Buying travel insurance is usually one of the most complex steps in planning a trip. Maybe that’s why this is such a hot topic and people ask us so much: Is Travel Insurance worth it? What’s the best international Travel Insurance? What kind of travel insurance do I need? Travel insurance or medical travel insurance?
For that reason, we decided to write this article to share our experience, clarify these and other doubts about the topic, and also give you our best recommendation and explain why!
We’ve partnered with Heymondo to offer all of our readers a 5% discount on any plan! Just follow any link in this article and the discount will be applied automatically. By saving money, you’re also helping us out. We appreciate your support! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 🙂
- What is travel insurance?
- Is travel insurance really needed?
- What’s important in travel insurance?
- The best international travel insurance: 10 reasons
- How much is travel insurance? Quote example and comparative table
- What’s the best travel insurance for you?
- Travel Insurance and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Frequent questions and answers (FAQ)
What is travel insurance?
Travel insurance is like a temporary health plan that is intended to cover expenses such as medical interventions, travel cancellations, loss or theft of valuables, transportation or emergency rescuers, etc.
Some countries do not allow visitors’ entrance without travel insurance – Cuba is an example.
Source: Visa policy of Cuba
Travel insurance is one of those things that you are happy to never use. However, accidents happen and health problems are impossible to predict! Bad scenarios can also happen and you can be the person who needs a helicopter evacuation from the middle of nature in Thailand or surgery in Japan or even that person who loses technological equipment in a bus in the middle of Colombia. Having travel insurance is what decides between having any of the problems solved with one phonecall only or potentially thousands of euros to pay and a situation of big stress!
Is travel insurance really needed?
This is the key question. Ultimately it is a personal decision and depends on the trip. Even though we hear a lot of horror stories here and there, on our first trips we always opted not to buy insurance like many other travelers.
For our big trip to Asia, we re-thought the subject. Not knowing very well what we were doing, we probably bought the cheapest insurance in the market, which had a € 100 excess.
“Excess?! What is the excess?”. If this was your reaction, relax, because ours was the same! The excess is the minimum amount of the expense for the insurance to take full responsibility.
“If you can’t afford Travel Insurance, you can’t afford to travel.” – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia.
In 8 months in Asia, we went to the hospital more than 10 times for several (not very serious) reasons. Every time, the expense was never big enough to activate the insurance, but in total, we spent a lot of money! The cheapest insurance in the market became expensive.
With this, we conclude two very important things:
- We will never travel without travel insurance again, nor do we advise anyone else to do so.
- WE NEED TO CHANGE TRAVEL INSURANCE !!
What’s important in travel insurance?
With all our adventures, going to the hospital, and constant contact with our last insurer, we ended up realizing what to value in travel insurance and which characteristics to look for when buying one.
Insurance with low or zero franchise and high medical coverage was mandatory. In addition, we were looking for flexible insurance that suited our unpredictable life, good customer service (taking into account variable time zones), and coverage for radical activities that we love to do.
More than 70% admit that they do not have the capacity to bear an expense of € 10,000, or a family member, abroad. An appendicitis in the US can cost more than € 25,000. Source: Health Cost Helper
Then, when we came back from Asia, we found Heymondo, which not only meets our criteria but also has many other perks at prices we never thought would be possible!
The best international travel insurance: 10 reasons
With our experience, we can safely say that Heymondo has the best travel insurance plans we know. You can have travel insurance in a few minutes with the most affordable prices in the market, and when necessary, they are fast and efficient!
A Heymondo offers a 5% discount on any travel insurance plan to all TravelB4Settle readers. Enjoy!
This is what we like most about Heymondo’s insurance plans:
1 – Insurance specialized for travelers
Heymondo insurance plans are specially designed for travelers and adventurers and are not just a convenient extension of a health plan.
2 – No Excess
Heymondo covers the expenses from the first euro! Buying insurance is the only cost you will have. (⚠️ Except the plan Heymondo Long Stay that has an excess of 100€)
3 – No cash upfront
Many insurances cover expenses, but the payment is made by the customer and only then (maybe) reimbursed. This results in bureaucracy and waiting times.
With Heymondo, there is usually no advance payment! In case of any bad luck, you contact them through the app or any other means of communication and they resolve directly with the medical entity so that you don’t have to deal with payments.
4 – The most important coverages
Medical expenses, repatriation, family transportation, legal issues, emergencies, luggage, documentation, and cancellation insurance options (hotels, flights, etc.)!
5 – High medical coverages
Heymondo insurance plans have medical coverage ranging from € 2.500.000 to € 10.000.000 depending on the plan.
6 – Any type of trip and activities
From weekend getaways to year-long trips around the world, from trips to neighboring countries to the other side of the planet, and over 50 extreme activities!
7 – 24/7 Customer Service
Heymondo has a 24-hour support center available 365 days a year in several languages!
8 – Equipment theft or damage
This policy covers laptops, tablets, cameras, and accessories for theft (up to 50% of baggage coverage), loss or damage by carriers, and fire/assault damage (within the same limit). Extendable coverage to 100% is available for ultimate peace of mind.
Scary fact: It is estimated that there are more than 6000 daily robberies by pickpockets in Barcelona during the high season! Source: Bobarno.com
9 – Possible cancellation insurance
For a small extra, you can add cancellation insurance. There are 42 reasons for cancellation for which you can recover the amount of your bookings if you are unable to travel. It can be purchased without a limit on the number of days.
10 – International and flexible coverage
Heymondo offers travel insurance for people who are traveling to a single country, to Europe in general, or to the entire world!
Later in this article, we present the different insurance options available.
Check all resources we use and recommend on our Resources Page.
How much is a travel insurance plan? – Quote example
You can get a travel insurance quote in 1 minute through this link. Prices already include a 5% discount offered to all our readers!
The image below shows an example of an insurance quote for a 15-day trip for one person to anywhere in the world. The different plans have different conditions.
What’s the best travel insurance plan for you?
Heymondo has plans for all types of trips and all types of destinations. You can find more detailed information here but basically, these are the different plans:
Heymondo Medical
The cheapest travel insurance on the market, designed for short holiday trips or short breaks to nearby destinations. It only covers medical expenses but up to 10.000.000€.
Heymondo Top
A more versatile travel insurance plan. Even though the medical coverage is only 5.000.000€, it includes extra coverages such as baggage, trip disruption, and trip cancelation. Includes the option for electronic coverage and adventure sports.
Heymondo Premium
The ideal plan for traveling in countries where healthcare is expensive, for example, Japan. It is a similar plan to Heymondo Top but with higher coverages (medical, electronic, adventure, etc), rental car coverages, and options for cruises.
Heymondo Annual Multi-trip
One of the most interesting Heymondo travel insurance plans, very appropriate for Digital Nomads.
This Annual Multi-Trip plan covers all trips up to 60 days outside of your home country. It’s perfect for people who are sure they’ll be taking multiple trips throughout the year with frequent returns to their home country.
Heymondo Long Stay
The best travel insurance for long or uncertain trips. Heymondo Long Stay plan covers a minimum period of 90 days and can be renewed whenever and however you want.
Follow this link and you get an immediate 5% discount on any Heymondo travel insurance!
Travel Insurance and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 virus that has infected millions of people since 2019:
Do travel insurance cover medical expenses in case of infection with coronavirus?
Yes! Heymondo’s travel insurance plans cover medical expenses in case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. This is valid for any part of the world.
Are quarantine expenses covered by travel insurance?
Yes, expenses in case of medical quarantine are covered. In the case of preventive quarantine (suspected cases) nothing is covered.
Frequent Questions and Answers (FAQ)
Travel insurance or travel assistance?
These are two different concepts but have been somewhat unified. In travel insurance, the expenses are paid by the insured and this is then refunded. In travel assistance, expenses are paid directly by insurance. With Heymondo expenses are directly paid by them!
Travel insurance or medical travel insurance?
Medical travel insurance only covers medical expenses. Travel insurance covers medical expenses, repatriation, equipment theft or loss, and possibly cancellation costs.
Is Credit card Travel insurance enough?
Some credit or debit cards include health insurance. Pay attention to these insurances. These insurances are not specially made for travelers like Heymondo’s is. Often it has difficult conditions to meet to have the expenses covered.
Does it cover Ski or Snowboard?
No, it doesn’t cover it. Most insurance companies don’t cover these sports and the ones that do don’t have other basic coverage like baggage, technological equipment, and even some health coverage. If you want to include these sports in your trip, our advice is to buy travel insurance and buy additional insurance at the ski resort itself, which usually costs a few euros per day.
Hopefully, this article helped you and clarified all your travel insurance doubts. If you still have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
If you found this article useful, leave us a comment! If you think this information would be useful for any friend of yours, share it! You’ll be helping him/her and us!
Useful links for your next trip!
Some tools and platforms we use and recommend. By using these links, you help TravelB4Settle! Thanks 🙂
- Travel safe with Heymondo. Travel insurances with the best prices on the market, specialized for travellers, flexible plans and high coverages. Get a fast quote with 5% discount.
- Revolut Card – Free transfers and cash withdrawals abroad without fees. Get your free card
- Book flights with Kiwi for good deals, advanced research and flexible trips.
- Book an apartment you like with Airbnb, a hostel with HostelWorld or any accommodation with Booking!
- Rent a car with Rentalcars, comparing vehicles and prices before travelling!
- Get cashback in more than 120.000 online and offline stores with CashbackWorld . Read our complete guide
More tools, equipment and services we use and recommend on our Resources Page.
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