Not too long ago, my husband was flying by himself with our children. Although he is extremely responsible, I knew that I needed to purchase travel insurance just in case something didn’t go as planned. Sure enough, the morning of the flight he called and told me, “Honey, we missed our flights, and no more flights to our destination will be leaving this airport anytime soon.” Surprisingly, he and the girls had to take an Uber to another airport about an hour and a half away. Thankfully, the costs were all minimal because I had the foresight to purchase insurance. Now, when you’re traveling internationally, travel insurance is even more important.
Travel Insurance is Important
Overseas holidays are always fun and you can surely have the time of your life when you go somewhere that you will love. However, it is always better to be prepared as opposed to not being prepared. You need to also think about what could go wrong, not just about what could go right. You have to be ready for anything. Nobody wants to think about medical emergencies, losses, and thefts but they can easily ruin a wonderful trip. Travel insurance was designed to help you deal with such unwanted situations.
No matter what you might think, travel insurance is always vital when it comes to overseas holidays. It is true for the fit backpacker and for the first time traveler. Having something like the Good Sam Extended warranty protection will help you but if you still do not know if you should opt for travel insurance, here are some types you definitely have to take into account.
Medical Insurance
If you take a look at the statistics about overseas travelers ending up in hospitals or dead every single year you will surely be surprised since there are more such cases than what we think. Hospital care in another country might cost so much more than what you are prepared to pay. When not having medical insurance you need to pay for everything alone. As an example, a medical evaluation can even cost $100,000.
Loss Insurance
As you travel, many things can get lost, including you. The common thing that you need to worry about is having your baggage lost at the airport or your wallet was stolen as you go sightseeing. Both of these situations are covered when you are insured against losses and thefts. Obviously, property losses are frustrating but you will be able to get money back to cover those loses.
Flight Cancellation
These are much more common than what you might think right now and can become really stressful. The best case scenario is to have to wait inside the airport for a few hours until another flight comes. The worst case scenario is to have to pay for a motel room and a new flight. Thankfully, even basic travel insurance helps in most cases as it does cover flight cancellations.
Nature
Getting stranded in another country because of a nature problem like a typhoon or a hurricane is never fun. However, if you have travel insurance, this is normally covered. Always be careful, especially when you travel to a location that is known to be at high risk of having natural phenomena happen.
Personal Circumstances
There can always be some unforeseen personal life circumstances that could cut the trip short. In some cases, the entire trip can be postponed. One thing that many do not know is that travel insurance can actually cover that. Since you never know when there is a family problem you have to take care of or you end up ill, travel insurance is something that you should have to get back some of the costs you already suffered.
Reader Question
Have you ever been glad that you purchased travel insurance if so share your story in the comment section?