I used to be the kind of backpacker who thought that they didn’t need travel insurance. That was until my entire 60L backpack with all of my clothes, camera equipment, and money was stolen at a bus stop in Barcelona.
Worst of all, the bus was en route to Switzerland, where I had to pay almost triple the price for new underwear and warm clothes.
Ever since then, I always stay covered. Since I live on the road, I need a travel insurance policy that covers my adventures from trekking in the Himalayas to fighting Muay Thai in Thailand.
I'm Olly, a full-time traveler for the past 5 years. I visit every destination I write about & handpick all recommendations.
World Nomads Travel Insurance
I have been traveling full-time for several years, and I have tried out several different insurance providers. One of these travel insurance companies is World Nomads.
I always choose the World Nomads Explorer Plan.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Don’t miss: Guide to Picking Trekking Travel Insurance (no altitude caps)
The Thing About Travel Insurance
I’m not here to sell you travel insurance.
There’s an old saying that goes “If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel”. When I lost all of my belongings in Barcelona, I was fortunate enough to have enough savings to cover myself.
But, what I didn’t consider back then was hospital expenses or the possibility of a disastrous road accident. Looking back, there’s no way I would have been able to afford emergency surgery or to pay for another person’s car or motorbike.
As a full-time traveler, I have decided that travel insurance is one of those fixed costs that I can’t afford to not have. For me, it’s a small yearly bill that is negligible in terms of what I would be losing if something were to go wrong.
Travel Insurance Alternatives
* Updated March 2020
I’ve recently come across a new travel insurance company that has specific coverage for digital nomads.
This new company on the block is called SafteyWing. This company offers cheaper travel insurance for long-term travelers.
You can find out more about them and get a quick quote here.
At the end of the day…
At the end of the day, when you buy travel insurance, you are buying peace of mind.
When people ask me if they should get travel insurance, I always say YES. I’ve heard many disaster stories and experienced it myself. You don’t want to be caught on the road uninsured when something happens.
This is even more true for adventure travelers like us.
