Travel Insurance

It’s one of those things we hope we’ll never need — but if we do, we really want to have it. Adventure is unpredictable. Injuries happen. Weather turns. Plans change.

Travel insurance isn’t the most exciting part of trip planning, but it’s an important one. There are a few key areas you should make sure are covered. Sometimes you may already have some of this in place, sometimes it’s bundled into a single policy for your trip, and sometimes you’ll need to piece it together from different sources.

At a minimum, you should consider coverage for:

1. Trip cancellation or interruption — so you can recover travel costs if you need to cancel all or part of the tour due to unforeseen circumstances, including unsafe weather or an injury. Make yourself familiar with our Cancelation Policy if you choose not to obtain this type of insurance.
2. Medical coverage in the country or countries you’re visiting.
3. Emergency evacuation and rescue insurance (this one is especially important — don’t underestimate it).
4. Optional: coverage for lost, delayed, or damaged luggage.

Before you get overwhelmed, start by checking what you may already have covered:

Credit cards often include insurance for trip cancellation, interruption, and lost or damaged luggage. Check the benefits associated with the card you used to book your travel.

Your existing health insurance may provide coverage abroad. Review your policy carefully and contact your provider if anything is unclear.

Emergency evacuation or rescue coverage is sometimes included with memberships in outdoor organizations and can even come with certain satellite communication subscriptions (like SPOT).

If you find gaps in your coverage, it’s worth purchasing a dedicated travel insurance policy for your trip. We often recommend World Nomads, as their policies are well suited to active and adventure-based travel.

When choosing a policy, make sure you understand:

• What conditions must be met to activate coverage
• Whether medical coverage applies only in your destination or also includes transport back to your home country.
• Exactly when evacuation and rescue coverage applies — and confirm that helicopter rescue is included. as this is the most likely means of rescue throughout the Alps, even for minor injuries.

Of course, we hope none of this is ever needed. But even something as simple as a sprained ankle — whether it happens at home just before your trip or on the trail during the tour — can quickly become expensive without the right coverage.