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Have you ever travelled without travel insurance? Let’s pretend the following statistic is accurate and very scientific: at least ONE person out of TWO (maybe more) I have met travelling does NOT have travel insurance! CRAZY!
CONFESSION:
I have also been part of this statistic. Thanks to supernatural powers and guardian angels, I have stayed safe and sound.
Yep… I own a travel blog, and I once went wild and risky by travelling without travel insurance. The reasons I did it are not so valid; some might even be dumb.
Reason #1: lack of time to buy travel insurance
My schedule was tight, and my mind was already on the plane. I would reach my destination and realize I had forgotten more than just my toothbrush.
Lesson #1:
Travel insurance should be the first thing you buy after confirming your departure date. A simple phone call is all it takes to buy one. With most companies, you can get a quote online, as a phone call is a strange thing to do in 2023.
In my case, I didn’t even need to shop to find out what coverage I needed. Emilie had done all the work for me with her cute Excel spreadsheet that compared all insurance companies!
Reason #2: travel insurance is too expensive
If you just spent a s**t load of money for your flight and a few hotels booked in advance (and, of course, activities and cash for wild nights), there’s probably not much left. Right?
Money?! Again?! Nah. Basta. I will never use that travel insurance anyways.
Lesson #2:
I read that the other day and it got me thinking:
IF YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE, YOU DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO TRAVEL.
It makes complete sense! I don’t understand why I didn’t realize that before.
I was in Thailand with my friend when she caught a bug. She was Mike Tyson K.O. for four days.
Total bill: 300$. That amount was split between the hospital and her medications not the diving course she had initially put the money aside for. There’s a lesson to be learned here. Life is a beach, and you dive.
Reason #3: I’m healthy
You have no health problems. You’re young and do not plan to do many extreme activities that could endanger your life. Anyway, you’re cautious, and accidents just happen to others.
Lesson #3:
That YOLO attitude. The eternal teenager mindset that refuses to die. The main reason for buying travel insurance is precisely for that reason: S**T HAPPENS!
Another story. While in Singapore, I met a girl who had a violent car accident on her way to the airport. She had the leg shattered in pieces and stayed more than a month in the hospital, surgery after surgery. Later, she started a long period of rehabilitation.
Four months later, she was still in Singapore. The plane’s cabin pressure was too risky for her leg and wounds to take a plane back home. Imagine that. Four months of physiotherapy and nothing else, far from home.
Reason #4: I probably already own travel insurance
Your credit card and work insurance may already cover you.
Apprentissage #4 :
We are never too cautious. In my case, I always wanted to keep it simple and ensure what’s covered and for how long. So I just get the package deal, pay it, and go.
However, if you are a ninja of travel insurance, you can add complements to any coverage you already have with your job or credit card.
My only advice: if you’ve got any questions or concerns, call them before leaving! If you ever end up in the hospital because of those bad tacos, you won’t be leaking money out of your pockets. You might be leaking something else, but those tacos were good, weren’t they?
Reason #5: travel insurance is too complicated
For almost ten years, I have been on tour, a full-time nomad, an ex-pat, or in Quebec (remember COVID?).
Does the my provincial healthcare insurance covers me? What about the seven-year provision available in Quebec, how’s that working? If I make several trips per year, do I have to buy travel insurance each time? In short, it can be a complex situation so why bother with travel insurance!
Lesson #5:
Each individual is different. No matter your situation, there is travel insurance that will cover you.
I realized how wrong I was travelling without any coverage, and I hope my stories will make you think!
IMAGINE THAT ONE BAD LUCK, THE ONE THAT CHANGES YOUR LIFE. FOREVER. IS THE YOLO NO-TRAVEL INSURANCE CHOICE STILL WORTH IT?
So one day in Thailand, I rented a scooter. I did not want to pay the extra five bucks for the insurance in case of an accident. Classic story in Thailand, I crashed the scooter. 400$ evaporated from my pockets to repair that fine vehicle (it evaporated from my credit card, but you get the point).
I rented that scooter for a week only. Do the math.
Travelling without insurance, the new extreme sport
My mom would be the first to tell me:
“Girl, do you really want to be cheap regarding your health and the things you worked so hard to get?”
Mama, you’ll be proud of your daughter right now: I have no more reasons not to get travel insurance.
We often think that we are invincible and that nothing can happen to us. I wished we lived in a world of care bears and unicorns, but we’re not.
One last story, my own (a bit less intense, I’ll admit it). I caught mononucleosis in Sydney. I’ve visited the hospital more times than any tourist attraction, getting my blood drawn for $500 a pop, followed by a pleasant three hours of intravenous food in my arm because I was too weak. Memories 4 life, I am telling you.
My insurer contacted the hospital where I was, and everything got covered.
I will let you meditate on this, things have changed, but the danger is always there. March 2020 is an excellent example of how quickly this planet moves.
And what about you? Are you part of my travel insurance statistics?
Discuss travel insurance options with soNomad
Nomad Junkies’ founders are proud to be ambassadors for soNomad and on a mission to reduce travel insurance costs for all!
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- Travel Insurance Deductibles: The Best Way to Save Money on Longer Trips
- 10 Tips to Help You Save Money While Travelling
- Digital Nomad: How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance
