Travel Resources for Adventurers
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review: A Deep Dive
Written by Antonio Cala.
Table of Contents
Embark on a journey of exploration and security with World Nomads Travel Insurance. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or an avid adventurer, ensuring reliable coverage is crucial. In this World Nomads Travel Insurance review, we delve into its distinctive features, from a diverse array of services to detailed coverage.
For a detailed analysis of insurance options catering to adventure seekers, consult our Comprehensive Guide to Adventure Travel Insurance. Let’s get started.
World Nomads Travel Insurance Overview
Who Is World Nomads For
The World Nomads Travel Insurance is a great option if you’re looking for an affordable travel insurance with good medical coverage and some equipment coverage under the same policy.
What's Included
World Nomads Travel Insurance offers a spectrum of coverage options designed to provide comprehensive protection throughout your journeys. While specific details may vary depending on your chosen plan and options, typical inclusions in World Nomads Travel Insurance policies often include:
Emergency Accident & Sickness Medical Expense. Coverage is for medical expenses for emergency treatment of an accidental injury that occurs during the trip. Emergency treatment must be medically necessary and performed during the trip. Refer to the certificate / policy for complete details.
Emergency dental treatment. Coverage is for emergency dental treatment for accidental injury to sound, natural teeth. The injury and treatment must occur during the trip.
Emergency Evacuation. Coverage is for an accidental injury or sickness occurring during the trip that results in your necessary emergency evacuation. An emergency evacuation must be ordered by a physician who certifies that the severity of your accidental injury or sickness warrants your emergency evacuation. Refer to the certificate / policy for complete details.
Trip Cancellation. Reimburses for prepaid, non-refundable cancellation charges if you must cancel your trip (after the effective date) due to covered sickness, accidental injury, or death of you, a family member or traveling companion; inclement weather, unforeseen natural disaster at home or at your destination, strike or other covered reasons. Refer to the certificate / policy for complete details.
Trip Interruption. Reimburses for prepaid, non-refundable, unused expenses if you must interrupt your trip (after departure) due to a covered sickness, accidental injury, or death of you, a family member or traveling companion; inclement weather, unforeseen natural disaster at home or at your destination, strike, or other covered reasons. Refer to the certificate / policy for complete details.
Trip Delay. Coverage is for unused portion of pre-paid accommodation or additional expenses, on a one-time basis, if you are delayed en route to or from the trip for 6 or more hours due to a defined hazard as explained in the certificate / policy.
Baggage & Personal Effects. Reimbursement is for loss, theft or damage during the trip to baggage and personal effects (including sporting equipment) owned by you, provided you have taken all reasonable measures to protect, save and recover the property. Per article limit of $500.
What's Not Included
Every World Nomads policy comes with specific exclusions, and these may differ based on the type of plan you choose. In the following section, we will delve into the details.
For now, these are some common exclusions that World Nomads Insurance policies may include:
Certain High-Risk Activities. Some adventurous or high-risk activities, such as extreme sports or participation in professional competitions, may not be covered. It’s essential to check the policy for a list of excluded activities.
Pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions – unless they are controlled and stable – are not covered for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Emergency Sickness Medical Expense, and Emergency Accident Medical Expenses.
Travel to Restricted Areas. Most countries in the world are covered, however war or sanctions may affect coverage available to a destination or region. Be aware that when purchasing a policy for a region (i.e. Asia or Africa), some countries might not be covered (i.e. North Korea, Sudan,etc)
Not all nationalities are covered. World Nomads is constantly changing the countries of residence for which they provide insurance. As of now, even travelers from certain European countries, such as Spain, Germany, or France, cannot purchase a policy from World Nomads.
Membership Plans
Standard Plan
The Standard Plan is the entry-level option from World Nomads. This plan is perfect for travelers who are not planning any adventurous activities and are looking for basic coverage amounts at an affordable price.
Explorer Plan
The Explorer Plan is the premium option, offering emergency evacuation coverage up to $500,000, trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 (compared to $3,000 with the standard plan), and broader coverage for adventure activities.
Adventure Activities Covered
World Nomads includes coverage for some adventure sports activities in the Essential Plan and the Explorer Plan, while the most extreme activities are excluded from both.
The list of activities under each group may vary depending on your country of residence, so make sure to check what’s covered for your specific country directly on the World Nomads website at the time of purchase.
Pricing
Prices depend on the plan you purchase, your country of residence, your age, your destination and the length of your trip.
Just to give you an idea, a policy for a week-long trip to Peru for a 40 year old male from Florida will cost approximately $187 (Standard Plan) and $140 (Explorer).
Please, check out the latest pricing for up to date quotes.
What's Covered & Who's Eligible
The main limitation of World Nomads is that their insurance policies are only offered to people who live in selected countries. Let’s look at the specifics.
Nationalities: Most nationalities can purchase insurance from World Nomads, including residents of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, or New Zealand. However, as of the current writing, most European residents are unable to buy a World Nomads policy.
Pre-existing conditions: Not covered.
Seniors Over 65: Travelers aged 70 and over are not covered.
Trip Duration: All plans cover trips up to 365 days.
Groups: Insurance policies for solo travelers, couples and families are available.
User Reviews and Testimonials
Insurance companies often receive negative online reviews due to issues such as complicated policy language, claim denials, slow processing times, and perceived unfair practices.
World Nomads is no exception, and although they do receive a fair share of negative reviews, it seems that in the last few years, they have received more positive comments.
World Nomads vs Competitors
Overall, World Nomads insurance policies tend to be cheaper than those from its competitors, their medical expenses coverage similar and the compensation for trip cancellation & interruption much smaller than the top companies on the market.
If you would like to see direct comparisons between World Nomads and other insurance companies, check out the articles below:
Conclusion
World Nomads offers affordable packages that covers a good amount of adventure activities, along with solid medical expense coverage. However, the coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions is relatively small.
They are one of the most budget-friendly companies we’ve reviewed and receive relatively positive reviews online.
World Nomads is a great option if you’re seeking an affordable plan, your trip is not too expensive, and you plan to engage in some adventure activities while abroad.
Other Travel Insurance Reviews
If you would like to read more about other insurance companies for adventure travelers, you can check out our other reviews below:
If you would like to read more about insurance options for other type of adventure trips, you can check out our other reviews below:
- Skiing & Snowboarding
- Hiking Trips
- Mountaineering & High Altitude Trekking
- Mountain Biking, Bike-touring & Bike-packing
- Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing & Bouldering
- Kayaking, White Water Rafting & Paddle Boarding
- Fishing & Spearfishing
- Diving Liveaboards & Freediving
- Sailing, Kite Surfing & Surfing
- Adventure Cruises
- Adventure Motorcycling
World Nomads Travel Insurance Reviews Online
When doing your research, you might want to read what other publications have to say about the World Nomads Insurance plans.
Here are some of the most popular reviews from the web.
World Nomads Reviewed: Who’s It For?—Plus Ideal Alternatives – by alittleadrift.com
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review: What’s Included & What’s Not – by nomadicmatt.com
About the Author
Antonio was born and raised in Southern Spain, and quit his job in 2013 to travel the world full-time with his wife Amanda for 10 years straight. Their passion for adventure took them to visit 150+ countries.
They cycled 25,000km + from California to Patagonia, sailed over 10,000NM around the Caribbean & Sea of Cortez, rode their motorbikes 30,000 kms+ across West Africa (Spain to South Africa) and visited Antarctica, among many other adventure expeditions. Today, they’re still traveling, currently around the USA with an RV.
Traveling to so many places, remote destinations and by different means taught them a lot about travel insurance, which policies to hold depending on the area and the type of adventure they were doing. Antonio now publishes regular content to help other travelers choose the best travel insurance for adventure trips.
Together, they also run the travel community Summit, the RV site Hitched Up, the boutique accommodation blog Unique Places and the popular newsletter Adventure Fix, where they share their knowledge about the places they’ve visited and the ones still remaining on their list.
Antonio Cala
Co-Founder of Adventure Fix