I'm Marko. I'm Alex. We're the Vagabrothers,
and in this video we're telling you everything you
need to know about travel insurance.
Boring, but important. No..Yeah
Boring. Dude, you're just going to have everyone shut
the video off. Hey! We're talking about something boring!
But important. Okay, anyways.
We're going to talk about what it is, when you need it,
and how to get it. Ready? Good. Let's go!
Travel insurance is protection against anything bad
that can happen while on the road,
from losing your luggage to losing your life.
Insurance is one of those things that you never need,
until you do. So let's start with what travel insurance covers.
The basic categories are: Medical Insurance
Emergency Evacuation; Accidental Death
and Dismemberment; Travel Protection;
and Baggage Protection.
Plans typically combine coverage from all these categories
So the way to save money is by knowing what you
do and don't need. Got that? Good
Let's dive into each category.
First up: medical insurance.
Now this is going to cover any bills you might have
from going to a hospital abroad.
But first, you need to think about where you're going.
In Europe or Canada, you might not need it because
health care is mostly free, even for foreigners.
But not so in the United States, where even
a quick visit to a hospital or doctor
could run you thousand of dollars out of pocket.
Remember that travel insurance is not a substitute for
the health care that you have back at home.
It's just protection against accidents overseas.
You can't use it to get your teeth cleaned, but it
will cover you if you get hospitalized for malaria.
That being said, if you are American ,or if you are already
paying for health care back home, there are global health care plans.
So, if you travel regularly, find a plan with global coverage.
Next up, we have emergency evacuation and
accidental death and dismemberment.
Nobody likes to think about dying or serious injury,
but when "shit hits the fan," you want this sort of coverage.
Emergency evacuation insurance pays for you to be
airlifted to a local hospital, or
flown all the way back home.
Imagine that you're back packing somewhere remote,
like the Canadian Rockies. You fall off
a cliff. Oh no. And you need a helicopter
ride to go back to the hospital and save your life.
Helicopter rides to the hospital are not cheap.
Or you could get in a serious accident in a developing country
where there's not a great health care system.
Emergency evacuation insurance will pay for you to fly home
so you can get proper treatment in your own country.
Without insurance, these situations can bankrupt you
and your family. They're are countless bars
in Southeast Asia with collection jars for back packers
who got in a motor cycle accident, are brain dead,
but too broke to fly their comatose bodies
back home. Don't be that person.
Still with us? Good. Now let's talk about travel protection.
Travel protection will reimburse you the cost of your trip
if for some reason, you have to cancel at the last minute
With travel protection, you get back the money from your
flights, as well as any other reservations you made
in advance.
So do you need this? If you're a traveler who
likes to book everything in advance,
then it probably makes sense to buy this.
But, if you prefer to arrive to a destination
and wing it, you probably don't need it.
Also ,keep in mind if you buy your airfare on your credit card,
you could be insured through your credit card,
so just double check before you make a purchase.
The last type of insurance is baggage protection,
which covers anything lost or damaged on your flight.
Airlines are liable for any baggage lost or stolen
up to a certain amount, and if you bought your ticket
with your credit card, that should have some coverage as well.
Just make sure you check the limits, and get insurance
for anything over that.
You can also insure your possessions against theft, loss, or damage,
which is really smart if you carry around laptops and
camera equipment. Again, you might already have
coverage if you have renter's insurance or homeowner's
insurance, so just check your policy to make sure..
Ladies and gentlemen. The time has come to choose a plan!
Consult the oracle!
Blasphemy!
Read the runes!
Pagans!
Go to the Vagabrothers. They always have good ideas.
That's a sensible plan. Let's do that!
In all seriousness, which ever plan you choose,
make sure that it includes the following:
coverage in the countries that you're visiting.
Obvious, but crucial.
Adequate protection for your valuables,
24 hour assistance.
Medical coverage for injuries and illnesses,
and protection from natural disasters,
civil unrest. war, or anything
else that might turn your holiday into a hell-aday.
Finally, remember that most plans do not cover the
following: extreme sports, skydiving, hang gliding,
bungie jumping or snowboarding off peaks.
Any accidents that happen when you were drunk or high.
And finally,
car accidents that involve a third party.
Basically, if you do anything dumb or reckless,
you're out of luck. So be smart.
If anything does happen, you're going to have to
file a claim to get reimbursed.
No matter which company you chose,
your insurer is going to do everything it can
to not pay you.
So remember to keep track of your receipts,
tickets, hotel booking, or whatever
electronics you bring with you.
Filing a claim is a pain in the ass.
It's going to take a lot of time, and there's a ton
of paperwork, so make sure you've double checked
everything before you send it in, or else you're going to have to do it all over again.
When it comes to picking a plan,
World Nomades.com is a good place to start.
It's an industry leader in travel insurance.
InsureMyTrip.com
also allows you compare different plans from around the world.
For more information, see the blogposts
on this topic on our website: Vagabrothers.com.
And you can also click the links down below
to World Nomads and Insure Your Trip.com
If you use those links while booking, it will help support
this channel at no extra costs to you guys.
All right guys, if you enjoyed that video, you know
what to do: give it a thumbs- up, share it with your
travel buddies and subscribe
by clicking that little button down there if
you haven't already. Also, if you have any tips of your
own, or more questions for videos that you'd like us to make
please put them in the comment box below.
For more travel tips, you can also see
this playlist right here.
Got a bunch of videos covering different topics,
so click that to check it out.
Or if you want to see some of our recent adventures
from the road, click over there.
In the meantime, stay curious, keep exploring,
and we'll see you guys on the road.
Peace.