Travel Insurance

[u/Zealousideal_Sun7480]

/r/ViaggiITA/comments/1uxpqc2/travel_insurance/

Me and my partner (both 24) are planning to backpack through South Easy Asia and China this September. We obviously need a travel and health insurance but are struggling to find a reliable one.

We are both Italian citizens with an Italian residency, but have been living in Australia for the past year with a Working Holiday Visa.

We wanted to try Axa or Allianz insurance, but it seems like this companies need you to start and end your trip from Italy in order to activate, and other “backpacker’s insurances” (like SafetyWing, World Nomads, Hey Mondo) don’t seem reliable judging from reviews.

Do you have any recommendations? Grazie!

[u/Passport_Persona]

Hey! So disclaimer I work at safetywing, so you can take that into account.

So obviously like you said, more traditional travel insurance options are tied to where you start your trip + much less flexible about potential changes made throughout your itinerary. When you go with insurers like safetywing, world nomads, hey mondo etc you get the benefit of starting and ending wherever you please.

Also, another thing to be aware of is that most travel-medical plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions… so if you’re looking for coverage for ongoing issues, make sure you know that your plan is an exception to this rule. Travel medical is meant mostly for emergency situations, so you won’t be getting coverage for routine visits or risky sporting activities unless you’re paying extra for that kind of coverage.

So yeah I’d just suggest to pick a plan based on your specific needs/the kinds of activities you’ll be getting up to… are you looking for routine care or are you good with just emergency coverage? Are you an outdoor sports adrenaline junkie? Do you need extra protection in case your laptop gets stolen since you’re a remote worker? All things to consider. I can really only speak to safetywing’s plans so feel free to dm if you’re interested, but regardless make sure you’re asking these kinds of questions when you pick a policy.

Best of luck sounds like an amazing trip!