Everything doesn’t always go to plan! Who hasn’t had to postpone a trip because something unexpected happened? And what if you were on the other side of the world and needed medical attention? Unforeseen events happen and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
In this post, I’m going to tell you about the importance of buying travel insurance, compare travel insurances and tell you about what I think is the best international travel insurance.
Buying travel insurance may seem like an extra cost when planning a trip, but believe me when I say it provides some reassurance. It allows us to travel more peacefully because we know we’re covered in the event of something happening. Can you imagine travelling to a country where healthcare is very expensive and having a huge bill to pay in the end? Well, this is exactly one of the scenarios in which travel insurance can come in very handy.
Is travel insurance worth it?
We often wonder whether we need travel insurance, especially if the chosen destination is in Europe and we’re talking about a short trip like many weekend getaways.
In Europe, people often use the European Health Insurance Card, but the truth is that this card, although very useful, only covers health costs. Rescue and repatriation operations, for example, are not included. What’s more, it only gives you access to the country’s public health service and often doesn’t include medicines (which you may need for treatment).
💡 EXTRA TIP: Health insurance is different from travel insurance. Health insurance, as the name suggests, is only related to medical acts, while travel insurance includes other unforeseen events, such as lost luggage, theft, the need for an early return, the need to cancel the trip, etc.
The truth is that nobody wants to have to activate travel insurance, but you never know when you’ll need it. That’s why I prefer not to take any chances and always purchase travel insurance on my trips, regardless of the destination and trip duration.
So, unless travel insurance is required by the destination, the final decision on whether to take out travel insurance is always up to the traveller. However, I recommend that you do so on every trip. No one can predict a simple case of appendicitis, a broken leg while hiking, or even the death of a family member while travelling.
What’s more, nowadays, there are several travel insurance companies and you can find offers at very competitive prices, so there are few excuses for not taking out travel insurance.
International travel insurance comparison
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of travel insurance companies in the world. However, below I’m going to give you a brief comparison of the travel insurance companies I know personally. Below, you can find some of the main advantages of each of these insurances:
Option 1 – Heymondo
- Medical assistance up to 10.000.000€ (one of the highest on the market)
- No excess/deductible to activate insurance
- 24/7 medical assistance via Heymondo’s chat app
- Easy and convenient insurance activation via the Heymondo App
- No need to pay money upfront to cover your expenses
- Good online customer reviews of the service provided (4.4 rating on Trustpilot)
Option 2 – IATI
- Medical assistance up to 10.000.000€
- No excess/deductible to activate insurance
- 24/7 medical assistance
- No need to pay money upfront to cover your expenses
- Travel insurance has no age limit (except for IATI Backpacker)
- Travel insurance covers every country in the world
- Many years of experience in the market
Option 3 – SafetyWing
- Nomad insurance for nomads, being more suitable for those who make longer trips while working
- The insurance is booked for 4 weeks until cancellation or a maximum of 364 days
- Automatic renewal of the insurance policy every month
- Possibility of getting insurance while already on your trip
- For every 3 months away, the insurance cover includes home visits lasting up to 30 days
- Assistance team is available 24 hours a day
Which international travel insurance should I choose?
My favourite options include IATI and Heymondo. They are two of the most popular options in the Portuguese market since they provide customer support and assistance in Portuguese. Nevertheless, they are also great options for travellers from other countries. Keep reading to find a review of IATI vs Heymondo.
Spoiler alert! Heymondo has far superior medical coverage and the prices are the most competitive on the market. Take this practical example of the price of Heymondo vs IATI travel insurance for a trip to the United States (14 days) or Italy (7 days). Both companies have different types of travel insurance, but the ones I’ll be showing in the table below are the most comparable.
United States (14 Days)
In the case of the United States, as it’s a very expensive destination, the best option is to go for the insurance with the highest coverage – Heymondo Premium in the case of Heymondo and IATI Total Comfort in the case of IATI. The medical coverage is quite similar in both insurances. However, the theft and luggage damage and price make Heymondo the clear winner here.
| Heymondo Premium | IATI Total Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| PRICE | 82,16€ | 126,72€ |
| Medical assistance | 10.000.000€ | 10.000.000€ |
| Emergency dental expenses | 500€ | 450€ |
| Repatriation and Early Return | Included | Included |
| Theft and damage to luggage | 2.500€ | 1.500€ |
| Delayed baggage delivery | 500€ | 120€ |
| Electronic equipment | 1.250€ | 750€ |
| Civil liability | 60.000€ | 200.000€ |
| AirHelp complaints service | – | +5,95€ |
| Early return due to hospitalization/death of family member | 4.500€ | 100% |
Italy (7 days)
In the case of Italy, you probably won’t need such high coverage, so the comparison below focuses on the cheapest options from both companies – IATI Classic and Heymondo Top. Here too, there is some difference in coverage: Heymondo has clearly superior coverage and it’s actually cheaper.
| Heymondo Top | IATI Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| PRICE | 28,03€ | 34,32€ |
| Medical assistance | 5.000.000€ | 500.000€ |
| Emergency dental expenses | 300€ | 350€ |
| Repatriation and Early Return | Included | Included |
| Theft and damage to luggage | 1.700€ | 1.000€ |
| Delayed baggage delivery | 300€ | 120€ |
| Electronic equipment | 850€ | 500€ |
| Civil liability | 60.000€ | 30.000€ |
| AirHelp complaints service | – | +5,95€ |
| Visit of family member in case of illness | 2.500€ | 100% |
So, although any of the options is good, I recommend Heymondo, as it is generally the cheapest option and, above all, the one with the best coverage in the market. I would also like to remind you that, as readers of the blog, you get a 5% discount on Heymondo travel insurances.
All you have to do is book your Heymondo travel insurance through this link. The insurance price shown on the website already includes the discount.
How to pick travel insurance
Not all trips are the same, so the type of trip you’re planning is a very important factor when choosing the best international travel insurance.
So here are some tips for buying travel insurance:
1. The cheapest policy isn’t always the one that pays off
Sometimes getting the cheapest travel insurance involves paying a higher excess in order to activate the insurance. This means that to activate the insurance, you have to pay a certain amount of money, which can sometimes be quite high. Always check if there is an excess and how much it is!
2. Some extreme activities/sports may not be included
If you’re planning to do any extreme activities or sports (e.g. skiing, bungee jumping), make sure you book travel insurance that includes activities of this kind. As a general rule, these types of activities are excluded, so it’s worth reading in detail what each company considers to be a ‘risky activity’ and what types of activities are included in this list.
3. Decide whether to include a trip cancellation option
Although some travel insurances include coverage for health expenses, medication or even lost luggage, or even theft, most of the time it doesn’t include coverage in case of trip cancellation. However, several options on the market allow you to add the cancellation option for a small extra fee.
Generally, activating this cancellation option involves providing justification/proof of the reason for cancellation. Depending on the insurance company, the reasons for cancellations that are accepted can vary. However, they usually include situations such as the death or illness of a family member, unemployment, flight cancellations, and illness, among others.
4. Pay attention to the insured amount for personal items
Many policies include insurance for personal belongings against theft or loss of luggage, for example. The amount of coverage for this type of items depends on the value of what you’re taking with you on your trip. For example, if you’re travelling with photographic equipment, a computer or valuable objects, it might be worth taking out a more complete travel insurance when it comes to personal belongings.
5. There are countries where healthcare is very expensive
Some countries (e.g. the USA) are very expensive when it comes to healthcare. In these cases, it’s important to make sure you buy travel insurance with higher coverage. Generally, when you’re researching the various travel insurance options, you have to enter the country you’re travelling to and the options presented already include specific rates for that country.
6. There are travel insurances for different trip lengths
Many travel insurance companies have options with different prices for short trips, long trips or even for frequent travellers (i.e. several trips in a year). Depending on the length of your trip, some options may be more advantageous than others.
7. Group insurance might be cheaper than buying separate insurances
If you’re not travelling alone, it’s often cheaper to take out insurance for more than one person than to buy several insurances separately. In almost all the travel insurance I’ve bought in the past years, it’s been cheaper to book for two people together than for each person on their own.
8. Check if there is 24/7 customer support
Another factor that can be decisive when choosing the most appropriate insurance is the availability of a 24-hour service, 365 days a year.
Unforeseen events can happen anywhere in the world and at any time. And if you have to activate your travel insurance, you want the process to be convenient, simple and quick. That’s why there’s nothing better than booking travel insurance that includes round-the-clock assistance.
9. Your age can influence the travel insurance price
Especially for those over 65, it’s important to make sure that the travel insurance options you’re considering have coverage for your age. Some insurance companies don’t offer options for ages over X or, alternatively, charge extra for insured people of a higher age.
So, now you know and are better prepared to purchase travel insurance! Before buying travel insurance, these are some of the factors you should take into consideration:
- The cheapest policy isn’t always the one that pays off
- Some extreme activities/sports may not be included
- Decide whether to include a trip cancellation option
- Pay attention to the insured amount for personal items
- There are countries where healthcare is very expensive
- There are travel insurances for different trip lengths
- Group insurance might be cheaper than buying separate insurances
- Check if there is 24/7 customer support
- Your age can influence the travel insurance price
In a nutshell, buying travel insurance may seem like an additional expense when you’re first planning your trip, but believe me, it will give you peace of mind in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. There are several travel insurance companies on the market, but the important thing is to know how to find the best travel insurance that suits your needs!
Disclaimer: this post may contain some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy something through my links. This doesn’t represent any additional cost to you and you’ll be supporting my work here on the blog😊
