Cheapest insurance isn't always the best, backpackers warned

Gap-year travellers have been warned by a travel expert that choosing a travel-insurance policy based on price is not the most sensible option.

A spokesperson for Trailfinders commented that backpackers are very different from normal holidaymakers and they need a travel-insurance policy to cover their adventurous holidays.

'You shouldn't pick your policy on price alone,' the spokesperson stated.

'A backpacker needs a very different kind of policy, which is perhaps going to cover you with a good 24-hour medical assistance helpline,' he said.

He advised that gap-year travellers should look at the quality of the insurance they intend to take out.

However, the spokesperson noted that in the case of valuables, some may be covered under house contents insurance.

Trailfinders' advice follows research from AA Travel that discovered the average gap-year traveller's backpack contains £450 of personal possessions such as digital cameras, MP3 players and mobile phones.