With the end of A-level exams in sight, students across the country are
daydreaming of gapyear travel. After a few months of saving, many will set
out to broaden horizons, or simply “chill”, on far-flung beaches or
Himalayan peaks.
Without adequate insurance, however, the idyll can become a holiday hell, as
accidents or tropical disease can rack up medical bills for hundreds of
thousands of pounds.
Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com, the specialist website, says that a
quarter or more of the 230,000 gap travellers – aged 18 to 24 – who set out
each year are uninsured or underinsured. “Some think they are invincible,”
he says, “others have this idea that, because they are British, the embassy
can bail them out. It can’t.”
The reality is harsh. Take one recent uninsured gapyear traveller who faced a
medical bill for £150,000 when he dived into shallow water on Bondi Beach on
Christmas Day and broke his neck. His home village rallied round and raised
the cash, but in similar circumstances other parents have been forced to
remortgage or sell their home.
The average gap “year” lasts three to six months and costs between £3,000 and
£4,000. Peter Gerrard, of moneysupermarket.com, the comparison website, says
that adequate cover for that period costs as little as £80 within Europe,
climbing to £500 for a specialist worldwide policy with extreme sports and
ski cover.
Unlike Prince William, the vast majority of gappers – 94 per cent – do not opt
for a placement with a specialist tour operator, such as Raleigh, so receive
no guidance on what cover to buy, and why.
Mr Gerrard says that, whatever your gapyear plans, your insurance should build
on the basics of all solid travel policies. These are medical cover up to a
minimum of £1 million, including evacuation and repatriation, and a similar
level of personal liability cover against litigation. Cover for baggage
loss, cancellations or delays is desirable, but not vital.
Specialist insurers such as Endsleigh – recommended by the National Union of
Students – and Downunder tailor policies to the gap traveller’s needs. Even
so, Mr Griffiths advises travellers to look closely at each policy’s small
print and to ask the insurer to drop or swap cover that is not needed, such
as high-level baggage cover. Consider adding emergency dental cover, which
is not offered under many basic gapyear policies.
One important area to check is exclusions on activities. Sports that may seem
relatively safe can be classed as “dangerous” by certain insurers and not
covered in their standard gap policies. If you do upgrade to an “adventure”
or “extreme sports” policy, ask what limits apply to each activity you may
try. Ski cover may be limited to a certain number of days, for example, and
may not protect you if you venture off-piste.
Mr Gerrard says: “Under many policies, someone who hires a motor scooter and
crashes isn’t covered if the scooter is above 50cc. Likewise, scuba diving
below 30m (100ft) is often not covered.”
Travel in countries or areas under Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
travel warnings is not covered by standard policies. Check the FCO travel
advice at www.fco. gov.uk for current warnings. No mainstream gap
destinations are now off-limits, though parts of Colombia, India and
Indonesia within reach of gap hotspots are. The FCO’s website, gogapyear.
com, is a useful resource with general gapyear advice and a strong insurance
section.
Foreign Office tips include always carrying your policy details – most
crucially your policy number and insurer’s name, plus its 24-hour emergency
phone number. Consider storing this number in your mobile phone – if you
take one – and keeping all details in an e-mail in a secure account, such as
hotmail. Mr Griffiths advises travellers to leave back-up copies of policy
documents with parents or friends in the UK.
Other standard guidelines apply to all travel insurance. Buyers should be
honest, declaring any medical conditions, and remember that most policies
will not cover any incidents that are alcohol or drug-related.
While there is no substitute for a full specialist policy, it is worth noting
that most credit card companies give cardholders limited free travel
insurance on trips booked by card. This can provide useful back-up, as can
household insurance, which may cover belongings outside the home.
Within the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway, the free
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaces the E111 form, offers
reduced-cost – sometimes free – medical treatment under the state system.
The card does not cover repatriation. For more details, visit the website at
www.ehic. org.uk.
One hidden cost to watch out for with travel cover is the “excess”. This is
the amount that you are expected to pay towards costs. It can apply on
different sections of a policy, so you could be charged an £80 excess on
ambulance fees, another £80 on treatment and still more on other expenses.
An “excess waiver” may be optional or standard and wipes out these payments.
If your budget can scarcely stretch to the basics, let alone an excess waiver,
do ask for help from your parents. Mr Griffiths says: “Many parents spend
money on gadgets, such as penknives, as gapyear gifts, and then let their
children leave the country with no protection. If they want to contribute,
the first thing to consider is insurance.”
CASE STUDY: Saved from a plunge
Elliot Grainger, of Westminster, Central London, spent four months of his gap
year training to be a ski instructor in Canada.
Weeks into the course, a dramatic plunge off a cliff face left the 24-year-old
unconscious, with friends fearing for his life. After a £4,000 ride in an
air ambulance, he woke up in hospital with nothing more than shock, bumps
and bruises and was back on the slopes within days.
Fortunately, the £10,000 cost of his rescue and hospital treatment was covered
by Mr Grainger’s £344 four-month winter-sports insurance with Dogtag, a
specialist company that provides all policyholders with dogtags engraved
with their policy details.
Mr Grainger, now a political researcher, says: “It shows how vital it is to
have insurance. I do a lot of skiing and sailing and now buy year-round
cover, so that if I go away on the spur of the moment, I know I am always
insured.”
