Before you go travelling
Many people consider females travlers to be at the most risk from problems. Whilst this might be true, the male traveler also has a few problems to deal with. Here are my tips for male travelers.
Traveling alone has advantages and disadvantages. Whilst you can see and do more things more quickly, you are often a greater target for thieves. It can often be more expensive when traveling on your own. My tips will help make you safer, happies and you'll spend less!
Know a little can help a lot when you are traveling. Here are my travel tips to make your trips easier, less stressful and more fun.
Travel insurance is essential for your travels. No matter what your destination or duration of your stay you must get good travel insurance.
Travel insurance typically covers your possessions and medical and legal cover. It is the later of these two that is of importance. If your bag gets stolen, lost or whatever, it is fairly easy to replace the items you absolutely need, and keep traveling. Your health is not replaceable. Becoming ill overseas can, and often is, a very expensive and unhappy situation. Having good travel insurance means that no matter what happens to you in the world, your medical and legal costs will be covered. Costs get really high if you have to be flown home, but good travel insurance covers this.
Travel insurance basics
- Make sure your insurance covers repatriation (being flown home if necessary). This is important!
- Make sure you are covered for all of the countries you are visiting.
- Make sure any sports you will be doing, such as skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing or mountain biking are covered in the policy.
- If you are traveling with an expensive camera or laptop make sure they are covered.
- Concentrate on the medical cover offered by the policy, possessions are much less important.
Recommended Travel Insurers
All of the quotes below are for a single adult traveler, backpacker or gap year policy, with worldwide cover, for 15th Nov 2007 to 14th Nov 2008 (1 year). All prices include tax, and are the final price to pay. This information is just a guide.
| Company | Details | Excluding baggage |
Including baggage |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | ||||
| World Nomads | Travel insurance specialist | $480 | $480 |  |
| World Travel Center | Searches all major insurance providers | $566 | $566 | |
| UK | ||||
| eTravelInsurance | Travel insurance specialist | £153.95 | £153.95 | |
| Go Travel Insurance | Travel insurance specialist | £159.80 | £199.75 | |
| Bupa UK travel cover | Leading UK health care specialist | £171.90 | £224.10 | |
| ClubDirect | Travel insurance specialist | N/A | £219.82 | |
| Flexicover | Travel insurance specialist | £175.00 | £235.00 | |
| Columbus Direct | Travel insurance specialist | N/A | £231.39 | |
| JS Insurance | Leading UK insurer | £253.50 | £507.00 | |
Things to do before you go travelling:
- Get passport sized photos of yourself. Take at least 4, 8 or 12 if you can. If you have a scanner and good quality printer at home, then you can try and copy any unused passport photos you have of yourself. Having additional passport photos on you will save you time and hassle when getting visas, especially if using small immigration offices such as those at border crossing.
