Every year, thousands of school leavers and students take a gap year and embark on trips abroad in order to work and travel. With a wide range of different jobs available on trip - from ranch work in Australia to teaching in Tanzania - the appeal of these exotic excursions provides a welcome break from study and the chance to experience different cultures.
It is vital to make sure that you have adequate travel insurance before you travel. Your policy should provide cover in case of medical emergencies, but also have options that allow you to provide cover for all the activities you plan to participate in during your trip.
If you're tempted by the thought of travelling, one of the most important steps to ensure you have taken in preparation for your trip is making sure you're covered by purchasing travel insurance. It is important to make a list of what you plan on taking with you - such as electrical equipment and skiing equipment.
It is also important to make a list of activities that you plan on doing - such as extreme sports and scuba diving - in order to provide accurate information when looking for cheap travel insurance.
Here are some hints and tips on what to bear in mind when searching for a quote:
- Ensure that you take out a travel insurance policy in order to cover the basics - such as medical expenses, repatriation costs, third party liability and passport loss.
- Activities such as scuba diving, white water rafting and bungee jumping may not be covered in basic policies - you will need to look into additional cover for such activities for the duration of your trip. Ensure that you are covered for the duration of your visit just in case plans change and you choose to participate in these activities.
- If you have a pre-existing medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, you need to look into getting cover in case of complications during your trip. Your insurance company will usually require you to complete a form in order to assess a suitable cost.
- It is advisable to look into additional options on your policy to help cover costs of emergency trips back home - such as bereavements or exam-re-sits. Such cover can also be set up to cover any costs should your parents need to fly out in emergency situations.
- It could also prove beneficial to insure any electrical equipment, such as digital cameras, laptops and handheld gaming devices, consider the price of such equipment and whether it would be safer to take a cheaper model in order to be less attractive to burglars.
