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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 Travel Insurance 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.
World Nomads Travel Insurance
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A-
- Coverage for 200+ activities like skiing, surfing, and rock climbing
- Only two plans to choose from, making it simple to find the right option
- You can purchase coverage even after your trip has started
- If your trip costs more than $10,000, you may want to choose other insurance because trip protection is capped at up to $10,000 (for the Explorer plan)
- Doesn’t offer coverage for travelers older than 70
- No Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) option
Product Details
- Coverage for 150+ activities and sports
- 2 plans: Standard and Explorer
- Trip protection for up to $10,000
- Emergency medical insurance of up to $100,000
- Emergency evacuation coverage for up to $500,000
- Coverage to protect your items (up to $3,000)
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
Among the best international travel insurance companies, World Nomads is particularly good at insuring athletes, covering well over 300 sports, including skydiving, bungee jumping, and golf. World Nomads is also a great last-minute purchase, allowing you to purchase coverage even after your trip has started. However, if you purchase a plan after departure, you will have to wait 72 hours before your plan kicks in.
That said, World Nomads lacks crucial coverage options, such as cancel for any reason coverage and coverage for pre-existing conditions. It also doesn’t insure travelers older than 70.
Additionally the service has received middling reviews from customers, averaging 3.4 stars out of five across 2,510 reviews. Customers often complained about their lengthy claims processes and poor customer service.
Some also took issue with the “Nomads” branding, as some travelers with multiple destinations and long-term trips found their trip wasn’t covered by Nomads’ specific policies. It’s worth noting that World Nomads was very responsive to positive and negative reviews on Trustpilot.
World Nomads Plans Available
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.
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. It currently covers over 300 sports. So, as you can imagine, plans with sports coverage will cover virtually any sport you might play.
World Nomads Travel Insurance Cost
You can obtain a quote from World Nomads on its website by providing details about you and your trip. Be prepared to provide the following information:
- Your destination(s)
- Duration of trip
- Your country of residence
- State of residence (if you’re from the US)
- Number of travelers
- Traveler(s) age
Notably, World Nomads does not ask you for the price of the trip, which many travel insurance companies factor into the trip of your policy. As such, World Nomads may be a good option if you’re going on a particularly expensive trip.
We ran a few simulations to offer examples of how much a World Nomads policy might cost. You’ll see that costs usually fall between 5% and 7% of the total trip cost, depending on the policy tier you choose.
As of April 2024, a 23-year-old from Illinois taking a week-long, $3,000 budget trip to Italy would have the following World Nomads travel insurance quotes:
- World Nomads Standard: $76.58
- World Nomads Explorer: $123.34
Premiums for World Nomads’s plans are well below the average cost of travel insurance.
World Nomads provides the following quotes for a 30-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for two weeks on a $4,000 trip:
- World Nomads Standard: $85.83
- World Nomads Explorer: $155.06
Once again, premiums for World Nomads plans are between 2.2% and 3.8%, below the average cost for travel insurance.
A couple of 65-years of age looking to escape New York for Mexico for two weeks with a trip cost of $6,000 would have the following World Nomads quotes:
- World Nomads Standard: $152.96
- World Nomads Explorer: $276.34
Premiums for World Nomads plans are between 2.6% and 4.6%, once again below the average cost for travel insurance. This is especially impressive as travel insurance is often more expensive for older travelers.
How to File A Claim with World Nomad Travel Insurance
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)
Make sure you keep any documents related to the claim you’re filing. This includes any receipts, notices, and invoices.
Compare World Nomads Travel Insurance
World Nomads is particularly good at insuring traveling athletes, but let’s see how it stacks up against the best travel insurance companies.
World Nomads Travel Insurance vs. Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz Travel Insurance is a strong competitor against World Nomads, especially for travelers looking for a more business-oriented option. The company 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 Travel Insurance is that Allianz Travel Insurance 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 Travel Insurance offers pre-existing condition waivers for qualifying customers. 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.
Read our Allianz travel insurance review here.
World Nomads Travel Insurance vs. AIG 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.
Unlike World Nomads, Travel Guard has coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, but there are conditions. Travelers must purchase their policy within 15 days of the initial trip payment to qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver.
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 Guard’s. 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.
Read our AIG Travel Insurance review here.
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.
Read our guide on the best credit cards with travel insurance here.
World Nomads Travel Insurance FAQs
Yes, you can extend your World Nomads plan while traveling, but you cannot upgrade a standard plan to the Explorer plan.
World Nomads covers COVID-19 like any other illness under its emergency medical coverage.
You can file a claim on World Nomads’s website, over the phone, or by mail. Make sure to provide as much documentation as possible to ease the claims process.
World Nomads currently covers 326 sports and adventure activities, from ziplining to zorbing.
Yes, you can purchase World Nomads insurance for a trip that has already started. However, a policy purchased during your trip will have a 72-hour waiting period before insurance starts.
How We Reviewed World Nomads Travel Insurance
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.
You can read more about how Business Insider rates insurance products here.