Travel insurance for a trip to Namibia

Hello, We’re a couple in our seventies planning a 12-day trip to Namibia this coming September. We have a Visa Premier card. In your opinion, should we take out additional travel insurance like Europ Assistance or Chapka? We don’t want to repeat our bad experience in 2020: we’d taken out insurance with Allianz (over 500 € for 11 days). Our trip to Botswana was canceled due to COVID-19, and they were quick to cite the "epidemic" exclusion to refuse reimbursement. Just to clarify: the flights will be with Lufthansa, departing from Luxembourg. Thanks in advance to anyone who can give us some advice!

Hi,

It’s not essential to get travel insurance—your credit card already covers quite a few risks (though not epidemics). That said, Gritchen or Chapka charge around 90 € per person for a trip costing 2,000 € to 2,400 € per person and offer more comprehensive coverage (like Covid), so why not go for it?...

Hello again...

(Covid for example)

Why do you say that? The health coverage from credit cards doesn’t exclude Covid—it’s an illness like any other.

Michel

Hi again 😉

COVID-19 was—or at least was considered at the start—a pandemic, so it wasn’t covered by credit cards, even the most "powerful" ones. That’s when we had to turn to travel insurance (like Chapka or Gritchen), which *did* cover it. There was no way around it since so many countries required proof of coverage to cross their borders.

Thanks for the replies. Back in 2020, I took out Chapka insurance with cancellation cover. They were quick to cite the "epidemic" exclusion to refuse reimbursing me. That’s why I’m wary—they’re charging me 584 €! On the other hand, my Visa Premier card insurance confirmed there’s no exclusion for COVID or other epidemics. After two cancellations and major issues in 2023, we’re keeping our heads down until next September!

COVID-19 was—or at least was initially—considered a pandemic, so it wasn’t covered by credit cards, even the most "powerful" ones.

As cancellation insurance, no, but I think for health assistance and repatriation, there was never an exclusion for COVID. That said, it’s no longer a current issue. From a cancellation insurance standpoint, it seems epidemics are always an exclusion, whether it’s a credit card, Chapka, or another provider. Always.

Michel

Hi Bernard and Michel,

I can only answer based on my own experience, and I have to admit it wasn’t the same as yours. 🤪 I started traveling again as soon as it was possible. The countries I visited required a guarantee covering Covid-related costs (medical expenses and repatriation). I contacted the concierge service for my credit card (World Elite), and they told me they didn’t cover pandemic-related expenses (cancellation, medical costs, or repatriation). So, I reached out to Chapka and/or Gritchen, and they were able to provide the required guarantees. However, the amounts you mentioned surprise me—we never paid more than 100 € per person for 15 days of travel.

But as Michel said, a lot has changed since then, and things have normalized. You just need to contact the different providers to confirm coverage.

Safe travels! 😎

I don’t recommend Europe Assistance because after a hospitalization in Pondicherry for cardiology, the reimbursement process was really slow—it took 8 days just to pay for the pacemaker! And the staff wasn’t very friendly either.