If you’re thinking about taking a gap year in Australia, or anywhere else for that matter, you’re going to need some travel insurance. Now, travel insurance may not be the most interesting of gap year subjects but it is absolutely essential you get some before going off on the adventure of a lifetime (just in case, heaven forbid, the worst should happen).
Initially, buying travel insurance for a gap year can seem like quite a daunting prospect. There’s loads of insurance companies out there, all claiming to offer you the best deals. So how do you separate the good insurance deals from the bad ones? With the help of Mpora, and this useful list, of course.
1) STA Travel Insurance
If like many of the world’s gap year travellers you’re a student, or a recent graduate, you’re probably quite familiar with STA already. They’re pretty much the masters of sorting things out for potential gap year adventurers.
Not ones to leave important stones unturned, STA offer travellers a variety of gap year insurance deals. After just a quick search of their website, the Mpora team was able to find a year-long, worldwide, multi-trip deal (including time spent in the USA) for £130.
“…travel insurance may not be the most interesting of…subjects but it is absolutely essential you get some before going off on the adventure of a lifetime…”
In a nutshell, this gap year package basically covers everything you could ever think of. It includes £2000 cancellation cover, £10,000,000 emergency medical expenses cover, £500 loss of passport cover, and a whole host of other stuff. When you factor in that this insurance deal covers you for an entire year, and in every country, it’s well worth a look.
If you’d like to browse the variety of STA insurance deals on offer, and find something that’s right for you and your gap year, you can do so by clicking on that link just there.
2) Virgin Money Insurance
If it’s a less of a gap year you’re going on, and more of a gap month, then Virgin Money might have exactly what you’re after. After browsing a price comparison website, for no more than a minute, Mpora found a 31 day deal for £25.71.
This insurance package covers medical expenses up to £5,000,0000, cancellation up to £1,500, and baggage of up to £1,000. It doesn’t cover the loss of gadgets however, so make sure you hold onto your laptop, your iPad, and your iPhone during your trip (as they won’t be covered by this insurance deal).
3) Unity Winter Sports Insurance
When you’re travelling the world on your gap year, there’s a strong chance you’ll want to let your hair down and do some extreme activities. We found a winter sports insurance package from Unity (via Just Travel Cover) that’s perfect for travellers who plan on hitting the French alps, and doing some skiing and/or snowboarding on their gap year.
For £111.61, you can get an annual package that includes £5,000,000 medical cover, £3,000 cover for cancellation costs, £1,000 baggage cover, and £750 ski equipment cover. If you’re not planning to spend your gap year on a beach in Australia and are instead looking to spend your time getting better at action sports; this insurance deal might be the one for you.
4) 1Stop Travel Insurance
If you’re looking to travel the world on you’re gap year, but aren’t that bothered about going to the USA or Canada, Mpora have found a deal on 1Stop Travel Insurance (via Compare The Market) that ticks most of the boxes you need it to (minus cover for the Canada/USA).
The deal, which will set you back £248.53, includes £10,000,000 medical cover, £1,500 baggage cover, £5,000 cancellation cover, and legal expenses of up to £25,000. It’s not the cheapest option in the world but it is cheaper than a large sway of offers out there.
In terms of gap year insurance, this deal from 1Stop Travel Insurance protects travellers from the majority of worst case scenarios.
5) Post Office Insurance
When you think of gap year insurance, the Post Office might not be the first thing you think of. However, if you know what you’re after, and want to buy insurance relatively quickly, you could do a lot worse than getting covered through this lot.
For £292.46, for example, you can get an insurance deal that will cover you for an entire year’s travel in Australia and New Zealand. Included in this gap year package is £1,000 baggage cover, £1,000 cancellation cover, and £2,000,000 medical cover.
Interestingly, the Post Office have been voted the winner of the ‘Best Travel Insurance Provider’ every year between 2006 and 2014 by the BritishTravelAwards.com.
6) First Direct Travel Insurance
The term ‘gap year’ is thrown around a lot these days, despite many adventurers often travelling for a lot less than an entire year. Mpora have found a deal from First Direct, which covers global travel for 120 days, that is perfect for those looking to travel the world for four months rather than four seasons.
This insurance package, that costs £116.90, includes £10,000,000 medical cover, £5,000 cancellation cover, and £50,000 legal expenses. It’s one of the best travel insurance deals we’ve found and, at that price, is well worth a look.
7) Liverpool Victoria Travel Insurance
Liverpool Victoria, who are rated one of the best travel insurance providers by Which, know a thing or two about making sure you’re covered while you’re off on your gap year adventure.
Mpora have found a deal with LV that covers worldwide travel for a year (including USA and Canada), £10,000,000 medical expenses, £25,000 legal expenses, and £2,000,000 personal liability cover. The price: £273.37. If you’d like £2,000 baggage cover on top of that, which is a pretty good idea, the price goes up to £315.95.
8) Flexicover Travel Insurance
When buying travel insurance for your gap year, the choice between single trip and annual multi-trip can be a confusing one. The comparison option on Flexicover is genuinely useful, and will ensure that you don’t end up paying out more money than you should for your insurance package.
An ‘Annual Multi-Trip Gold’ package, with Flexicover, will cost you £116.62. This policy includes £10,000,000 medical expenses, £5,000 cancellation, £2,000 personal baggage cover, £500 money cover, and £5,000 trip abandonment cover. It hits all the bases you want from a gap year insurance deal, and is perfect if you’re planning on make lots of trips throughout the year.
As a point of comparison, the ‘Single Trip Gold’ package with Flexicover would cost Mpora £252.83. When budgeting for your gap year, remember to factor in how policy alterations like this will alter the price you pay for your insurance (remember to always read the small print before embarking on your journey of discovery).
9) Tesco Travel Insurance
Tesco is one of Britain’s most famous supermarket chains, but did you know that they also do some really great deals on gap year travel insurance?
After spending virtually no time at all on their website, Mpora were able to get a decent annual multi-trip policy (with a maximum stay of 60 days per trip) for £139.99. This quote included £5,000,000 medical expenses, £5,000 trip cancellation, £25,000 legal guard, and personal belongings cover of £1,500.
Not only do Tesco keep you well-fed, with their wide selection of food and drink, they could also be the ones you turn to when buying insurance for your gap year.
10) Go Travel Insurance
If you’re looking to get on a plane and keep on travelling for the entire year, as one single trip, you could do a lot worse than getting yourself insured with Go.
The price of £296.65 might seem a bit steep when you compare it to the multi-trip deals, but when you factor in that this covers for you one big 365-day adventure rather than multiple, shorter, trips this might be the insurance solution for those who want to see it all in one go.
The deal Mpora found includes £3,000,000 medical cover, £1,500 cancellation cover, £10,000 legal expenses, and £500 money cover. When insuring yourself for your gap year, Go Travel Insurance are certainly worth considering.
Conclusion
Of course, what insurance you get for your gap year will vary massively depending on the type of travelling you intend on doing, and what activities you intend on doing when you reach your destination. What’s most important when buying gap year insurance is ensuring you get a deal that best suits you, and your needs, if the worst should happen.
We’ve only just touched the surface of gap year insurance options here, but we hope we’ve helped to make the process slightly less intimidating.
Be safe out there, and enjoy your adventure!