Which travel insurance do I actually need for my travels? This is a question you probably don’t ask yourself very often, or even very willingly. And honestly, there are truly more exciting topics than insurance. But you shouldn’t neglect this topic under any circumstances.

No matter whether you’re in Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia, or Portugal, basic travel protection can never be a bad idea. Today, we’ll tell you what types of travel insurance there are and which ones you should take a closer look at.

• International health insurance
• Long-term insurance
• Liability insurance
• Accident insurance
• Travel cancellation insurance
• Luggage insurance
• Conclusion: Travel insurance

International health insurance

The be-all and end-all of any trip – international health insurance. Regardless of whether you’re on a beach vacation, an internship abroad, work and travel, or a trip around the world, you need health insurance abroad. Of course, you’re covered by your health insurance provider in Germany, but this is usually not valid in foreign countries. Therefore, you should definitely take out international health insurance before your trip. Without insurance coverage, it can quickly become very expensive.

In some countries, a “social security agreement” exists. In these countries, you can receive treatment using your health insurance card. However, not all doctors accept this card, and it can sometimes be very inconvenient.

The health insurance company also only covers costs that would have been paid in Germany. So if the doctor abroad demands a lot more money, you’ll have to pay a co-pay. And it’s important to know: statutory health insurance companies usually never cover repatriation.

We pay €18 a year for our insurance and are thus covered for our shorter trips abroad (with stays abroad of up to 56 days). With the Hanse Merkur* insurance, doctor and hospital costs are covered, as well as the cost of medical transport in the event of an accident or acute illness. Costs for medications, bandages, and pain-relieving dental treatments are also covered by Hanse Merkur.

Long-Term Insurance

Would you like to travel around the world or go abroad for an extended period? In this case, you should definitely take a closer look at “Long-Term International Health Insurance.” Most “normal” insurance policies cover you for up to about two months at a time. But what if you want to spend six, twelve, or even eighteen months abroad? Then you need the “long-term option.” We were insured with Hanse Merkur and STA Travel during our trip around the world.

We had only positive experiences with both providers. In Thailand, Bolle even had to be hospitalized once for suspected food poisoning. She was examined and given a lot of medication to take home. If we had had to pay this bill out of our own pocket, it would easily have been a few thousand euros.

Thanks to our insurance, it ended up being only a few euros. A blessing in disguise! This type of insurance costs you only €324 per year (only €0.82 per day) with Young Travellers (a Hanse Merkur product). With Hanse Merkur* directly, you pay €566 per year (€1.43 per day). The provider Care Concept also offers excellent terms and prices.

Liability Insurance

We don’t actually have many insurance policies. But we do have private liability insurance. Because whether you’re abroad or at home – anything can happen. Just imagine accidentally damaging an expensive vase or piece of furniture in a hotel, or causing stains on the carpet? In such cases, liability insurance is also a good thing to have abroad.

The Hanse Merkur* covers property damage, personal injury, and financial loss. You can get this from just €3.78 per month. It’s important, of course, that damage abroad is also covered at no extra charge.

Important for drone owners: If you own a drone and fly it, you are required to have liability insurance for model aircraft. With the Haftpflichthelden*, private liability insurance is automatically included in model aircraft insurance (from €76 per year). You can find the best providers for this type of insurance at Check24*.

Accident Insurance

And what about accident insurance? To be honest, we don’t have this insurance, and we wouldn’t say it’s absolutely necessary. But ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves. Accidents can always happen, whether at work, during training, while traveling, or at school.

Three-quarters of all accidents occur in private life. Crazy, right? Accident insurance definitely helps in the event of serious accidents or loss of income. With Hanse Merkur*, accident insurance starts at just €5.76 a month. By the way: Some credit cards already include various travel insurance policies.

Travel Cancellation Insurance

We have to be honest and say that we don’t usually use this travel insurance. We tend to book spontaneously, don’t spend a lot of money on our trips, and sometimes we only book our room or onward flight once we’re abroad. For us, the financial risk is usually very low, so travel cancellation insurance often wouldn’t be worthwhile. You have to decide for yourself whether you need this insurance or not.

But that also depends heavily on how you travel. Do you often take package holidays, do you travel with children, or do you always book everything in advance? In such cases, this insurance definitely makes sense. After all, your own child is likely to get sick shortly before your vacation begins. Or you yourself might get tired just before departure. So if you’re interested in travel cancellation insurance, take a look at the offers from Hanse Merkur*.

Luggage Insurance

Many travelers have travel insurance for their own luggage. This really only makes sense if you’re also traveling with valuables. As long-term travelers, we had many valuable items in our luggage, such as a camera and laptop. So you’re happy to carry around €3,000 to €4,000 of luggage.

Travel luggage insurance against loss, theft, or damage sounds logical. The only problem is that such insurance is really expensive. Furthermore, it only covers the current value of your items. Getting your money back isn’t that easy.

Insurers will probably assume you were “grossly negligent” anyway. And what counts as gross negligence and what doesn’t? Ultimately, that’s up to the insurance company, not you. Laptops, cell phones, and the like are often not insured at all. You really have to read the fine print very carefully.

At Check24*, you can view providers and compare them at your leisure. A good tip: With World Nomads*, your luggage is also covered by your international health insurance.

Travel Insurance Conclusion

For us, international health insurance is the most important insurance a traveler can have. Your own health is paramount, and you should never cut corners here. Personal liability insurance is also very important to us.

Something can always happen, and in such a case, you naturally want to be covered. Accident insurance, travel cancellation insurance, and luggage insurance are not important in our opinion for individual travelers and backpackers. But that’s just our personal opinion. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what level of coverage you can and want to afford.

Don’t want to miss any more information?

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. You can also reach us with a personal message here. We always try to respond as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you can also reach us by email at any time.