You might have heard the saying that “If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel.” But how true is it?
After all, most trips happen without a glitch and you will return home having spent money on something that you didn’t end up using.
This is the wrong way to look at travel insurance.
You might not need it, but you will be much more relaxed while travelling knowing that if something does happen, you will be covered by a solid travel insurance.
Especially for anyone travelling in 2021, you have to make sure you have a good travel insurance that also covers Covid-19.
Getting to know my sledding tour husky dogs in full Lapland winter gear
After taking a trip without travel insurance and ending up hospitalised for two nights in a private clinic and having to pay for it out of pocket, I have learnt the hard way that it’s never worth risking it.
Since then I have been using HeyMondo, and can highly recommend them. In this article I will go over exactly why you need travel insurance and why it’s worth it, what mishaps travel insurance will cover and why I love HeyMondo.
As a Greta’s Travels reader, you also get 5% off your travel insurance if you purchase it through the HeyMondo links on my site.
So without further ado, let’s discover everything about HeyMondo travel insurance and why you need it!
Contents
Exploring Pena National Palace in Sintra, Portugal
What does travel insurance cover?
If you haven’t bought travel insurance before, you might be wondering what travel insurance is actually for. What does travel insurance actually cover?
It all depends on the specific policy, but generally speaking travel insurance usually covers the following.
Travel disruptions – If there are any issues with your trip like flight cancellations, accommodation issues, transportation expenses or missed connecting flights travel insurance will cover it.
Emergency medical expenses – This is probably the most important element. If you get injured or sick while travelling, travel insurance will cover your medical expenses for unexpected injuries, accidents, hospital visits and treatment.
Property loss – Travel insurance will usually cover also if your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged during the journey. For things like electronics or high value products you will often have to pay an extra.
With my big Away suitcase
In 2021, one of the most important features you need to check for in a travel insurance policy is what they offer in terms of Covid-19.
Since the pandemic started in March 2020, international travel has been up in the air (dad joke intended).
You might book a trip one day, only for your destination or home country to change the travel rules and suddenly make it very hard for you to travel there. Or you might test positive for Covid-19 and be unable to travel at all.
In those two scenarios if you don’t have travel insurance, you will likely lose all the money you have already paid for flights, hotel and tour bookings.
Whilst with a travel insurance like HeyMondo, your expenses will be covered (as long as you purchased it in the right time frame and all the conditions are met).
One of my favourite things about HeyMondo is that they offer a very thorough Covid-19 insurance policy.
Click here to purchase your HeyMondo travel insurance!
Chilling with my friends during a dinghy tour of Asinara Island in Sardinia, Italy
Why choose HeyMondo – my favourite features
Covid-19 travel insurance coverage
Besides all the usual offerings of travel insurance, HeyMondo specifically offers some great services related to Covid-19, pictured below.
When it comes to Covid-19 coverage, they are one of the most flexible travel insurances.
HeyMondo will ensure you get your money back if you need to cancel your trip due to Covid-19, or if you happen to catch it during your trip they will ensure you are properly looked after and medical or lodging expenses are covered.
The Covid-19 coverage by HeyMondo’s travel insurance
Assistance 24/7
With HeyMondo you get assistance 24/7. They have both an assistance platform to support with any potential trip disruption, as well as an app for any medical issues.
On the app you can talk to a doctor for free and easily manage your claims.
Flexibility
HeyMondo offers insurance of every kind, from single trips to long stays and even annual multi trips for digital nomads.
If your trip dates change, you can also change your insurance policy.
Click here to check exact prices and policy details for HeyMondo!
Enjoying the waterfall in Playa de Castro after hiking Rambla de Castro
Buy it while already abroad
This might seem like a silly thing to add but it’s actually a great plus if you ask me. If you’re anything like me (easily distracted and too positive thinking) you might forget to buy travel insurance before flying.
Most travel insurances need to be purchased before the trip starts, otherwise they aren’t valid. HeyMondo gives you the opportunity to buy it while already abroad!
One thing to note is that it becomes active 72 hours after the purchase. It’s made for when you forget before flying and realise during the trip, not for when an emergency happens and you need support but don’t want to pay for it.
Enjoying the view over the Sassi of Matera in Italy
Specialised & reliable
The policies you get from HeyMondo are by a specialised travel insurance company with worldwide medical and emergency services, with offices located around the world to ensure you get the best help you need, wherever you are.
Great value for money
You will probably find cheaper travel insurances than HeyMondo. HeyMondo sits at around mid-price compared to its competitors. It’s not the cheapest out there, but also not the most expensive.
However, for the level of customer support that you get and expenses cap they offer, it offers amongst the best value for money.
Purchase your HeyMondo policy here and get 5% off!
Enjoying the view from the top of Ghiacciaio Presena close to Passo del Tonale
My personal experience with travel insurance
I guess this section should be called “My personal experience without travel insurance and why I now always 100% recommend it to everyone”, but that would have been a bit of a mouthful.
I’ll admit I haven’t always been the most responsible or forward thinking traveller. I consider myself a very chill and easy-going person, which means I often tend to forget about serious “adult” things when I plan my trips.
Travel insurance is unfortunately one of these. It’s not that I don’t want to pay for it, I just often forget to buy it before setting off on a trip (which is why I love the “already abroad” option by HeyMondo)!
Chilling by the Colosseum in Rome
After all, as an Italian citizen I am entitled to free healthcare in Europe, I don’t own any expensive things so even if my suitcase gets lost it’s not a big deal, and if my flight gets cancelled I have a flexible schedule so I can just get a refund and book a new one.
This over-relaxed thinking left me a few thousand euros out of pocket on my last trip to Tenerife, when I caught a UTI which developed into a kidney infection and I ended up hospitalised for two nights.
Despite being in Europe, I went to a private clinic since at the public hospital they made me wait for 3 hours with a 40°C temperature, and nobody ever attended me.
I weighed it up for a while and then just accepted I’d pay the bill, as I was feeling too horrible to wait any longer in the hospital waiting room.
My grumpy face waiting for someone to see me at the public hospital vs my happy face when they hospitalised me at the private clinic and gave me an IV drip of paracetamol and antibiotics
If you have good travel insurance, you don’t need to torture yourself like I did weighing up pros, cons and expenses.
If something does happen and you need medical help, you can head directly to the fanciest private clinic in the area and get help straight away.
And while medical expenses might be the most obvious reason why travel insurance is important, there are so many things that can go wrong which travel insurance can cover you for.
Think about delayed flights and missed connections, lost luggage, stolen electronics, and many others. Whatever little inconvenience happens on your trip, there is a pretty good chance travel insurance will cover you for it.
Travel without worries, purchase your travel insurance here!
Enjoying the view over Ragusa in Sicily
So is travel insurance worth it?
The short and easy answer to this question is yes. Even if you don’t end up using it, it’s still worth it for the sake of travelling with peace of mind.
You pay a small fee in travel insurance to ensure that you won’t lose your booking money, or that you incur in extra expenses during your trip.
Whether it’s medical expenses related to an emergency or even just a lost suitcase, travel insurance will ensure you don’t have to spend loads of money on the mishaps that tend to happen on the road.
You never know what might happen, and better to be safe than sorry!
This is especially true in 2021 with the ever changing travel rules and situations caused by Covid-19. Get a travel insurance that covers Covid-19 like HeyMondo and start travelling without worries!
Enjoying the sunset over Lisbon from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
Final thoughts on why you need travel insurance
I hope by now you will have understood why travel insurance is important and why you should always buy it when you go travelling. Especially for any trips in 2021, it’s important to be covered for any potential Covid-19 related issues.
I personally use HeyMondo and can highly recommend it. They offer great customer service and an excellent Covid-19 policy. As a Greta’s Travels reader, you get 5% off your HeyMondo travel insurance!
If you have any questions about HeyMondo or travel insurance let me know in the comments below!
Check out prices and exact policy details for HeyMondo here!
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