I like to write about fun stuff and travel insurance is NOT one of those things. Actually, I don't think there is any insurance out there that is FUN! Regardless, it is IMPORTANT and we must discuss it. My experiences as a travel agent cause me to highly recommend travel insurance at all times. There are many different companies out there that offer insurance for traveling and there are many different levels of coverage that you can consider. The cost of travel insurance is largely based on the cost of your trip and your age. Not everyone needs the same kind of coverage so you must really do your research before accepting insurance for your trip. There is no way I can go into all the details of the different coverages here, but I do want to share some thoughts on the basics and what I think you need to know.
First of all, whenever you book a trip through a reputable vendor there will be trip cancellation insurance available to you. If there isn't...watch out, you may want to pick another vendor! The good part about buying your insurance with your vacation package is that the cost is usually reasonable and the plan is usually simple. Some vendors also offer price guarantees when you buy their insurance. That means that if you book a trip say 8 months in advance at a certain price, then they run a promotion later on for a better price, you may qualify for the better price. This kind of insurance gives you the satisfaction of being able to book your vacation in advance and know you are getting the best deal. Unfortunately, there is a down side to booking your trip insurance with the same vendor you purchased your trip from. This is rare, but it does happen......if that company goes out of business, then guess what? Your insurance goes with it. I had a client lose thousands of dollars after booking a cruise on Premier Cruise Lines (The Big Red Boat), remember them? No? Well, they went out of business suddenly and it was quite the mess for my clients. You can check with your credit card company as some of the better ones will offer travel insurance for your trip deposits. Another down side to booking your insurance with the same vendor is that if you do cancel your trip for whatever reason, they may refund you in "travel vouchers" instead of your money back. These vouchers will be good towards booking another trip with them. This may work for some, but not for everyone.
The second thing I recommend you take into strong consideration is your health. It is important that you buy a policy that will cover any pre-existing medical conditions that you may have. A lot of times, insurance will not cover these pre-existing conditions if you do not purchase your insurance at the time (or within 7-10 days) of booking your trip. You also need to check with your primary health insurance provider to see if you will be covered in other countries and for all services. You may be surprised at what you find is not included while traveling out of your own country. There are a lot of things that people do not know to consider until after it has cost them a lot of money. For example, did you ever think about having to be airlifted off of a cruise ship and flown to a hospital? That is not included in the price of your cruise, nor do most health providers pay for this. That could run you a nice $20,000 tab.
The third thing I think you need to be careful of is not to get talked into being over-insured. If you are booking a package from one vendor that includes all the elements of your travel (air, hotel, car, etc.) then purchasing insurance can really be quite simple. Let's say you put together what we call in the industry an "FIT". That means you customize your vacation by booking everything separate. In this instance, you may be able to take advantage of the individual cancellation policies that are offered by the hotels and car rental agencies. Most hotels offer a 24 or 48 hour cancellation policy without penalty. If that is the case, you may not want to include the hotel costs in your insurance. Same with the rental car.
So, this information should get you well on your way to asking the right questions when considering travel insurance. If you have any stories on this subject or have some useful info for other readers, please share and remember........
The actual cost of the travel insurance is NOT REFUNDABLE!
Two of the companies that I highly recommend for your travel insurance needs are Access America and Travel Guard . I have provided an affiliate link to Travel Guard below.
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