Travel Insurance? Worth it? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

Parrothead497 · 07-26-2006, 05:29 PM

Hello all,

I was curious on how many backpackers actually purchase travel insurance for their trips. I have seen very few posts concerning this subject, so I thought I would make my own. Also, I was curious if the vaccinations that the CDC lists on their website are actually necessary for travel to both Western and Eastern Europe.

Thanks for your help

**florencia9699** · 07-26-2006, 06:31 PM

Parrothead just imagine what it would cost you to get a cast in Germany with no inurance?? No matter what happens on your travels abroad you wanna make sure you can get a doctor that speaks your language no matter where you are (and believe me, this isn't always the case in MANY countries). I think yu'd better be safe than sorry, If anything should happen you'd better be covered.

I'm not sure about this, but I think the ISIC card even gives you insurance once you purchase it...I know it's a bit of a pain paying the extra money, but it's worth it.

I think most of the vaccinations you may need to go to Europe you probably already got... but make sure....

in any case, where are you from?

foofiter · 07-26-2006, 08:16 PM

Get the insurance. Its worth it even if you are robbed. The medical benefit is huge too. It should also cover a flight home if you are hurt or sick as well.

Foo

**LostFarmboy** · 07-26-2006, 08:56 PM

Simply put - yes, travel insurance is worth it. You can get fairly cheap plans if you don't wanna fork out a heap of cash.

**tumblezweedz** · 07-27-2006, 12:29 AM

Hey Parrothead, there's a long discussion on this very topic in the "Health and Safety" forum if you want to get a lot of feedback on the issue. I'm a big believer in travel insurance, having had to cancel a paid-for trip for health reasons some years back. It was awful to cancel the trip (3 weeks in Morocco, I still want to cry), but would have been worse if I'd lost my airfare as well!

We've also had several encounters with emergency rooms in our travels - just to give you an idea, an ambulance ride, head x-ray (to check for concussion), anaesthetic and stitches in a small hospital in Austria cost over 200 Euro. And that was for a fluke accident that could have happened to anybody.

In Greece, a late night doctor's visit, and multiple medications to combat tonsilitis and bronchitis cost more than 100 Euro. And had it not been for divine intervention, we'd have had to add cab fare for a 100 km ride to that bill.

Compare that to the cost of travel/medical insurance.

And you can't control the illnesses of the people around you - our daughter was exposed to TB in Korea - that's a nine month course of medication every day. Not saying you're likely to catch TB in Europe, but you could catch a flu bug, chicken pox or some virus that requires treatment, and insurance would cover that. And should something more serious happen (my aunt got hit by a motorbike, spent most of her trip to India in a hospital, yippee.) the insurance would definitely help you out, either with care costs or to get you home if necessary.

I don't want to sound like a scare monger, I'm not saying that any of these things are LIKELY to happen to you, but if they did, would you be able to take care of the financial obligations involved?

Travel insurance also covers things like lost luggage or broken/stolen items, which are far more likely than a serious illness in the course of an ordinary trip. Unless you're a member of our family, it would seem.

As far as vaccinations go, the CDC website is usually extremely comprehensive - it's worth asking your doctor for recommendations. You don't have to get every shot listed, especially for western Europe (we didn't get the tick encephalitis shots for our kids, for example, although we do live in the woods and have to do tick watch every day), and we didn't get anything extra special when we moved to eastern Europe, but there are some food and water-borne illnesses that you might want to look into, especially if you're going to be in significantly less well developed areas, where medical facilities might be less easy to find in a hurry.

**Majestic58** · 07-27-2006, 12:29 AM

I love travel insurance... Back home in Canada, if you go through BCAA you can get travelgold insurance that costs 1$/day and covers up to like 150K... with no deductible.. granted there is a limit on how many days your trip out of the country can last before the insurance is invalid.... and it only covers emergency room stuff... but it's saved my ass a NUMBER of times...

Parrothead497 · 07-27-2006, 06:34 AM

Thanks all,

I guess I will just go ahead and purchase a plan. Anyone have any suggestions for where I can find a decent plan for a decent price? Thanks for your help.

And for whoever asked where I am from, Florida.

thatgirlwholaughs · 07-27-2006, 11:45 AM

just to save the time of starting a related topic, what about electronics insurance?

most everything around here i can find info on is that i have to tag insurance for say my camera/laptop onto a homeowners insurance. but if i'm living in paris the whole year, how do i manage? thanks!

**tumblezweedz** · 07-28-2006, 12:54 AM

You should be able to get some form of renter's insurance, which would cover your gear in that location (or, if you're still on your parents' policy, that should cover your stuff in an overseas location.) If you want, you can get no or low-deductible riders for particular articles - typically, jewellery, cameras, electronic equipment - which generally cover more risks than a standard renter's policy, and the lower deductibles allow you to replace/repair damaged items without affecting your premiums on the renter's policy.

For example, you might have a renter's policy with a $1000 deductible, but your camera might only cost $500 to replace. To lower your overall deductible would send your premiums up considerably, but if you buy a specific camera rider with, say, a $50 deductible, you would only have to pay a little bit more, and if you had to make a claim against the rider, it wouldn't increase your overall premium. Make sense?

Rorie_Fantastico · 07-28-2006, 01:32 AM

even if u never need to use it its so reassuring to have it there!