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Medical treatment in case you become ill or injured overseas
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Loss, damage or theft of your personal belongings, such as money, luggage and travel documents
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Delays and cancellations cover if your flights are cancelled or you have to cancel your trip due to an emergency
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Accident, liability and legal expenses in case you get into any legal trouble abroad
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Extreme, adventure and winter sports are included on some policies
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Option to return home for a short period of time
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Working while you're abroad is often included as standard
What impacts the cost of backpacker insurance?
Insurers base their prices on a range of factors, including:
- What countries you’re travelling to. Some countries, such as the USA or Caribbean, charge more for medical care. If you're travelling to one of these places, your insurance is likely to cost more to reflect this. You might also pay more if you're travelling somewhere with a higher risk of natural disaster or conflict.
- Your age. Generally, the older you are, the more at risk you are for illness or injury. Travel insurance companies will sometimes impose upper age limits, or offer specialist policies for those over a certain age.
- How long you’re travelling for. The longer you're away, the higher your chance of becoming ill or injured. This increases the chance of you claiming on your insurance, so it costs more.
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Whether you want to add any extras to your policy like gadget insurance. Enhancing your policy to cover gadgets comes at an extra cost.
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Pre-existing medical conditions mean you're more likely to need medical assistance when travelling. This means you might pay more for insurance than someone who doesn't have any pre-existing conditions. You should always declare pre-existing medical conditions though, otherwise you won't be covered.
What does backpacker insurance cover?
When getting a backpacker insurance policy, you should check that it covers everything you need it to.
What our travel insurance expert says
How do I compare backpacker insurance quotes?
Getting a quote for backpacker travel insurance only takes a few minutes. If you've used us before, just login and make sure your details are up to date.
If you haven't compared quotes with us before, just follow these steps:
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Fill in our quote form to get started. We just need a few details about you and your trip.
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We’ll compare up to 43 travel insurance companies to help find you the best deal.
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We’ll show you a list of quotes to choose from so you can choose the best backpacker insurance for your needs.
When you get a quote, we show ratings from the independent financial researcher, Defaqto, next to each company. This helps you make a better-informed decision.
To start comparing backpacker insurance quotes we’ll need to know:
- Your age
- Any medical conditions you have
- Where you’re going
- How long you’re going for
- What you’ll be doing, including any activities or volunteer work you have planned
- What you’re taking, such as gadgets like a laptop or camera you want extra cover for
What are the different types of travel insurance?
Travel insurance guides
Page last reviewed: 16 February 2024
Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood
Our service is free and compares a wide range of trusted household names. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives commission from theidol.com if you decide to buy through our website which is based on a percentage of the total annual premium. We pride ourselves on impartiality and independence – therefore we don't promote any one insurance provider over another.