Traveling is an awesome experience. In fact, it is a life-changing experience regardless of your age or the places you travel to. As long as you leave your home, not to go work or run an errand, but to explore your vicinity even if it’s a few kilometres away from home, the experience is enough to change the way you look at things. However, before you consider yourself a travel enthusiast, it’s important to know that your safety and comfort is important every time you are away from home.
When travelling, whether you are going for just a day or a whole month’s vacation, it is always important to consider the unknowns. It doesn’t matter if everything is checked from your flight tickets to hotel reservations, something can still go wrong in between and as a smart traveler, you need to be well prepared in case of any eventuality.
Why you need travel insurance
There are so many things that can happen when you are out there. Below are just a few reasons:
- Lost luggage
- Delayed flight
- Last-minute cancelled flight
- Medical emergency
- Natural disaster
The above instances can happen to any traveller regardless of their destination and duration of their vacation. With so many unknowns out there, travel insurance is no longer for jet-setters alone but for everyone who values travelling including families and solo travellers.
When you travel without insurance cover, you become vulnerable to situations that can cost you lots of money. Plus it’s worse if you’ve travelled out of your country. Thus, as you make all the necessary arrangements for your next big vacation, please, note that travel insurance is not something you should overlook unless you are ready to cater for the big financial risks you may incur while traveling.
Tips to help you choose the best travel insurance
How do you prepare for such unforeseen circumstances? While there are many things you could think about, one sure bet is travel insurance. But wait a minute, not every travel insurance policy you come across is suitable for your type of trips.
You need a policy that is affordable but capable to protect you from certain financial losses and uncertainties that occurs when travelling. But how do you distinguish from all the many available in the market?
Here are tips that can help you choose a policy that suits your travel needs.
Medical care
Undoubtedly, good travel insurance should cover medical emergencies. After all, your life is of great importance and your life cannot be compared to any price. Everything else can be fixed. You can deal with inconveniences that come with a delayed flight or a lost suitcase but a medical emergency? That would be hell on earth. So, before you commit to an insurance policy, ensure your medical care is given a priority in case you need it. The policy should cover you from emergency care that’s not covered by your regular insurance plan.
While most travel policy insurance covers numerous recreational activities such as horse riding or skiing, in most instances, they exclude adventure sports such as competition in organized sporting events, parasailing and skydiving. If your insurance policy doesn’t cover these adventures and you are going to take part in any of them, it’s recommended you buy a special travel policy specially designed to cover adventure or competitive sports.
Trip cancellation
A lot can happen between the time you book your flight and the actual travel day. Thus, to protect yourself from incurring extra cost just in case your tour operator goes out of business or you happen to cancel your trip due to misfortunes such as natural disaster, your illness, illness or death of a family member who is not travelling with you.
Be sure to read and understand your policy before purchasing it. Get to know the reasons worth a refund although most policies cover trip cancellation, interruption and delay. You can get a company that covers more than the main three items but of course, at an extra cost. Some even have a policy that covers any reasons whatsoever and they will reimburse you a large part of your trip cost no matter the reason you cancel your trip.
Luggage safety
People carry valuables when traveling. They carry their electronics, best outfits and accessories. These are not things you are ready to lose within a few hours of your journey. That’s why you must invest in a policy that will cover lost, stolen or damaged luggage.
Some plans will reimburse you for expenses incurred in case of delayed baggage for more than a certain period such as 12 hours or more.
Before you pay for this type of policy, make sure you know what is covered in your homeowners’ insurance because some of them cover your personal belongings when you are travelling. Paying for a cover you already have will not be economical.
24-hours support
No matter how good the policy is, if the insurer doesn’t give you support around the clock, then there is a problem. A good insurer should have a hotline number available 24/7. That way, it won’t be difficult for you to get help in case of a missed connection, lost luggage or a medical emergency. One of the best way to know if your insurer will be ready to offer help immediately you need it while away, consider how fast they are responding during the transaction. If the speed is not satisfying, then know that it will be worse after you’ve purchased the policy.
Accidental death
We all want to come back home after our trips in one piece, but you know, this is not usually guaranteed. Therefore, it’s important to insure ourselves against accidents that can change our normal lifestyle. The cover should pay a lump sum to the next of kin if you lose your life in an accident while travelling or a portion of the sum to you in case you lose your hand, limb, foot, eyesight, speech or hearing sense as a result of the accident.
Get the best travel insurance policy today
Traveling is amazing and it can help you create the most memorable moments in your life. But it can also cost you a lot if you don’t make informed choices. Hence, protect yourself and your loved ones from any eventualities whenever you head out by buying an insurance cover that suits your travel needs. Choose any policy you find convenient but make sure you are dealing with a provider who’s ready to give you 24/7 support. Some of these emergencies don’t have room for the long wait.
On top of the financial coverage, travel insurance gives you peace of mind that you can’t compare with any amount of money. Knowing that you have a fallback plan just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled or you are faced with a medical emergency can give you the peace you need to enjoy your vacation.
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