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worldwide travel insurance should be bought by backpackers before they head off on a trip in their gap year, according to Gapyear.com.
Figures reveal a quarter of young backpackers leave home with either too little cover or none at all, meaning they risk facing high costs if they have an accident overseas, need medical attention or lose all their belongings.
Cheap travel insurance is often valid in only a selection of countries, so backpackers should always make sure they are covered in all the countries they plan to visit.
Backpackers don't need to worry about getting travel insurance offering more than £2 million in medical expenses.
Tom Griffiths, founder of the website, said: "Unlimited cover as far as I'm concerned is a marketing gimmick. Expenses don't top the £2 million mark, even in the United States."
In addition, backpackers should make sure they're covered for some of the more extreme experiences, like bungee jumping and skydiving, if they think they might be trying them out.
The British Insurance Brokers' Association (Biba) recently said insurance is as important on an overseas trip as remembering to take a suitcase.
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