Your guide to smart and secure travel
Preparing for a trip entails more than just having the proper luggage, travel documents, and accommodation arrangements. Regardless of whether it is a business trip or one for leisure, it is important that you get travel insurance to cover your and your belongings' safety for the duration of your trip.
No matter how meticulously you plan your vacation, there remains the possibility of some aspects of it going wrong. Most of the time, these untoward and unwelcome events are caused by forces beyond your control. Having travel insurance, one way or the other, provides you with protection against these accidents.
When do you need it?
It is advisable to buy travel insurance for every trip you take. It is, however, more recommended for major travel vacations, particularly those which involve a significant number of risks. If you are planning a trip to a foreign country, regardless of how close to home, then this is a must. You can never know for sure what to expect in that country, especially if it's your first time going there. Research would help you familiarize yourself with the said place but travel insurance can give you more peace of mind.
What are the types of insurance?
There are three basic types of travel insurance you can choose to make use of. They cover different aspects of a trip but do overlap in some situations. Depending on your budget and the specifics of your trip, you can opt to buy just one or all of these insurance plans.
The first type is known as a trip cancellation insurance, which allows you to recover the money you paid for the trip should it be canceled. This insurance usually covers trips canceled due to weather disturbances, illness, and such things as terrorism, depending on the policy details. Whether you need to buy trip cancellation insurance depends on how much the trip costs. The rule is the higher your stakes or expenses, the more you need this insurance.
Medical evaluation insurance is the second type. This covers any injury from an accident or illness you encounter while on the trip. The insurance either pays or reimburses whatever expenses you incur on medication on treatment for the injury or illness. Buying this type of insurance is crucial and an especially wise move if you are taking a trip to underdeveloped countries and places with known chronic diseases or where medical expenses are high.
The third type is luggage insurance, which is a good idea for almost any kind of trip on any budget. Luggage insurance, as the name suggest, covers and will pay for your luggage should be lost or misplaced during your trip.
An all inclusive option
For major trips or those that involve going out of the country for a significant period of time, it is usually essential to have all three types of insurance. However, to avoid the hassle of buying three separate policies, you can instead opt for an all inclusive plan that provides most of the coverage of the three individual types.
