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If you're looking for travel insurance that allows you to confidently participate in a wide range of sports and adventure activities around the world, then World Nomads might be right for you. The company's policies cover travel to almost anywhere on the globe and are available to residents of nearly every country.
Types of Travel Insurance Plans from World Nomads
World Nomads has two basic policies: Standard and Explorer. Each covers essentially the same things, but Explorer has higher amounts that World Nomads is willing to pay out for claims. The company's policies cover more than 150 specific activities. These range from bungee jumping and rock climbing to hang gliding and hot-air ballooning. You can see the full list on the company's website.
Explorer | Standard | |
Trip protection | $10K | $2,500 |
Emergency sickness and Medical Insurance | $100K | $100K |
Emergency evacuation | $500K | $300K |
Protect your gear | $3K | $1K |
Emergency dental treatment | $750 | $750 |
Repatriation of remains | $500K | $300K |
Non-medical emergency transportation | $25K | $25K |
Trip delay | $3K | $500 |
Baggage and personal effects | $3K | $1K |
Baggage delay (outward journey only) | $750 | $750 |
Rental car damage – where permissible | Not Included | $35K |
Accidental death and dismemberment | $10K | $5K |
Generali Global Assistance 24-hour assistance services | 24/7 access | 24/7 access |
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World Nomads Travel Insurance
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Allianz Travel Insurance
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Travelex Travel Insurance
Additional Coverage Options (Riders)
One of the most common upgraded features of a travel insurance policy is cancel for any reason (CFAR), where you really can cancel for reason beyond what's in a standard policy. This is not available on every policy, but it is often a feature that travelers are looking for while shopping for travel insurance before their trip. At this time, World Nomads doesn't offer CFAR coverage.
At the time of this review, World Nomads also offers sports equipment coverage. In February of 2022, it expanded coverage to include more than 150 sports and activities including Pickleball and FootGolf. So, as you can imagine, plans with sports coverage will cover virtually any sport you might play.
How Much Does World Nomads Travel Insurance Cost?
World Nomads' standard plan is $79. It's a great option for travelers who don't care about some of the extra benefits that the Explorer package covers, like rental car coverage and extreme adventure sports.
If you're looking to have a more comprehensive travel insurance policy, look into World Nomads' Explorer plan for $120. It includes all of the standard package perks as well as extra sports like skydiving, scuba diving, and heli-skiing.
This is a perfect package for someone who's a little more dare-devilish and wants to be taken care of during their risky activities.
How to File A Claim
You can start an insurance claim by filing it on the company's website.
You can call toll-free in the US and Canada if you need to reach the company in an emergency at: (877) 289-0968.
Callers from outside the US and Canada can reach the company at: (954)-334-8143.
The email address is: ops@gga-usa.com
You'll need to have the following ready to file a claim:
- Your policy number
- A contact number
- The nature of your problem
- Your location
- Prescribed medication (if any)
World Nomads Travel Insurance FAQs
If you're based in the USA, Nationwide Mutual underwrites World Nomads policies.
According to World Nomads' website, both families with kids and people up to age 70 qualify for coverage.
Your World Nomads plan will cover emergency medical evacuation, including helicopter evacuation, if it's been recommended by a doctor.
Methodology: What Went into Our World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
To prepare this review on World Nomads, we started by detailing the company's travel insurance offerings. Then we looked at the best travel insurance plans and compared them to World Nomads. We looked at things like typical policy costs, coverage options, available add-ons, what's covered, and claim limits.
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Allianz Travel Insurance
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Travel Guard
Compare World Nomads vs. Allianz
Allianz is a strong competitor against World Nomads, especially for travelers looking for a more business-oriented option. The co many has been in business for more than 120 years and offers a wide range of insurance, not just travel-related, around the world.
A key difference between World Nomads and Allianz is that Allianz offers travel insurance that can cover multiple trips in the same year. You can take an unlimited number of trips within the same calendar year, but you do have to double-check that all of your destinations are covered by the policy you select.
Another difference is that Allianz offers coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. World Nomads doesn't have the same coverage, requiring that the pre-existing condition is fully stable in order for limited coverage with respect to trip cancellations or having to end a trip early.
Compare World Nomads vs. Travel Guard
Travel Guard, a product backed by AIG Travel, is another potential alternative to World Nomads. AIG is a prominent player in the insurance industry, and the Travel Guard product represents true global coverage.
Like World Nomads, Travel Guard does have coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, but there are conditions. This coverage is in the form of an exclusion waiver, and this add-on must be purchased within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
Both travel insurance companies use a tiered approach, but Travel Guard has higher dollar amounts across the board. For example, trip cancellation for Travel Guard covers 100% of the trip cost, while with World Nomads the amount will depends on the tier of the coverage you purchase. Trip Interruption is also a fully covered event with Travel Guards. Depending on the plan selected, it will either cover 100% or 150% of the trip cost.
If you're concerned about COVID-19 coverage with trip insurance, there's more coverage with World Nomads than Travel Guard. With Travel Guard, coverage for having to stay in a country past your original booking dates is an add-on, not a standard part of the policy.
Compare World Nomad vs. Credit Card Travel Insurance
If you already have a major credit card in your wallet, you most likely have some travel insurance benefits that come with it. These benefits do vary from card to card. Be sure to check your card's specific policies.
Not all credit cards will feature travel insurance protection. The ones that do may have specific limitations. For example, many credit cards with travel protection require that your airfare is paid for with the card in question for protections to take effect.
Reimbursement isn't guaranteed. The credit cards do require that you file your claim and wait for a decision. World Nomads makes it easy to file a claim online and submit receipts and documentation. The response is fairly quick based on reviews from travelers that have actually had to file claims.
The more premium the credit card, the more likely expanded travel protections are part of its features. If you don't already have a premium credit card, it's better to get travel insurance. This is also the case if you have multiple trips planned. Some credit cards limit not just the total dollar amount, but the number of claims within a 12-month period.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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