How to Buy Adventure Travel Insurance

Whether you’re trekking in Nepal, diving with great white sharks in Mexico, ice climbing in Alaska, or camel riding in the desert, you need travel insurance. But not just any type of travel insurance… you need adventure travel insurance.

You see the insurance companies know that whenever you engage in more extreme forms of travel, there’s a greater opportunity for accidents and mishaps. And that’s the very reason why traditional policies typically don’t cover adventure activities.

This article will give you several steps for finding and choosing the best adventure travel insurance for your trip.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet access
• Trip itinerary

1. First check the terms for your at-home medical insurance.
   
   Most traditional insurance policies carry an exclusion clause for extreme sports like whitewater rafting and sky diving. So if you’re injured doing any of these activities, you won’t be covered.
   
   But you may be able to purchase a supplementary policy specifically for your trip. Each insurance company has their own separate guidelines, and not every form of adventure travel will be covered by all companies. Call your primary insurance company to see what they offer.

2. If you’re buying into an organized tour, see if adventure travel insurance is included.
   
   Some adventure tour companies automatically include insurance within the price. Many do not - but they still require that you purchase adventure travel insurance before you’re allowed to travel with the group.
   
   
   Be sure to find out if they require a minimum coverage amount before you purchase insurance. You wouldn’t want to buy $10,000 in coverage, when you must really have $25,000 worth.

3. Ask the tour company which insurance company they recommend.
   
   Although tour companies may not give you the names of the cheapest insurance options, it’s almost always the best bet to go with their recommendations. They know first-hand how certain companies work, and they wouldn’t want to risk their reputation by making a bad suggestion.

4. If you’re an adventure travel addict, opt for a permanent plan.
   
   If you’re frequently on the ski slopes or taming the white water in your kayak, consider a plan like the one provided by Adventure Advocates. Depending on the amount of coverage you want, you’ll pay $20-$35 a month. But that covers injury anywhere in the world, including air evacuation.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave a copy of your insurance policy with someone in your home country, just in case you need someone else to make arrangements for you.
• Make sure the policy you’re buying covers the activity you’re participating in. Just because you buy adventure travel insurance, doesn’t mean it’s all inclusive.

Resources

• Travel Guard Active Travel Insurance
• World Nomads Insurance
• Adventure Advocates

[nikki1]

on 7/11/2009 Great article.. be careful of the small print though.