Updated Jan, 2024

If you’re seeking an affordable policy that offers fantastic medical cover and other essentials – this post is for you.

It’s still true what they say – If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. It’s probably THE MOST important part of planning a trip to explore other countries.

Your travel insurance policy usually covers accidents, illness, medical emergencies, trip cancellation and theft of your personal belongings.

You can (and should) certainly adhere to all the travel safety tips when you’re on the road, but sometimes – sh!t happens!

And when it does, you’ll be so thankful that you bought a good travel insurance policy that covers all of the above. 

If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel

After 20+ years of travel, and being the first Australian woman to visit every country, I’d never leave home without travel insurance coverage.

I’ve had a few incidents occur along the way (a stolen phone, getting stranded in Micronesia because of Covid, resulting in a huge number of cancelled flights, etc). 

My objective with this post about sharing the two best travel insurance companies out there is to help you make the right choice.

There’s an overwhelming number of travel insurance providers out there, and I’ve tried many — but there are two travel insurance companies that I use. I switch between the two companies depending on what destinations I am travelling to, and for how long.

I’ll explain why you should choose them too.

Whether you’re travelling for one week, two months or long-term – these are the two best travel insurance policies to choose to travel anywhere in the world. 

Heymondo – One of the Best Travel Insurance Companies 

At Heymondo you can get the right Travel Insurance policy tailored to your trip. Easy, fast, and customisable travel insurance.

Personalise your insurance to your type of trip and budget. As frequent travellers, we use their Long Stay Insurance – perfect for medical coverage and all of the other essentials. 

The process is quick and easy, and the rates are very competitive. Heymondo is a popular insurance provider offering travel medical, visitor, and trip cancellation insurance.

Here are some of the pros and cons of Heymondo Travel Insurance.

PROS

• Wide range of coverage options.
• Customizable plans: Customize your insurance plan based on your specific needs, such as the duration of your trip, age, and the amount of coverage required.
• Competitive pricing: Heymondo offers affordable insurance plans that are priced competitively compared to other insurance providers.
• Easy to purchase and manage: Heymondo’s website is easy to use, purchase and manage your insurance policy online hassle.
• 24/7 customer support: Heymondo provides round-the-clock customer support via phone, email, and live chat.

CONS

• Limited coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Heymondo covers basic sports and activities like riding a motorbike, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and surfing. Activities such as scuba diving, caving, hang gliding, trekking, mountain biking, or quad biking require paying an additional supplement.
• Heymondo is a reliable choice of Travel Insurance provider which may suit your travel needs.
• I recommend Heymondo as one of the best travel insurance companies for 2023 and beyond. 
• Get 5% off your Travel Insurance with Heymondo.
• The best travel insurance companies make it very easy to buy a policy within minutes and send you the policy details via email shortly afterwards.

NOTE: Heymondo insurance cover travellers from all over the world while outside their home country. Age limit is 69 years old for travels up to 29 days. For 30 days or more, age limit is 49.

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SafetyWing – One of the Best Travel Insurance Companies

SafetyWing is an excellent travel insurance option for frequent travellers, digital nomads and long-term travellers.

They offer the flexibility to buy a plan before or after your trip has commenced. However, it is only valid once you are travelling in the countries listed on your policy. 

Please Note: SafetyWing does not provide coverage in your home country before your trip. (let’s use the USA or Australia for example). So for some people, it may not be the right insurance for you.

If you need coverage for an unexpected illness, including Covid or flight cancellations/changes before your trip commencement from home, then I’d recommend Heymondo.

SafetyWing is created by travellers, for travellers – so they understand the needs of people who travel frequently.

SafetyWing is affordable; their travel insurance plans start from only USD 42 monthly.

Here are some of the pros and cons of  SafetyWing Travel Insurance

PROS

• Buy short or long-term policies – it doesn’t matter
• Covers travel issues relating to COVID-19
• Super affordable travel insurance plans
• Covers individuals up to 69 years old
• Covers children/dependents for FREE! Huge Bonus!
• A very helpful customer service team

CONS

• SafetyWing’s maximum payout is USD $250,000 ($100,000 for 65 years and above).
• SafetyWing insurance doesn’t cover stolen baggage or electronics.
• Limited coverage for adventure activities
• Only covers trip interruptions
• $250 excess (amount to pay if you make a claim)

Does SafetyWing Provide Insurance for Everyone?

SafetyWing will insure anyone from any home country in the world, except for citizens of Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea.

Please Note: This list is likely to change, please check updates on the SafetyWing website.

Countries Covered by SafetyWing

Most travel insurance companies ask that you declare in advance which countries you’ll be travelling to at the time of purchase. SafetyWing does not ask you for these details.

The only thing you need to advise when buying a policy with SafetyWing is whether or not to include the USA. Understandably, this significantly increases the price of your travel insurance plan. I’d still consider SafetyWing one of the best travel insurance companies.

Who is SafetyWing Insurance Best Suited for?

This insurance plan is designed to meet the travel and medical needs faced by remote workers, digital nomads and long-term travellers outside their home country. 

Is any Coverage provided while you’re in your home country?

Yes, they cover visits back to your home country but note that the visit has to be incidental. Please refer to the SafetyWing FAQ section on their website for more clarification on this.

Note: SafetyWing Insurance will not suit everyone’s needs. If it doesn’t suit you, Heymondo is your BEST choice.

Additional Travel Insurance Options

Credit Card Travel Insurance

Sometimes the best travel insurance companies are the ones you don’t even know you’re covered with. Let me explain. I’ve got an AMEX Explorer Credit Card (which I love, by the way) and signing up for this card was the best thing I ever did. I was hesitant at first as there is an annual fee of $400, however, you receive a credit of $400 to spend towards travel…so essentially, it’s free. 

Anyway, I only recently discovered that if I purchase my flight tickets, hotels etc on my AMEX Explorer Credit Card and my flights are cancelled or somebody steals my belongings on my trip, then I can make a claim through AMEX.

I believe the amount is up to $1000 per claim, but often that works for me as I pay for flights, and hotels and make plans as I go. 

Check your current Health Insurance Plan

If you already have regular health insurance in your home country right now, it might provide coverage for international travel. It’s worth checking with your provider to see if they do.

Call them up and ask for details – it might turn out that you don’t need to buy any of the best travel insurance policies I’m recommending today. If that’s the case – what a bonus!

Do you really need Travel Insurance?

From full-time world travellers to people who just take short breaks, do you really need travel insurance or can you avoid it and hope for the best?

Some people have the attitude that nothing will happen to them. They’re of the mindset that if they don’t partake in extreme activities on vacation and they’re careful, they’ll be ok and that ‘it won’t happen to them’.

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I’ve been travelling for over twenty years and I’ve used several different companies. Believe me, it takes time to find out who offers the best policy for your money.

It’s also worth noting that not all travel insurance companies are good when it comes down to actually paying out a claim.

I’ve learned that the cheapest travel insurance policy isn’t the best. You may have found a travel insurance policy that seems too good to be true – chances are, it probably is.

With these cheap companies, you’ll find that once you need to make a claim, you won’t receive a cent back from them. They’ll send you an email highlighting the small print and hidden clauses to get out of paying for anything.

Yes, the insurance world is incredibly frustrating. 

The best travel insurance companies that I’ve listed above will take care of you when things go wrong – and ultimately that’s exactly why you should choose them.

More Travel Insurance Tips

• Review the fine print and understand what you’re covered for before purchasing a policy. For example, some travel insurance policies do not cover adventure sports or scooter/motorbike accidents (which wouldn’t be ideal if you’re travelling in Southeast Asia – as you’re likely to hire one of these at some point).
• If you don’t have the original receipts, take photos of your travel gear, cameras, laptop etc which show the date.
• Document or keep photos of any policy numbers, serial numbers, and insurance contact information and store them in a safe and accessible place. I keep everything in the ‘Files’ app on my iPhone and also stored on my email and Dropbox. The best travel insurance companies will request proof of everything you’ve noted in your claim.
• ALWAYS file a police report as soon as possible once an accident, theft or incident happens during your travels. The insurance company relies on all the information in this report, including time, place of incident, witness accounts etc to help them settle your claim.

Don’t leave home without Travel Insurance 

Paying for travel insurance is something that nobody enjoys doing, but it’s important to have coverage when things go horribly wrong. Unexpected illnesses and accidents do happen while you’re travelling.

Without good travel insurance, you could be left with a huge bill that could ruin you financially. It’s a risk you shouldn’t gamble on.

After visiting EVERY country in the world, I’ve always been covered by the best travel insurance companies.

Check out either Heymondo or SafetyWing Travel Insurance plans to provide coverage for your next adventure.