Are you considering travelling without insurance? I know I used to be. Travel insurance costs money, but even the most avid shopping addicts probably won't enjoy this purchase - comparing travel insurance companies seems hard and long-winded, and the best you can hope for is that you will buy it and not need to use it (aka you won't be in an accident or fall ill abroad). But the longer I travelled, the more accidents I had abroad, and the more times I got sick. As did the people I was travelling with. Additionally, the pandemic happened of course, put health and illness right at the front of people's brains. In this blog post, I'm going to tell you all about some of my worst travel horror stories: all the times I had accidents abroad, as well as the times Tamas and Tom, who I travel / travelled with, fell ill or were in accidents too.
Accidents Abroad: Our Stories
I'm sharing all of this in the hopes that you will see why I no longer regret travelling with insurance, why it's totally worth it and why I think you should travel with it too. Unlike other travel blogs on this topic, I'm going to tell you with each example how we used the travel insurance and whether they paid out or not.
People still very often ask me "Can I travel abroad without insurance?" And the truth is, you actually can, but you really shouldn't. It's hard, because there are so many things we shouldn't have to do but do have to do (like have a passport to travel) and it's seems counter-intuitive that there are things that we don't have to do but really should (like buy travel insurance). But it's up to us to help each other out and spread the word. Frankly, there are many times I would have regretted not travelling with insurance. But luckily I had it, so now I'm going to share some horror stories about the times Tamas, Tom or I got injured or fell sick abroad, and how it would have gone down if we hadn't had insurance.
Okay, just one more thing - travel insurance generally covers two things: travel-related problems like missed flights / stolen luggage and medical insurance abroad - the latter being really important and the main focus of this blog post. So whenever I talk about travel insurance, know that 90% of the time I'm talking about needing medical care abroad, and having insurance to cover that. Okay, no more rambling, here we go with our accidents abroad and the horror stories that made us glad that we have travel insurance:
1. Tom broke his arm in Australia
Starting off with one of the big ones: Tom and I spent an evening together on New Year's Eve at the Gold Coast in Australia. Just as the fireworks started going off at midnight, it started to rain. Eager to find cover, we stepped off the beach and onto the concrete pavement. There were some stray grains of sand on said pavement and thanks to the rain things had started to get slippy. Tom slipped and fell and ended up with the biggest swollen wrist I've ever seen.
The ambulance came and the medics confirmed that his arm had been broken (or as it's really called, fractured). They took us in the ambulance to a hospital where Tom had to spend two nights. He had x-rays, injections, a tetanus shot, his arm was put in a plaster and of course, he that initial ambulance ride too. All of this would have cost tens of thousands (especially the ambulance ride). Australia is kind of like the USA when it comes to public healthcare for all (or rather, the lack of it) - it's not as bad as the USA, but it's almost as expensive. And Tom, being a German citizen, didn't have the reciprocal health care that Brits enjoy in Australia.
Luckily, we were insured with SafetyWing but that brought us to my first question about travel insurance - do you pay the hospital, claim and then the insurance pays you back? How does it work? Because we couldn't afford to pay these tens of thousands of dollars to Australia. Luckily, there are two types of cases when it comes to travel insurance - if it's a small amount you tend to pay it and claim it back from them later (if it's more than the deductible) but in big cases like this, the insurance pays them directly. And that's exactly what happened. The closest we got to that gigantic bill was seeing it and freaking out about it - what if we paid it and the insurance didn't pay us back? Scratch that, we couldn't afford to just pay it! But SafetyWing came through, they paid and I was eternally grateful.
I used to live in a world of 'oh I'm quite careful, I won't ever need an ambulance or a two day stay in a hospital' but watching Tom slip on a tiny weeny bit of sand and literally fracture his wrist really put it in perspective to me - and SafetyWing pulling through and paying that big fat bill was like an angel from heaven. Anyone can slip on a bit of sand, thus having travel insurance is a must for everyone. And in all my years of travelling and paying for travel insurance, the total amount I have paid for travel insurance, is still way, way, way less than what that one broken arm would have cost Tom if he hadn't had insurance. But more on that below.
2. I sliced my finger open in Italy
On a house sit in Italy, I cut my finger in possibly the most ridiculous way possible - by making hummus. It was also in the dumbest way possible - by putting my finger in the blender to try out said hummus and then accidentally turning the blender on... I'd been having a stressful few weeks, I was hungry. I don't know, I still catch myself going to put my finger in the hummus blender to this day so maybe I'm just dumb. But my point is, you don't have to be doing daredevil things abroad for injuries to happen, I was doing an every day task when it happened and that's why we all need travel insurance (and better functioning brains than mine).
Luckily, I had a friend who drove me to the hospital - which was over half an hour away. With my finger in that state, there would have been no way that I could drive or get the bus there. After a ten hour wait in A & E, I was seen to by two doctors (one of them was literally wearing an Italian football shirt lol), had anaesthetic injected into my finger, had a tetanus shot, had seven stitches and was sent home with a prescription for antibiotics. My trusty EHIC card had run out two weeks before, but it wouldn't having covered everything anyway - like the prescription and the shots. Which is why it was so important that I had my travel insurance!
Well, actually, in this case the cost of the anaesthetic, the tetanus shot and the prescription was less than the deductible (which is $250 for SafetyWing). Thank the Goddess for cheap EU healthcare! Additionally, I was lucky that I had that friend - because he not only did he drive me there (so I didn't need an ambulance) he also took the prescription in his own name (so it would be free cause he's an Italian citizen... this was low-key illegal btw, but it was the doctors idea I swear!) Long story short, if I had had to go in an ambulance, then my travel insurance would have covered this. And if my hummus injury had been more serious or more complicated and the cost would have gone over the deductible, SafetyWing would have paid for me. My point is, although I didn't need the insurance this time, I was grateful I had it, because you can never predict how serious your injury will be. And in that moment, when my blood was gushing over the kitchen (and the hummus!), and I thought I might have lost the top joint of my finger, I was so grateful I had the insurance to back up whatever happened next.
Well, actually, in this case the cost of the anaesthetic, the tetanus shot and the prescription was less than the deductible (which is $250 for SafetyWing). Thank the Goddess for cheap EU healthcare! Additionally, I was lucky that I had that friend - because he not only did he drive me there (so I didn't need an ambulance) he also took the prescription in his own name (so it would be free cause he's an Italian citizen... this was low-key illegal btw, but it was the doctors idea I swear!) Long story short, if I had had to go in an ambulance, then my travel insurance would have covered this. And if my hummus injury had been more serious or more complicated and the cost would have gone over the deductible, SafetyWing would have paid for me. My point is, although I didn't need the insurance this time, I was grateful I had it, because you can never predict how serious your injury will be. And in that moment, when my blood was gushing over the kitchen (and the hummus!), and I thought I might have lost the top joint of my finger, I was so grateful I had the insurance to back up whatever happened next.
This is when I realised: buying travel insurance is literally buying peace of mind. Because you could (and past me would have said) that 'well what's the point of insurance if you paid for it yourself', the point is that the insurance is there for when you can't pay for it yourself - which something as simple as making hummus could easily end up as, and something as benign as stepping on sand did end up as for Tom.
3. Tom had Traveller's Diarrhoea in the Philippines
The first time we went to South East Asia, Tom and I had the shits bad tummies a lot. (The first time we went there we ate meat and got sick all the time, the second time we went to South East Asia and the Philippines as vegans, we didn't get sick once - go figure, you can read about our trip here). Anyway, mostly the stomach bugs were gone within 24 hours, but one time he and I knew it was something else.
I'm going to go all out and assume that you don't want all the details (ask me about it though and I will immediately tell you), but it went on for a more than a few days and Tom was really, really sick. I started to get really worried. As for him, he wasn't in a state capable of worry, he was somewhere else at that point (the upside down, probably). In the end, I had to call a doctor to the hotel we were staying in - this was a hotel we'd only planned to stay in for two days (it was fancy), but because Tom literally couldn't leave the room, we ended up staying for more than a week. Almost as much as I was worried about his health, I was worried about our bank account, dwindling away in this fancy hotel. But Tom couldn't leave the room. I didn't want to 'waste' more money calling a doctor to the hotel - if Tom had been able to leave the room and go to the doctor it would have been much cheaper. But he literally couldn't leave the room (or to be more precise: the bathroom). I made the mistake of waiting an extra day, in case he'd get better, but he didn't. In the end I called the doctor to the room, she checked him over, gave him some antibiotics and told me off because he was very dehydrated (sorry Tom).
A home visit from a doctor isn't cheap, even in the Philippines. It cost 5500 PHP which is about £79. Again, this was less than the deductible so we didn't claim it on the insurance, but we were able to claim some of the money that we spent on the hotel, because that was under 'travel delays'. This is why it's great that travel insurance covers not just medical emergencies but delays and disruptions too. Additionally, and again, if this medical emergency had been more serious and more expensive, SafetyWing would had covered us.
Looking back on this story now, I know I should have called the doctor earlier, and if I had understood travel insurance better at the time I would have. I was so worried about spending money, almost as much as I was about my boyfriend's health, and I actually ended up spending more money (stagnating in the hotel), than if I had called the doctor and got him well quicker. If I had realised that SafetyWing were trustworthy and had my back, I would have acted quicker without the worry that I had no safety net. Oh, to be young and naive! But you have the advantage of learning from my mistakes: please get travel insurance!
4. Tamas sprained his ankle in Greece
Picture a beautiful and ancient city by the sea, so well preserved that it still has the old timey cobble stones. Now picture Tamas walking down a steep hill of cobble stones, twisting his ankle on them, and having an ankle so swollen he could no longer walk.
We got into a taxi that took us to the hospital. Actually, we took a taxi that took us to a hospital which was somehow closed on a Sunday. So then we had to take a second taxi to a military hospital that was open. There, we waited in line and I have to say out of all the places I've been in hospital - the UK, Hungary, Germany, Australia, Italy and Greece - Greece has by far the most superior ordering system in A&E. Or maybe it's just because it's a military hospital (finally, the military is good for something). Tamas emerged two short hours later having been x-rayed and prodded, cast up and sent off. He spent 6 weeks in the cast before we went back to the same hospital and they took it off. And SafetyWing paid for all of it - all of it - not just the x-ray, the cast, the time with the doctors on two different occasions . What they didn't pay for (and why would they) was some of the most spectacular food I've had in a hospital's guest cafeteria - they just about beat Italy.
Food aside, as a more seasoned traveller by this point, so much of the anxiety of going to hospital and sorting out injuries abroad was lifted from my shoulders - I knew that SafetyWing were going to foot the bill (or should I say ankle the bill), and I knew that we wouldn't have to pay for it ourselves. Thank you!
Food aside, as a more seasoned traveller by this point, so much of the anxiety of going to hospital and sorting out injuries abroad was lifted from my shoulders - I knew that SafetyWing were going to foot the bill (or should I say ankle the bill), and I knew that we wouldn't have to pay for it ourselves. Thank you!
Our Stories of Almost Getting Seriously Injured Abroad
Getting injured abroad can happen at any time and any place, as you can see, be it on the beach, walking down the cobbled streets or making hummus. Alongside these, I've had or witnessed many near misses that each time they happened it made me think 'oo that was a narrow miss, I'm so happy I have insurance in case that had gone wrong'. So I'm going to tell you about these now too, so you can see too how many things are waiting to go wrong abroad:
1. I got bitten by a dog in Thailand
I was walking home one night with friends in Thailand and we walked past one of the many stray Thai dogs. One dog looked cute, but scared, so I held my hand out to it so it could sniff me. I do this with dogs all the time but I must have misjudged this situation because this one was so scared it bit me.
Luckily, the dog didn't have rabies and luckily it didn't break the skin, because either of these things would have meant a trip to the hospital. After feeling bad that I'd scared the dog, grateful that I wasn't hurt, my third thought was 'damn I'm so pleased I have travel insurance.'
2. Tom got stung by a bee in Australia
According to the the Guardian, Australia's bees and wasps are surprisingly as dangerous as its snakes. By this I mean that the same number of people die every year in Australia from wasp and bee stings as people do from snake bites. They're unsure whether this is because people take bee and wasp stings less seriously or if Australians on a whole are more likely to be allergic to bee stings than other nationalities, or if the bees and wasps are more toxic in Australia or something else... anyhow, that seems to be the case. A video like this would've been useful back then:
Whatever the reason, this was the first thing in my mind when Tom trod on a bee (and got stung in the foot) at the beach in Australia. He'd never been stung before and we had no idea if he was going to have an allergic reaction or not. Additionally, the beach we were on had taken a two-hour trek to get to - it was unreachable by cars so if he had needed an ambulance he was going to need an air ambulance. Luckily, Tom is not allergic to bees and after panicking and then realising we didn't need to panic, we carried on with our day. But if he had been allergic, that air ambulance would have cost hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars, something we would not have been able to afford without travel insurance.
3. I got stung by a bee in Hungary (among other things)
A similar but a far less dramatic story was when I got stung by a bee in Hungary. Again I had no idea if I was allergic to bee stings. Turns out I'm not. If I had been, the story still wouldn't have been so dramatic because we were in the centre of town, surrounded by our Hungarian YouTube fans who would have (hopefully) taken us to hospital.
But even with easy access to hospital and friends to take us, I would have still had to have paid for whatever I needed - assumably a doctor's time and an epipen. Something I'd rather my insurance paid for.
4. Tamas is allergic to bees (or is it wasps?)
Now Tamas actually is allergic to bees (or wasps?) and as such carries around a special antidote to them in case he ever gets stung. Except he never carries it around, and I always wait until we're at the top of the hill or the middle of nowhere to say "hey, do you have your antidote?"
So far, he's been lucky and hasn't been stung, but I get this feeling it's only a matter of time before he is and we have to race to a hospital. I'm not looking forward to this, but I am confident that SafetyWing will pay for the doctor / the hospital / the ambulance / the epipen / whatever is needed. Until then, I will keep reminding him.
5. I cut my finger open in Western Australia
Here is another reason why I shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen, and another clear example of how travel insurance is an absolute must in Australia. Tom and I were doing a house sit in Australia when I accidentally cut my finger open trying to cut bread!
We were miles and miles away from everything. Literally, the nearest city was Perth - one of the most isolated cities in the world - and it was a nine hours drive away. Luckily I missed all the important parts of my finger and luckily the cut wasn't deep. But there was an initial moment of panic followed by "it's okay, if I do need Medicare, I have insurance".
6. Motorbike crash in the Philippines
When T and I first went to the Philippines we spent a long time in El Nido. We were annoyed with the price of a tricycle ride from the restaurant to our hotel so we decided to walk. The walk was harder than we expected, mostly because it was pitch black (no street lights) and there was no pavement. Tricycles and motorbikes roared past us and we walked in single file. Then boom, less than 100 metres in front of us, a tricycle collided with a motorbike. The tricycle broke in two and the motorbike man was thrown from the crash. He seemed okay, luckily he was wearing a helmet. After we'd tried to help out we went back to our hotel and both said how grateful we were that we hadn't been hit and/or been in the tricycle, and how we're grateful to have travel insurance.
There are so many more incidents where we nearly had an incident that I've forgotten about, and even more where friends have really been injured abroad: we know people who've broken knees, teeth and even backs! Split open heads, had dengue, had malaria and so on. My point is, please please please make sure you get travel insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance
Okay, so here it goes, the three most popular ones (for now):
Is an EHIC Card a Substitute for Travel Insurance?
Short answer: no. Long answer: the EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) entitles the holder to the same medical treatment that local citizens are entitled to - aka free or heavily discounted. It's valid in all 28 EU countries + Iceland, Norway, Switzerland. If you're from one of those 31 countries you can get a card (the card is free but if you're not from one of these countries, you're not entitled). It's definitely not a substitute for travel insurance. For starters, it only covers medical care, not all the other things travel insurance covers - lost luggage, theft, missed flights, etc.
Secondly, you only get free healthcare in those countries where healthcare is free for local citizens, which isn't true for all those 31 countries. Travel insurance covers the rest. Thirdly, there are 195 countries in the world - 31 countries is a lot, but it's not all of them. It's definitely still worth getting your hands on one though if you're from an eligible country, they last for five years (which is a blessing and a curse, I forgot mine needed renewing and tried to use it two weeks after it had expired. See above. lol).
Which insurance do we use?
When I first started travelling I initially used World Nomads - I think this is like a right of passage for any long-term traveller, and definitely any travel blogger. But then I switched to SafetyWing because I find them superior. If you're interested in why, I wrote a blog post about it: Safetywing: Is It a World Nomads Alternative?
So... Is travel insurance worth it?
I could ramble on about it forever but let me put it this way: if you total the sum amount that Tom, Tamas and I have spent on insurance in the past ten years, the cost would be 1/100th of the amount insurance has spent on us, aka how much they have paid - in broken arms and twisted ankles, in unexpected hotel stays and gyno visits, so we didn't have to. I can't put it better than that. But even if I had never got ill abroad or had an accident abroad, I would still feel like travel insurance is worth it for the peace of mind - you can never know what will happen but if you buy insurance, you can know that you won't have to pay 10,000s of dollars for a broken arm abroad.
Wrap Up: Why We Don't Regret Travelling With Insurance
So there you have it folks, there are all the reasons why should get travel insurance. I could go on about other people I've met travelling who broke their backs or who nearly got mauled by bears but hopefully I've already made my point: accidents abroad can and will happen to anyone - the longer you travel, the more I can guarantee it. I have no way to stop you falling ill or getting hurt abroad but I do have a way to look after you, a safety net if you will: travel insurance. Please get it. We always go for SafetyWing and have even claimed on them a couple of times - and it was successful. Let me know if you have any questions and safe travels!
P.S.: If you're interested in a way of travelling and getting accommodation cheaply, you might wanna check out house sitting. Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount, feel free to click on the link to use it :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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