World Nomads Travel Insurance: Honest Explanation & Review (2024)

You’re off on yet another adventure and you’ve heard a lot of buzz about the popular World Nomads travel insurance. If you’re looking for an honest and unbiased review, this is the article for you!

But if you’re still on the fence about whether you should get travel insurance or not, let me tell you now that you MUST.

Honestly though, I used to be the kind of person who NEVER bought travel insurance… and it was mainly because I deemed it as just an added unnecessary expense.

However, as I continued to travel the world, I’ve come to see the HUGE advantages of travel insurance — most especially when I got an ear infection and I needed to have my flight moved (more on this story later on in this post). But indeed, if not for my World Nomads policy back then, I would have spent so much money!

All in all, apart from medical protection, travel insurance also covers missed flights, lost baggage, stolen belongings, accidents, and so much more. Since then, I’ve come to see how foolish I was for all the times that I didn’t have insurance on me.

RELATED READS:
– Why Buy Travel Insurance
– How to Buy Travel Insurance When You’re Already Abroad

So if you’re like some people (including the old me) who think that traveling on a budget includes NOT buying travel insurance, you should know now that such is NOT true.

Your trip or vacation would definitely not be as cheap anymore once your expensive DSLR gets stolen, once you get infected by a virus abroad, or have your leg broken from an adventurous activity — trust me on this one: there are simply just too many things that can happen on the road and you have to protect yourself from that.

Remember: life is absolutely unpredictable and YOU are not invincible. Anything CAN go wrong, more so when you’re traveling.

That being said, it’s certainly an important expense (that you hope you never have to ‘use’). Besides, travel insurance has proved and will continue to prove its worth to travelers.

So now comes the dizzying part: what’s the best travel insurance out there?

I’ve tried various providers over the years but nothing — I repeat, nothing! — could beat World Nomads‘ [link] benefits and coverage especially for a frequent traveler like me.

World Nomads Travel Insurance

» What is World Nomads Travel Insurance?

World Nomads [link] is a popular insurance company designed for travel. Founded in 2002 by Simon Monk in Australia, it now covers people in almost all countries worldwide!

As an entity, it has even been recommended by big companies such as Lonely Planet and National Geographic — add the thousands of customer reviews from Trust Pilot over the years and you’re sure to see the great reputation that World Nomads has.

It is also backed by secure, trusted, and specialist underwriters/insurers who provide great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, and the highest levels of support and claims management especially when you need it the most.

Additionally, World Nomads is a socially-conscious company that has been supporting several community development projects worldwide. They even invite their customers to help make a difference to such communities by giving the option to donate micro values (at most $5) whenever they’re about to purchase a policy. You can even choose among which projects they have that you would like to place your donation to!

Nevertheless, let’s break down the advantages and disadvantages of World Nomads travel insurance to better help you see if this is the right one for your travels.

» What is Included?

Below is a brief summary with a detailed explanation of the coverage that World Nomads provides…

••• COVID-19 Coverage

To date, World Nomads includes COVID-19 for the coverage of emergency medical expenses and medical transport/repatriation (as discussed in the next sections).

However, if you want added or separate benefits (with added $2,000 cover) on instances wherein you contract the virus causing you to cancel your trip or you got denied boarding due to suspected COVID-19 infection, you will need to purchase the Explorer Plan.

••• Emergency Medical Expenses Overseas

This coverage basically encompasses medical expenses for any medically necessary emergency treatment of an accidental injury that occurs during your trip.

• Dental Treatment: Accidental injuries or infection to sound, natural teeth. It does not cover checkups or cleanings.
• Hospital Advancement: For instances when you need to secure admission to a hospital.
• Personal Accident: For cases when, within 12 months after you’re involved in an accident overseas, you end up dying, losing a limb, or suffering from some disablement, a percentage of the benefit limit will be paid.

••• Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation

• Emergency Evacuations: Must be ordered by a physician, certifying the severity of your accidental injury or sickness.
• Repatriation of Remains: For any reasonable expenses for returning your body home in case of your death during your trip.
  • Local funeral costs overseas are also covered or transport costs for delivering your ashes back home.
• Non-Medical Emergency Transportation: Coverage in case of civil or political unrest in your destination (can be related to terrorism). If there is a natural disaster or if you are expelled from a country, this also covers your transport back home.

••• Trip Cancellation, Connections, Delays and Interruptions

• Trip Cancellation: For unused, non-refundable, and pre-booked expenses, there are 8 events acknowledged by this policy wherein you have no option but to cancel your trip before you leave home (including sudden death/illness/injury of your or your close relative, or even a member of your traveling party).
• Trip Interruption: Covers costs when you have no option but to interrupt your trip while overseas. Read the policy to learn more about the 4 insured events for this.
• Trip Delay: This is a one-time basis reimbursement for unused expenses on prepaid accommodation or additional expenses if you are delayed for 6 or more hours due to a defined hazard on the policy (with a maximum daily limit).
• Travel Disruption: If you are delayed for more than 12 hours due to one of 3 insured events (including your airline canceling/diverting your transport), you can claim reimbursements on the phone, internet, meals, refreshments, and additional travel/accommodation expenses.
• Missed Connection: Additional travel expenses if you fail to board your connecting airline due to one of 6 insured events (e.g. strikes, or adverse weather conditions).
• Hijack: Daily limit when you are a victim of an overseas hijacking.

••• Adventure Sports & Activities

There are over 200 wellness and sports activities covered by World Nomads [see list] and depending on your plan (Standard or Explorer) you can have these covered.

••• Lost Baggage, Items, and Money

• Baggage & Personal Belongings: In case these are stolen, damaged, or destroyed, the costs (less depreciation) for the repair or replacement of such will be covered within the value limit.
  • Baggage Delay: This is applied only for your outward journey when your baggage is delayed or misdirected for more than 12 hours (with daily payable limit).
• Money: Provided you have a written police report for as soon as possible, reimbursements can be made for theft of your cash, traveller’s cheques, cheques, postal and money orders, whilst being carried by you or left in a locked safety deposit box.
• Personal Liability: If you happen to injure someone or damage someone elses property during your trip, legal defence and compensation costs when you are sued and found legally liable can be covered (but this does NOT include 3rd party liability for mechanical/motorized vehicles).

••• Others

• Prescribed Physiotherapy: Any necessary outpatient physiotherapy treatment prescribed overseas.
• Counselling Services: In case you’re assaulted and have suffered psychological trauma during your trip, certain specialist counselling services are covered.
• Natural Catastrophe: Additional travel expenses incurred due to events like earthquakes, floods, etc.
• Out-of-Pocket Hospital Expenses: In case of admittance in an overseas hospital for more than 24 hours, costs for phone calls, internet, TV and nicer food are covered (with a daily limit).
• Rental Car Damage: Typically applies to US residents where they are covered for collision, theft, or natural disaster. Otherwise, the clause under ‘Rental Car Excess’ applies, but this does not replace the need to take out a seperate rental car insurance or a damage waiver.
  • Replacement of Rental Car Keys: When your rental car keys get lost, stolen, or damaged during rental period, including the costs to replace locks or for a locksmith to break into the rental car.

» What is Not Included?

• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
• General or Routine Check-Ups
• Cancer Treatment
• Cancellations due to fear of travel
• Intentional Actions: If any loss or injury is caused by alcohol use, drug use, carelessness, self-harm, or any criminal activity, you will not be covered. Motorbike accidents in which you don’t hold a motorcycle license and an international driver’s license for motorcycles are also not covered.

» What World Nomads Travel Insurance is Right for You?

Once you look at the coverage table and summary of inclusions above per plan, it should be easy for you to see the plan that’s best for you.

For starters, if you want all the benefits of the Standard Plan but with higher limits and extra coverage (more intense adventure sports, rental car insurance, personal accidents, and others) then the Explorer Plan is the best fit for you.

Example Standard Plan activities covered are: hiking, biking, swimming, yoga, paddle-boarding, ATV, etc.
.
Example Explorer Plan activities covered are: snowmobiling, skiing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, paragliding, skydiving, etc.

» Travel Insurance Cost

The lowest price you can get for a World Nomads travel insurance is about $20 which covers a single person for 1 day, worldwide and excluding the USA as well as your place of permanent residence.

» My World Nomads Experience

Multiple times now, I’ve been on trips where I needed to extend my World Nomads travel insurance online and I never had any problems doing so.

So far, for claims, I have done it once when I had a painful ear infection while I was on the last leg of my road trip in New Zealand. After I had it checked at a hospital, they advised me to postpone my flight back home until the infection clears up (this was to prevent any additional pressure on my eardrum while it’s healing).

World Nomads covered not only my hotel stay but also my rescheduled flight ticket! The process for accomplishing this was relatively easy after I gave them a call. I basically filled my claims online, provided all the necessary documents plus receipts as well as my bank details and then I got reimbursed!

» Important Tips

• Always read your policy in detail. As I’ve already mentioned multiple times above in this article, some inclusions of World Nomads may differ not only in the type of coverage but also in the value limit as dependent on your destination and nationality. So, in order to avoid any mishaps or misunderstandings, it’s imperative to read the fine print before your purchase!
  • Truth be told, most travel insurance companies have bad reviews online not because of the company itself but because of travelers who failed to understand their policy inclusions.
    .
• Take time-stamped photos of your valuables (electronics, cameras, etc.). In case you have to make a claim later on for stolen items (though hopefully, you won’t!), these photos will come in handy especially when you file a police report.
  .
• Keep all necessary documents, receipts, and invoices. The key here is to overdeliver, so apart from the basics such as receipts, proof of expenses, invoices, and police reports, if let’s say your flight got delayed, ensure that you ask for a statement from your airline. Apart from keeping hard copies of these documents, take a photo of them too in case you happen to lose them later on.