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Sunday, January 17th
If you're planning a trip that includes high-risk sports, activities, or adventures, World Nomads is one of the few places where most of them will be covered as part of their standard policy - though the riskier ones do require you to upgrade to their Explorer package.
Risky activities covered
Here are some of the activities they do cover in the event of an injury:
Standard
Explorer (also includes everything in the Standard package)
In fact, the only activities we found that were specifically excluded from any coverage were Base Jumping, High-Altitude Mountaineering.
Restrictions
One huge restriction with World Nomads: you have to be under 70 years of age to be eligible for their policies, eliminating any older adventurers from getting their next bungee jump or safari covered. Another drawback is that there is no coverage at all for pre-existing conditions; most of their competitors cover such conditions as long as the insurance is purchased within a certain amount of time prior to travel.
Limited coverage options
World Nomads does have fewer coverage options overall; you only get to choose between the Standard and Explorer levels of coverage, which limits you to the following:
Missing from World Nomads' coverage is any option to "cancel for any reason" or "cancel for work reasons" - so if you get scheduled for a work conference or lose your job and can't afford your adventure, you'll be out of luck.
Responsive to urgent needs
On the other hand, a big perk that World Nomads offers is the ability to get coverage while traveling: in other words, if you're on a fabulous trek through the Australian outback and decide to extend your trip, World Nomads can also extend your insurance coverage. We were able to get a policy for travel that started on the following day.
Also, when we looked for coverage for a trip starting in 8 months, we were also able to get a quote - a vast improvement over World Nomads' previous coverage, which only allowed for trips with start dates ranging from two weeks to three months from the date the quote was requested.
Great choice for adventurers
In short, for one particular type of traveler - the adventurous sort - World Nomads is an excellent choice for travel insurance. But, for the average trip-taker, they will probably find a more comprehensive range of policies with another provider.
The last time you took a trip, did you have travel insurance? If you were impacted by a natural disaster, suffered the hassle of lost baggage, or had a medical emergency, chances are good that you were wishing you had purchased a policy!
When it comes to tavel insurance, some people make the mistake of thinking that their credit card company offers protection, only to find out that their travel problems aren't covered. Other people forego travel insurance, assuming that their traditional health insurance policy will be enough to cover medical expenses - only to discover that it can't be used in another country.
Like most types of insurance, travel insurance is bought in the hopes that you'll never need it. But, for most travelers, it's worth the added expense for the protection it provides.
Just like more traditional forms of insurance, such as medical and auto, travel insurance varies in terms of coverage, options, and costs. Depending on what you select, your policy may cover just the bare basics, like trip cancellation/interruption and baggage/personal items coverage. Or, you may opt for a very comprehensive plan that allows you to cancel your trip for any reason - not the standard list of covered cancellation reasons - and includes coverage for accidental death, emergency evacuation from a foreign country, and so forth.
There are many different companies that specialize in travel insurance. How do you know which one to choose? As you consider your options, here are several aspects to keep in mind:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Travel Insurance companies currently available. We're confident that this information will help you select the right travel insurance policy to cover yourself - and your travel companions - in the event of any unforeseen complications with your trip!
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