Still unsure if travel insurance is worth it? I get it. No one likes paying for something they hope they’ll never use. But after years of travel – both in Australia and overseas – I’ve learned that it’s not something to skip.
It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance in case something goes wrong. It makes even more sense when you plan to join adventurous activities.
Medical costs and evacuation cover are my top priorities
My main reason for always getting travel insurance is for medical emergencies and evacuation, especially overseas. Having lived abroad, I know how expensive things can get if something goes wrong far from home. Even if it’s not life-threatening, I’d rather not spend two painful days travelling back home to Australia and always have the option to seek medical advice. And I’d rather enjoy the trip without worrying about what would happen if I needed urgent care or had to be flown out.
Things go wrong – even on non-adventurous trips
It’s easy to think “it won’t happen to me”, until it does. I used to just rely on my credit card cover for things like flight delays, cancellations or lost baggage. But the pandemic changed everything. The risk of plans being disrupted – getting stuck longer somewhere, or having to cancel last-minute – is always on my mind now.
Yes, you can book hotels with free cancellation (just use the filter on Booking.com* for example), but flexible flights can be pricey. Sometimes the extra cost is enough to make travel insurance look like the better deal.
I even get insurance for some domestic trips
That might sound over the top, but hear me out. When I’m playing soccer four times a week and we’ve planned an active holiday such as a week kayaking and camping on a remote island or a scuba diving liveaboard, one injury could ruin the whole trip. Travel insurance can cover the cost if you need to cancel for medical reasons, even in Australia.
Not all activities are covered – always read the fine print
If you’re planning adventurous activities, it’s essential to check what’s included in your policy. Some activities are automatically covered, others require extra coverage. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to understand what you’re buying; it’s boring but important! And it’s one of the reasons why I like Cover-More*, I found it easy to understand what’s covered and to add activities to the policy.
What travel insurance do I use?
Before COVID, I often used World Nomads*. They were great for adventure travel. For example, they covered us for climbing Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), while many insurers only cover up to 3,000 m. But after COVID, their World Nomads* Explorer Plan with COVID-19 cover became more expensive than Cover More*, so we switched.
We now always check Cover More* for both domestic and international trips. It’s easy to add Adventure or Adventure+ extras if you’re planning more extreme activities.
Bonus tip: check if you can get discounts through other insurance. For example, we get 20% off RACQ travel insurance because we’re with them for our car insurance. If you’re travelling as a couple or group, those savings can really add up.
