Backpackers warned of travel insurance value

Backpackers who head off without buying adequate travel insurance are putting their families' homes and savings on the line, it is claimed.

Tom Griffiths founder of support firm gapyear.com, explains around 25 per cent of backpackers leave the country without adequate cover.

However he warns, it is easy to run up a bill of as much as £50,000 if a serious incident takes place abroad, meaning parents could be forced to remortgage their homes to afford treatment for their offspring.

"People would never let their kids get in a car without [car] insurance but they're letting them leave the country [without travel insurance] which is ridiculous " he adds.

Research previously conducted by American Express suggests many gap year backpackers also put their money at risk as they travel.

It reports one in seven said their jeans pocket is the safest place to store their money when heading overseas.

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