Student Travel Insurance

Are you taking a gap year or are you just wanting a summer backpacking adventure? Take a look at our article on student travel insurance to find the best deal that suits your needs!

Insure and Go

Website: www.insureandgo.com

Backpacker Travel Insurance is available in 4 options, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Black.

The packages range from £111.51 to £304.11 for a year’s cover.

This includes medical expenses ranging from £5 million to unlimited cover, cancellations, baggage costs, curtailments, repatriation, missed departures, personal accident, personal liability, accommodation cover, legal expenses and personal money. There are excess charges for the bronze, silver and gold pounds ranging from £100-150.

This site is very accessible and particularly useful for those who wish specific backpacking insurance.

Other benefits:

You can add additional bolt-ons to your package for example winter sports cover.

Student Feedback:

Henry, Currently on Gap Year Backpacking in Kenya “I am on my Gap Year and would highly recommend insure and go. They cover everything and I found buying insurance from them extremely quick.”

 

Cover 4 Students

Website: www.cover4students.com

This retailer is a specialist in student insurance. Backpacker insurance which could be ideal for students looking for a long stay (12 months) is £125 and insurance includes cancellation and curtailment, catastrophes, medical expenses up to 3 million pounds, personal possessions, personal accident, missed/delayed departure and personal liability up to 2 millions pounds. However, there are excess charges of £75 to £275 that vary between categories.

There are also three tiered categories available to you silver, gold and platinum however, silver and gold are not available for a trip with a long duration.

The platinum packages costs £203.45 and covers all of the categories that the backpacker insurance covers. The major difference is that medical expenses covered are up to £10 million, although once more excess charges may be applied, varying from £65 to £250.

Other benefits:

Insurance on a single trip in Europe can last up to 270 days.

There are optional add-ons available including, business and electronics cover, golf cover and winter sports.

This package is more affordable in comparison to others and the ability to extend your stay is an option.

Student Feedback:

Phyllis, 21, London “I had three years travelling after school and went around Egypt diving. ‘Cover 4 students’ were great and when I called them on the phone with questions about the plan they were very helpful.”

 

Wander Travel Insurance

Website: www.wandertravelinsurance.co.uk

The website is vibrant, however extremely confusing with no differentiation between packages and too many options that it is difficult to navigate around.

For a whole year, you can only buy a ‘globetrotter’ package, whereas other companies allow multi-trip or single trip packages.

The Backpacker 35 (not for students) costs £185.27 whilst a Backpacker (student package) costs £134.74 therefore students can make a saving as they gain the same coverage however, at a reduced rate. The package covers excess, medical expenses up to £5 million, cancellations, personal possessions, loss of passport and missed departures.

Other benefits:

You can follow wander travel insurance on Facebook and Twitter for any news or updates.

 

Endsleigh

Website: www.endsleigh.co.uk

Endsleigh are a student provider of insurance and cover many areas including travel.

For European trips, including backpacking the information given is for a student (up to 22 years old) for the duration of a year. There are two cover options available, single trip essential from £293 which covers, baggage cover, cancelling your trip, medical expenses, personal accident, personal money, personal liability, missed departure, overseas legal expenses.

The other cover option is a single trip comprehensive from £324. Benefits include all stated above but cover twice the amount, plus extra cover of hospitalisation benefits and delayed departure.

Worldwide cover for a year is also available and comes in two cover policies: single trip essential and single trip comprehensive, from £737 and £814 retrospectively. All of the same policies are included (as the European insurance).

All prices displayed already include insurance premium tax (IPT)

You may only use Endsleigh travel insurance if you are a permanent resident in the United Kingdom.

The website is accessible and easy to use, whilst it also offers personally customised packages which may suit student travelers with a specific agenda.

Other benefits:

There are special cover options available for golf trips, cruises, sports and adventure holidays. If you choose to remove baggage cover you can get a 15% discount. Once you’ve completed the online application, the insurance comes into effect immediately.

If you choose Endsleigh you automatically receive a 10% internet discount.

Student Feedback:

Andrew, Durham “I went to America for the summer and took part in the Camp America scheme. I used Endsleigh to insure my backpacking holiday. They covered everything I needed. The trip went fantastically, I would recommend the insurance company.”

 

E Travel Insurance

Website: www.etravelinsurance.co.uk

The website does not have fancy flashing lights or pop up windows that can be seen on the other sites and is basic to use. This enhances the experience of buying insurance because it is straightforward and easy to see what you are buying.

Single trip travel insurance in Europe, for 12 months (which would be ideal for backpackers) costs £153.11 including IPT (Insurance Premium Tax) You have the options of removing baggage and money cover which will reduce overall costs by £22.97.

Single trip travel insurance cover worldwide for 12 months costs £473.51 including IPT. All features are the same as above. Disadvantages of this package are that to add standard grade 2 activities it is very expensive and you can almost double the price immediately!

Adding extras such as business equipment cover, cruise cover and sports of outward-bound activities at varying grades/levels. All additional costs are stated in a simple format.

Other benefits:

You can select which excess you would like- overall the format of the pricing is very simple and easy to comprehend.

 

STA Travel

Website: www.statravel.co.uk

STA travel claims it is the “largest travel company for teachers, students and young people.”

The website is easy to use and you can select different options for example whether to include winter sports in the package and you can also compare all three options available in a grid format.

Three options for a year are an under 35 budget single trip which is £166, an under 35 standard single trip which is £267 and an under 35 premier single trip which is £320.

An under 35 budget single trip offers medical expenses and repatriation, cancellations and curtailment, luggage, personal money and electrical items (up to £500)

An Under 35 standard single trip covers all above plus accidental damages, accident costs, legal costs and luggage cover.

The under 35 premier single trip covers up to 10 millions pounds worth of medical expenses, accident costs, legal costs, all luggage costs, hijacking and hostage insurance, travel trade indemnity and government travel restrictions.

There are three categories for worldwide travel insurance: under 35 budget single trip, under 35 standard single trip and under 35 premier single trip. Price are £279, £409 and £545 retrospectively. The coverage is identical to the European packages.

The company does offer a comprehensive service, however, student feedback indicated that the guidelines were restrictive, for example, off-piste skiing is not included in the insurance policies.

You must be a UK resident in order to use their insurance packages.

Other benefits:

There are other categories that might be useful to students for example deals on hotels and package holidays.

Student Feedback:

Ben, Bath- “During my gap year, I went in a group and we all got our travel insurance together. It was an affordable company, however some of the guidelines were very stringent. Luckily, we did not have any need to use the insurance policy!”

 

*Prices are correct at the time of publishing this blog entry

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