Backpacker Travel Insurance

The world is your oyster- and what better time to explore and have an adventure than now? Whether it’s backpacking, working abroad, a gap in education or simply leaving the comfort of your home town and all its familiarities in search of something new, then a Backpacker & Longstay policy might just be for you.

We know that the hardest part of planning a backpacking trip is deciding where you’re going to go. So, we’ve done the dirty work and found you the top backpacking destinations according to Instagram- so rest assured you’re guaranteed to have the most visually pleasing social media out of all your followers!

If you do decide on a gap year, then you must ensure you’ve got the right travel insurance. We’ve got you covered with our Longstay insurance- so you can just relax and discover the world. Life’s too short, so go have an adventure!

What is backpacker insurance?

Unlike Annual or Multi-trip policies, Longstay policies provide cover for those travelling across numerous destinations over a period from 1 to 18 months (depending on your age and destination of choice).

Backpacker or Longstay trips can be unpredictable, and often you’ll end up going to a destination spontaneously which wasn’t in your original travelling plans. When you purchase your policy, you’ll most likely be asked to choose a group of destinations, so you have the flexibility to travel to any that are included, or call your insurer to extend and cover even more! And, if you thought this policy couldn’t get any better, it also provides cover for cancellation, curtailment, emergency medical attention and repatriation, personal possessions and activities- so you can travel knowing that everything is taken care of!

Do I need backpacker insurance?

Regardless of where you’re going, you always need some form of travel insurance. Given that a backpacking, gap year or charity work trip may differ considerably from, let’s say a 2-week family holiday to Benidorm, Single Trip and Multi Trip policies simply won’t provide you with enough cover. For example, the Long stay policies even allow you to come home twice during your trip for up to 21 days if you begin to miss those home comforts and need a pitstop for Mum’s cooking (without rendering your policy invalid).

There are several reasons why our Backpacker & Longstay insurance is so important:

• Alpha’s Backpacker & Longstay policies provide medical cover up to £10 million as well as offering repatriation - so you know you’re in the best possible hands.
  If you are travelling within Europe, From 1st January 2021 rules around travel to Europe have changed, visit the Government website for up-to-date information on passports, EHIC/GHIC, healthcare and more. We’ll update this page with more information as and when the Government release it.
• Cover for activities: When you’re travelling, you’ll be offered experiences and excursions beyond your imagination. But what if you end up getting hurt? We don’t reckon you’ll be happy about a huge medical bill! Alpha’s Backpacker & Longstay policy automatically includes cover for a wide range of sports and activities which you may participate in during your trip without the need to pay an additional premium*
• Scheduled Airline Failure: You may have heard about airlines going out of business and cancelling holidays, but when it happens if you don’t have insurance, you could lose a lot of money. Gap Years are often funded by savings (and a lot of them). So, why risk losing all that money when Backpacker & Longstay Insurance offers scheduled airline failure cover as part of the policy?

What does Alpha’s backpacker insurance cover?

Despite popular belief, Backpacking isn’t just for students. That’s why we’ve established a Backpacking & Longstay policy catering to a wide scope of travellers. This policy is ideal for:

• Students - taking a gap year from studying;
• Adults after a career break
• Charity or volunteer workers;
• Backpackers;
• People who want to work or study abroad;
• Adrenaline and adventure junkies - our policies automatically cover hundreds of activities free of charge, with the option to extend your cover to include many more;
• Anyone aged 55 or under who wants an extended holiday - because we all need a break sometimes.

What does Alpha’s Backpacker & Longstay Insurance cover?

Wherever your journey takes you, rest assured- we’ve got you covered, which includes:

• A choice of policy excess
• Cover for trips up to 18 months
• Two return home trips allowed up to a maximum duration of 21 days each time* -
• Cover for Worldwide and European trips as long as you’re not travelling against the advice of the FCDO
• A wide range of activities covered as standard
• 24/7 Access to emergency assistance team
• £10 million emergency medical cover which includes cover for medical expenses repatriation
• Discounts for couples
• A 14-day cooling off period
• Free access to our Customer Area, with the ability to view, resend and download your policy documents whenever, wherever!

Backpacker Travel Insurance FAQs

¹Pricing based on a 30 year old, travelling to Australia and New Zealand , if purchased within the two weeks prior to travelling on an Alpha 175 Longstay policy for 94 days. Prices correct as of 19/12/2023