Adventure Travel Insurance
Heading out on your next big adventure? Then you may need adventure travel insurance, which covers you for activities and adventure sports that are higher-risk or beyond the scope of a standard travel insurance policy.
What is Adventure Travel Insurance?
Why You Might Need Adventure Travel Insurance
What Activities Adventure Travel Insurance Covers
Benefits Included in an Adventure Travel Insurance Plan
Costs of Adventure Travel Insurance
Tips and Considerations for Adventure Travel Insurance
FAQs
Redpoint Travel Protection Has the Coverage You Need
What is Adventure Travel Insurance?
If you’re looking to get off the beaten path, away from modern life, and out into nature — whether you’re planning on hiking, trophy hunting, kayaking, or mountain climbing, or even just visiting a remote area or less-developed destination — you probably need adventure travel insurance.
That’s because adventure travel typically happens in remote destinations without cell service, medical facilities, or transportation infrastructure. Most travel insurance only evacuates from a hospital or airport, which may not exist in remote destinations. So rescue services are essential for adventure travelers — and with Redpoint’s Ripcord, they’re a standard part of the policy.
Also, typical travel insurance plans often have exclusions for adventurous sports and activities, so they won’t provide coverage if you make a claim for an injury or mishap that resulted from participating in said activities in a remote destination.
Adventure-sports travel insurance, on the other hand, provides comprehensive coverage — including travel medical insurance — for all kinds of situations, so you can have the trip of a lifetime and extra peace of mind.
Why You Might Need Adventure Travel Insurance
The concept of adventure travel is subjective — to some, it might mean an easy, hour-long hike to a waterfall, while to others, it may mean scaling a high peak or skiing a black-diamond slope. If you’re going on a standard vacation and plan to simply relax by the beach and sightsee, you may not need adventure travel insurance.
However, if you intend to take part in any higher-risk activities, like trekking in a remote destination, it’s likely you’ll need the extra coverage that comes with adventure travel insurance. Even if you don’t consider the activity “high risk,” if you’re going to be in the elements, active and outdoors for an extended period while traveling, an adventure travel policy might be right for you.
If you’re unsure, it’s best to check the policy documents of your existing annual travel-insurance plan, if you have one, or as you’re researching plans for your next trip, if you don’t. Check the exclusions, and see if there are any activities listed that you plan to do while on your trip.
If you’re an adrenaline junkie going on an adventure trip but don’t know what activities you’ll do while you’re there, it’s wise to take out travel insurance for adventure to make sure you’re covered.
What Activities Adventure Travel Insurance Covers
Adventure sports coverage, like Ripcord, provides for a range of popular outdoor activities that typical insurance plans may exclude, such as:
- mountain climbing
- hiking and trekking
- road biking/cycling
- mountain biking
- scuba diving
- kite surfing
- snowboarding
- skiing
- rafting
It’s always a good idea to check your policy wording carefully to make sure your intended activity is covered by your adventure travel insurance policy.
Benefits Included in an Adventure Travel Insurance Plan
An adventure-travel insurance plan offers coverage for emergency medical expenses in the event that you’re injured while participating in a hazardous sport. It can also cover damage to or loss of any sports equipment you may be traveling with, and provide emergency travel assistance that’s accessible via phone wherever you are.
These policies should provide critical on-trip services for the adventure traveler, including:
- Emergency medical evacuation coverage and rescue from the point of emergency to the home hospital of your choice.
- Search and rescue.
- Natural disaster, political, and security extraction for unexpected natural disasters, terrorism, civil war, and other dangerous and chaotic events.
- Accidental death coverage, in the event of a worst-case scenario.
Purpose-built for anyone going climbing, skiing, hunting, expeditioning, safariing, and more, Redpoint’s Ripcord plan lets adventure-seekers travel with confidence, knowing you’re covered in everything from the routine to the extreme.
It’s the ultimate adventure-travel policy, offering generous primary medical expense coverage, pre-existing medical condition waivers, travel inconvenience benefits, and robust coverage for trip interruption and cancellation, for everything from sickness, injury, and pandemics to business reasons and hunting and fishing restrictions.
Redpoint Case Study:
The Dangerous Allure of Aconcagua
Costs of Adventure Travel Insurance
Prices for adventure travel insurance will vary depending on the destination of your trip and the sports or activities you plan to do while you’re there. It may also depend on whether or not you have any pre-existing conditions.
At Redpoint, most of our policies range from 6% to 15% of total trip costs. The main drivers of travel insurance policy costs are traveler demographics and total price of the trip.
Tips and Considerations for Adventure Travel Insurance
If you’re shopping around for an adventure insurance policy, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind or be aware of before you buy.
Factors to Consider When Picking an Adventure Travel Insurance Policy
Assess your activities: Make sure the policy covers all adventure sports or activities you plan to participate in. Remember that not all activities are treated equally, and some are considered riskier than others.
Preauthorization for medical treatments: Some policies require preapproval for treatments, particularly for costly services, like air ambulances or surgeries. Make sure you understand this process.
Look for trip cancellation and interruption: If your trip is delayed or canceled due to weather, accidents, or other unforeseen events, ensure your policy covers these disruptions.
Understand repatriation coverage: Repatriation benefits cover the costs to bring you home if you are seriously injured or killed while on your trip. If you’re engaging in high-risk activities, make sure you have this coverage.
Things to know before shopping for an adventure travel insurance policy
Coverage for family or group: If you’re traveling in a group or with family, look for group adventure policies that offer discounts and comprehensive coverage for everyone.
Claim process: Understand how the insurance company handles claims. Research reviews to ensure they have a good reputation for quick and fair payouts.
Time limitations: Policies often have time limits on making claims or using certain benefits. Be clear on these to avoid losing coverage or benefits.
Renewability: Some policies are not renewable once they expire. Be sure to confirm if you can extend or renew the policy during your trip if needed.
FAQs
Is Travel insurance Worth it for Adventure Travel?
It’s not only worth it, it’s essential. That’s because standard travel insurance policies often have exclusions for higher-risk activities, like diving or hiking in remote areas. By its very nature, adventure travel comes with increased odds of injury, accidents, and trip disruptions, so having a policy that covers emergency medical expenses, evacuation, and lost equipment can save you from significant financial burden.
How Much does an Adventure Travel Insurance Plan Cost?
The cost of an adventure travel insurance plan will vary depending on the destination and length of the trip you’re taking, as well as the type of adventure activities you plan to participate in. High-risk activities, such as mountaineering, will raise your premium. The age and underlying health of the policyholder will also affect the price. Generally speaking, adventure travel insurance will cost 6% to 15% of the total trip cost.
Redpoint Travel Protection Has the Coverage You Need
Redpoint Travel Protection is one of the leading providers of travel insurance for adventure sports. Our Ripcord Policy is designed exclusively for adventurous travelers who want to get off the beaten track and travel to remote locations.
Our comprehensive coverage is easy to understand and means you can head out on your trip with the reassurance that you’re covered no matter what happens. Contact us for a quote today.