
Purchasing Scuba Diving Insurance
Clever Ways to Save Money on Insurance
Student Loans and Consolidation
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