How to Keep Gap Year Travel Insurance Costs Down

Travel insurance is an essential when you go travelling on your gap year. The prices can vary depending on where you’re going and how long you plan to be away for, as well as what activities you’ll be doing when you’re away. However, there are things you can do to keep the costs down.

Know your Activities

There are some insurers that will allow you to add on extras to your policy while you are away. For example, you may have just gone for a standard policy before you left but then later decided that you want covert for gadgets to take some diving lessons or do another activity that isn’t covered by your policy. While you might be able to add on cover, it could actually cost you more to have bolt-ons, rather than just going for the more extensive policy from the beginning.

Take the time to think about what activities you will be doing on your trip, but also about the ones that you may decide to do when you’re out there. It’s better to over insure yourself in advance; at least then you can be sure you have the right cover, rather than having to chance it.

Choose your Destinations Carefully

You could find that the cost of insurance is considerably cheaper when you just stick to travelling around Europe, whereas it may be higher in countries where the standard of healthcare is much lower than that of the UK, or where state healthcare is not readily available. Medical expenses is one of the main reason why people claim on their insurance, so the cost of your policy is likely to be determined by how much the healthcare will cost in those countries.

Keep your Papers

Once you have taken out your travel insurance policy, it’s absolutely essential that you carry the papers with you wherever you go. If you need to claim or need emergency medical care, you may be required to show the papers before you will be given the help you need. Take a moment to consider just how expensive it may be if you don’t bother with insurance and you need an emergency operation.

Read through your policy very carefully so that you are absolutely clear about what you are and are not covered for. Take a few photocopies of your papers as well, just in case you lose them along your travels. If you find yourself in a situation where you aren’t covered for something, call your insurer and get that added onto your policy as soon as possible. It really isn’t worth the risk of not bothering, unless you’re happy to foot a steep bill at the end of it.

Watch your Valuables

Think carefully about the items you’re going to be taking with you. The more value they have, the higher your travel insurance is likely to be. A lot of seasoned travellers recommend taking a mobile phone and a tablet so that you can stay in touch with people back home, as well as find your way around and do some research while you’re away.

However, if you want to cut down on costs, try to get a phone that has internet capabilities so that you can leave the tablet at home. The fewer valuables you take with you, the lighter your bag will be, but also the cost of your insurance may be lower as well.

The important thing is to make sure you have fun while you’re away and make the most of travelling. You don’t want to be worrying about bills and insurance policies, so get a qaulity package and pay for it way before you leave. That way, you can just forget about it and enjoy yourself when you finally leave.