For those who are going on a trip abroad, the need for travel insurance cannot be stressed enough. Sadly, though, travel insurance is not often a top priority. Many travellers plan details of their trip way ahead of time – they book tours, hotel accommodations, and flights early on. However, they often don’t think about getting travel insurance or just buy it without paying much attention to it.
When you buy travel insurance, you need to make sure that you read the policy thoroughly and carefully. You need to know the range of your coverage, the limits of your policy, and the exclusions.
Here are some compelling reasons why travel insurance is a must-have:
It provides coverage for trip cancellations or trip interruptions.
Just in case your trip gets cancelled or cut short because of unforeseen events, travel insurance will cover your expenses. The policy covers the missed days of the trip, and will also include coverage to help you coordinate your early trip back home. Your insurance policy will also cover the cost of evacuation back to your home country.
It provides coverage for lost or stolen baggage and other add-ons.
Travel insurance covers the limits of your baggage items, in case they get lost or stolen. Insurance companies even go as far as refunding personal items that have been lost or damaged or reimburse you for all the things you need for the trip until the lost luggage is returned. Some policies also have add-ons that cover the loss of personal belongings and valuables such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones. It is best to know the claim limits of the travel insurance for specific items, and these are explicitly laid out on the policy.
It covers your non-refundable deposits.
In case you need to cancel tour bookings, hotel accommodations, and flights due to unforeseen circumstances, the best travel insurance companies return a portion of your money back. You need to take note that most tour agencies, hotels, and airlines do not offer refunds when you make a deposit or fully pay for their services. Check what your insurance policy covers so that at least you can get part of the money back.
It covers medical expenses outside your country of residence.
When you need immediate medical treatment when you’re abroad, it can be very expensive when you do not have travel insurance. Your regular health insurance policy may not cover or may only offer limited coverage when you’re in another country. Your travel insurance will cover medical expenses when you need it the most. It will also cover emergency repatriation services in case you need to fly back to your home country.
Having to buy travel insurance should not be seen as an additional expense. Rather, it is something that you need to account for unprecedented circumstances that you might face while on the road. You and your loved ones will have peace of mind knowing that even if you experience an emergency situation, you are covered by your travel insurance.
Really is a must – i had insurance but apparently not the correct type ( 20 years ago ) cost me a fortune ! Luckily was able to claim some back – lesson learnt ( read the small print )
Travel insurance is an essential certainly