When backpacking Latin America travel insurance is imperative.
We recommend all our readers to take out cover with SafetyWing!
With SafetyWing you can purchase travel insurance whilst travelling.
So, whether you’re planning still or you want to extend your current backpacking trip, you can purchase the necessary plan whilst at the location.
This makes SafetyWing a great option for backpackers especially when you know you’ll be frequently switching places.
Always remember that the main purpose a travel insurance policy is to refund or reimburse you as a backpacker for your pre-paid and/or non-refundable trip costs if you are forced to cancel.”
Many people ask us is Central and South America safe to travel to or not and we have wrote our thoughts about that throughout this blog.
With SafetyWing you can travel with confidence knowing your insurance company not only has your back covered but also your belongings.
Why Use Travel Insurance?
Let’s look reasons why you need Travel Insurance when backpacking:
Covering Medical Costs
When planning your trip, the last thing that you’ll want to think about is having to go to a hospital or getting ill.
However it’s extremely important to consider all before leaving.
In Latin America, food and water-borne sicknesses seem to be a common rite of passage when travelling through, and if you are eating certain street foods on a daily there’s a chance you may catch these and need to visit a doctor.
For foreigners in this continent, medical bills can be quite hefty, and having insurance will allow you to claim back all credits with your travel insurance company (provided you have all the correct documentation).
Higher Risk Lifestyle
If heading to South America, no matter how sedentary you plan to be, there’s at least a minimal chance you will be doing a hike or something that you don’t usually do back home.
Like most backpackers, you’ll usually by climbing a volcano here or there, or doing some other high-risk activity (i.e hiking Machu Picchu for example).
Taking out insurance before you leave is extremely important to cover you in case of any accidents.
Most travel insurance companies today cover against the more extreme activities you’ll probably take part in when in Latin America, so it really is a no-brainer to get a policy to cover you.
Trip Cancellation
An unfortunate reality of travel, is that sometimes things happen back home which need our immediate attention and presence.
As a result you may need to leave early and either have to change your flight, purchase a new flight as well as losing out on any accommodation or tours you may have already booked.
Some of these reasons may include the death of a loved one, issues at work or any unforeseen circumstances that may have a big impact on your life.
Travel insurance usually covers most of these, hence why it’s a very good reason to purchase before you leave on your trip.
Lost Luggage
Sometimes you can plan everything perfect; however external circumstances can scupper and make things difficult for you.
Airlines losing luggage is nothing new, and actually some do have policies on how much they will pay you whilst they retrieve your luggage for you.
However in the case of them losing your luggage outright, you most likely won’t be able to claim a circa value of your possessions that went asea.
With travel insurance, you’ll have comfort knowing how much your insurance will help you with in either case if your luggage is delayed or lost.
Emergency Airlifts
This is one most gloss their eyes over. It’s definitely one of the least likely to happen on our list, however if needed, could prove to be very, very expensive.
Whilst we tend to think of emergency airlifts as a result of injury somewhere remote, they’re also needed in case of any natural disaster such as a hurricane, as well as any political instability or incidents.
Whilst it probably won’t happen during your trip (unless you’re planning on heading somewhere very unstable like Venezuela), this is still something to check for unless you’re happy paying the big bill yourself.
SafetyWing Travel Insurance
What we absolutely love is about SafetyWing, is that they are a travel insurance company made for backpackers, by backpackers.
They are unique in that they have made their insurance with remote workers in mind, therefore giving more benefits and less restrictions to those who want to travel indefinitely and without barriers.
As they are a team of remote workers, they know exactly what is needed and have tailored the service with these specific benefits in mind.
Why Choose SafetyWing?
With a ton of travel insurance companies offering a myriad of benefits and options to influence you to buy a policy from them, why choose SafetyWing?
Let’s dissect some of SafetyWing’s benefits below:
Purchase Whilst Abroad
Many travel insurance companies’ policies stipulate (and usually in small writing) that the insurance is only valid if you had purchased it whilst still in your home country, or before your trip has began.
It is common sense to buy before you leave, but sometimes there are circumstances where this is not possible, such as a spontaneous or mandatory trip on a short whim (such as family in hospital) where you didn’t have time to think about insurance, or your original policy has now come to an end.
This is one of the best benefits of SafetyWing’s insurance, where you can be anywhere on earth and know you can still be covered, at any time of your trip.
Monthly Subscription
Another reason we recommend SafetyWing is because they have one of the most flexible travel insurance policies out there.
Usually, when purchasing a policy you will have to specify an exact date of start and finish.
Whilst for some this is fine (such as a work placement abroad for fixed dates), for backpackers it’s not the most helpful, as sometimes you’ll either need to come home early, or even decide to stay longer somewhere.
SafetyWing intuitively knows how backpackers live (as their team are all remote workers), and therefore has made a monthly subscription which offers the best flexibility of any travel insurance we have seen.
Tailored to Backpackers
As we’ve already covered in the last two points, SafetyWing’s travel insurance really has been created with the backpacker and remote worker in mind.
As their team is made up of remote workers living around the World, they know exactly what is needed, and also the challenges of daily life for those living this kind of lifestyle.
You’ll be able to travel not worrying about having to “take on” the big office companies who can sometimes make claiming back a very difficult process.
Instead, you’ll have a supportive and easy-to-access team who will help you with whatever problem or query you have.
No Geographical Barriers
When it comes to removing geographical barriers, SafetyWing and their travel insurance policy is one of the best.
Providing cover for every country in the World (apart from four currently; Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba), it is one of the most inclusive we’ve seen.
Think of it as your own travel insurance passport, which does not discriminate where you are and can be updated and extended whenever you want.
This helps create a level-laying field for all as well as equal opportunities regardless of where you are.
Allows Home Visits
One of the more difficult advantages to find, home visits are sometimes necessary for unforeseen circumstances.
Just to clarify – this does not mean coming home for someone’s birthday or because you feel like it – you’ll still need an eligible reason such as medical to be able to keep using SafetyWing’s policy whilst at home.
For every 90 days, you can spend 30 days back in your home country (with the exception of the USA, where you are only permitted 15 days per 90 days).
This is very good for a travel insurance policy, as sometimes policy contracts will become void the moment you step foot back in your home country.
Buying travel insurance with SafetyWing
When heading to Latin America, SafetyWing will have you covered in every country in the region (aside from Cuba).
Use our calculator below to get a realistic quote for your backpacking trip.
What does SafetyWing cover?
A list what’s covered when you take out SafetyWing travel insurance:
- Unexpected illness or injury
- Eligible medical expenses (hospital, doctor or prescription drugs).
- Coverage for those traveling outside their home country
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Bedside visit
- Travel delay
- Lost checked luggage
Now you should be able to make an informed decision when deciding which is the most suitable travel insurance for backpacking South America.
If you have questions, just leave us a comment or email us for more info.
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