There is an increasing tendency once school is out and before
university begins for many young people to take what is known as
a gap year. During the year before they become university students
youngsters either want to travel, especially they like backpacking,
or they want to get some work experience. More than thirty thousand
US students every year take a gap year and decide to travel. If
this is your intention then one of your primary concerns should
be good travel cover. Search the website and you will find that
there are plenty of companies who specialize in providing travel
insurance for gap year students.
People who take a gap year are either fresh out of school, new
college graduates all looking for a break from the arduousness
of study, and professionals looking for a career break. What they
really need to be aware of is how importance it is to have full
safety cover before setting out on any long haul trip. Backpacking
sounds like a lot of fun, especially if you are taking advantage
of low cost flights, Something like a scratch and go card could
be invaluable if your regular insurance runs out because you have
stayed over. Scratch and go cards have codes on them and when you
call and activate the code then you have instant cover for whatever
it is listed on the card. These are vital because more people are
facing a heavy burden of debt through taking a vacation or a gap
year with insufficient travel insurance.
Most gap year travelers manage to
get through their trip without any untoward happenings but you
should always be prepared for the unexpected. If you have an
accident or you are ill and need medical assistance it could
prove very expensive when you are in a foreign country – if
you have safety cover then it will compensate you or your parents
for the cost of any treatment you have to undergo. This is really
important as just the cost of a broken leg can run out to thousands
of dollars.
Shop around for insurance but your best bet is a company that
specializes in cover for anyone on a gap year. This type of insurance
will not only give you the cover you need for the year but will
often provide you with a guide to places of interest, doctors,
hospitals and the culture and weather conditions of a given area.
Good gap year cover will cover you for all medical and dental emergencies,
financial loss if anything goes wrong, luggage replacement and
an emergency ticket home if it is needed. You should be aware though
that if you intend to engage in high risk sports such as scuba
diving or mountain climbing then you may need specialist cover
for these activities. Compare policies and prices a site such as
insureandgo.com is a good place to start.