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Guide to Contiki travel insurance

Don't forget to pack travel insurance for Contiki tours... it's compulsory.

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Jessica Prasida
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Important:

Travel insurance rules continue to change as a result of the pandemic. Some information may not be accurate at this time. It’s even more important to double-check all details that matter to you before taking out cover. Please note:
    • Some policies may not be available through Finder at this time
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    Every year, many young Australian travellers join one of Contiki's famous group tours in search of an epic adventure. Before you set off, make sure you have travel insurance to cover you in case anything goes wrong.

    Do I need travel insurance for Contiki Tours?

    Not only is travel insurance compulsory on Contiki tours, Contiki strongly recommends that you have comprehensive cover for all tours. Comprehensive travel insurance offers benefits to protect you on your Contiki, including:

    Emergency medical expenses

    Cancellation cover if you're forced to cancel your Contiki

    Cover for personal baggage and money

    Do I need travel insurance for G Adventures and similar types of tours?

    Most tour operators require you to have travel insurance, including other popular companies like G Adventures.

    To travel with G Adventures, you must have travel medical insurance with minimum coverage for medical emergency evacuation and repatriation of USD$200,000 (or equivalent). It also highly recommends cancellation cover, although it is not compulsory.

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    What are the travel insurance requirements for different tours?

    TourWhat service is provided?Travel insurance?Details
    ContikiGroup tours for 18-35 year olds
    • Required
    		Travel insurance with cover for medical and evacuations, personal injury and cancellation expenses is compulsory for all travellers.
    G AdventuresSmall group travel tours
    • Required
    		Travel insurance with medical cover is compulsory. Cover for cancellation expenses is highly recommended for all G Adventure tours.
    Baz BusSouth Africa's hop-on hop-off service
    • Recommended
    		Baz Buss highly recommends travellers have travel insurance with medical cover.
    VodkatrainSmall group tours across Asia and beyond
    • Required
    		Travel insurance with medical cover and for the loss of personal items is compulsory for travellers on all Vodkatrain tours.
    BusaboutFlexible hop-on hop-off service for backpackers
    • Required for some tours
    		Travel insurance with cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation is compulsory for trips to Asia and Turkey.
    Stray AsiaGuided network for adventurous travellers in South-East Asia
    • Required
    		Travel insurance is compulsory for Stray Asia tours. Travel insurance with cover for medical expenses, personal baggage, cancellation, public liability and personal accident is highly recommended.
    Bamba ExperienceTravel solution for independent traveller in Latin America
    • Required
    		Travel insurance that can cover whitewater rafting and sand buggies is compulsory for Bamba tours.
    DragomanTruck holidays in a variety of exotic locations
    • Required
    		Travel insurance with cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation is compulsory for Dragoman tours.
    Moose Travel NetworkCoast to coast bus tours in Canada
    • Recommended
    		The Moose Travel Network strongly recommends travel insurance with cancellation cover is purchased.
    Bundu BusGrand Canyon tours connecting with major American cities
    • Recommended
    		Bundu Bus recommends travel insurance for unforeseen circumstances.

    Compare tour compliant travel insurance quotes

    europe-chillWhy is travel insurance compulsory for Contiki Tours and most group tours?

    The reason Contiki Tours and most other tour operators insist on travel insurance is because of the risks inherent in travel. Some of the costs that can arise from these risks include:

    • Large cancellation fees. Cancellation fees, for instance, can be more than 50% of your tour cost. If you cancel more than 45 days before your trip, Contiki will keep your deposit USD$200. If you cancel a day out from your trip, you will loose100% of your tour cost.
    • Airline disruptions. If an airline delays a flight they will move you onto the next flight, but don't expect them to pay for the accommodation and activities you have paid for and missed out on.
    • Expensive overseas medical costs. Many of these tours also travel to far-flung corners of the world, where health cover can be practically non-existent or very expensive. If you don’t have travel insurance, you’re directly liable for the costs if you need treatment or hospitalisation.
    • Adventurous activities. Additionally, most tour operators cater for young adventurers who partake in high risk sports and activities. In these instances, requiring you to have insurance to cover yourself is not only in your own best interests, but is also good business sense on the part of the tour operator.

    Barry's unrecoverable deposit

    Barry recently booked a small group adventure holiday to South America. Two weeks before he was due to leave, he was involved in a car accident and was hospitalised with a broken leg. As Barry didn’t have cancellation cover, he lost his deposit on the trip and had to pay 33% of the tour cost in cancellation fees. For the sake saving of a couple of hundred dollars in travel insurance, Barry lost his trip and several thousand dollars from the cancellation.

    Cancellation policy by tour provider

    Each tour provider has its own cancellation policy. Typically, the closer you are to the commencement of your trip, the more you have pay in cancellation fees. If you need to cancel your trip unexpectedly (e.g. a relative passes away), this is where travel insurance comes in handy.

    TourCancellation fee policyFee details
    G Adventures
    More info    		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
    • Fee charged is at discretion of G Adventures. Expressed as a percentage of the total price paid for the cancelled product.
    Contiki
    More info    		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
    • Greater than 45 days. Deposit is forfeited.
    • 45 - 22 days. 27.5% of tour cost.
    • 21- 8 days. 33% of tour cost.
    • 7 - 1 days. 55% of tour cost.
    • Day of departure. 100% of tour cost.
    Baz Bus
    More info    		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
    • Greater than 60 days. 15% of tour cost.
    • 30 - 60 days. 50% of tour cost.
    • 10 - 29 days. 75% of tour cost.
    • 0-9 days. 90% of tour cost.
    Vodkatrain
    More info    		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Vodkatrain will only accept cancellations in writing.
    • Greater than 75 days. Deposit is forfeited.
    • 35 - 74 days. 50% of tour cost.
    • Less than 35 days. 100% of tour cost.
    Busabout
    More info    		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates also vary between tours.For all tours
    • 25% of booking price is the minimum fee

    Based on Asia Adventures tour

    • Greater than 22 days. 25% of tour cost.
    • 15 - 21 days. 50% of tour cost.
    • Less than 14 days. 100% of tour cost.
    Stray Asia
    More info    		Depends on how long between when you cancel and when you depart.
    • Greater than 8 days. 35% of fare.
    • 3 - 7 days. 50% of fare.
    • Less than 48 hours. 100% of fare.
    Bamba ExperienceMore infoDepends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates may also vary between tours.Based on buss pass bookings
    • Greater than 60 days: Full refund available
    • 30- 59 days: 50% of tour cost.
    • Less than 29 days: 100% of tour cost.
    DragomanMore infoDepends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. 10% deposit is non refundable.
    • Greater than 60 days: No cancellation fee
    Moose Travel Network
    More info    		Depends on how many time between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates will vary between tours from the west coast and east coast (of Canada).East coast tours
    • Greater than 14 days. 25% of tour cost.
    • 48 hours - 14 days. 50% of tour cost.
    • Less than 48 hours. 100% of tour cost.

    West coast tours

    • Greater than 48 hours. 20% of tour cost.
    • 24- 48 hours. 50% of tour cost.
    • Less than 24 hours. 100% of tour cost.
    Bundu Bus
    More info    		Depends on how many time between when you cancel and when the start date of your pass begins.
    • Greater than 30 days. 10% of pass cost
    • Less than 30 days. 100% of pass cost
    • If there is no start date selected. 5% of the pass cost.

    What are the must-have policy features for Contiki?

    Cancellation

    Medical

    Personal item cover

    Adventure activity cover

    What to expect on a Contiki tour

    If you’re planning to travel with Contiki Tours, here are some tips on what to expect;

    • Contiki caters exclusively for 18 to 35 year olds, so if you’re in this age group and like to have fun, this is the holiday for you.
    • You’ll be surprised how much free time is included in a tour, with plenty of down time for sightseeing, shopping or just relaxing.
    • Travel times between destinations will vary depending on weather and traffic conditions, so be flexible in your expectations regarding arrivals and departures
    • Many things are included such as transport, accommodation, some meals and some sightseeing.
    • Things that aren’t included are personal expenses, visas, insurance, medical fees, some entrance fees, lunches and optional excursions.
    • The average ratio of females to males on a tour is 60/40, although some of these can be couples.

    Selecting travel insurance for your Contiki tour

    The type of travel insurance you select for your Contiki trip will depend on the destination and kind of tour you have chosen. If you are travelling to South America or Asia, you will have to take out comprehensive cover as a condition of travel.

    Even if you aren’t, travel insurance is always a good idea to cover unforeseen risks such as illness and injury, trip cancellations and lost, stolen or damaged luggage and personal items. Consider how much cover you will need of each of these benefits when comparing policies. Remember, a couple of hundred dollars (or less) is a small price to pay for complete peace of mind and protection from financial hardship.

    Compare Contiki compliant travel insurance quotes

    warning Finally, some good news! Domestic travel is picking up, so some insurers have started offering cover again 🦘
    Just remember, you won't be covered for any pandemic related claims if you do take out domestic travel insurance.
    International travel insurance is limited and sometimes unavailable at this point.

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    2 Responses

      Default Gravatar
      Aiikay2006September 8, 2016

      Just wonder whether you have the figure for Malaysia, Indonesia,India, the Phillipines and Thailand….Being a Malaysian I think Malaysia is one of the most dangerous place to drive ! They have no road manners…very few of them care about speed limits…and few traffic police officers to enforce the law.

      Reply
        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        RichardSeptember 8, 2016Staff

        Hi Aiikay,

        Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, we don’t have that data at the moment. We did recently look at dangerous roads in OECD countries frequented by Australians.

        All the best,
        Richard

        Reply
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