Wanderlust seems to be the theme recently, what with everyone planning trips within or outside the country. There is something magical about being in a completely different place, going from one destination to another, and meeting all kinds of people. Not to mention, all the food we can possibly eat. It is like there is this odd sensation, a kind of adrenaline rush that consumes a traveler.
Of course, even with careful planning, you do not have control over everything that happens to you when you are in another country. There are a lot of possibilities: you can get injured while hiking or get lost in one of your solo city escapades. When hearing stories of people who have experienced this sort of thing, we usually think about two things, safety and the expenses we might incur. Being in another country means a different currency, but looking at our account right now, we only have enough to buy us food for the remaining days of the trip.
This is where travel insurance comes in. It comes in very handy, especially if we are planning on going to a place that is totally out of our comfort zone. There are various ways to apply for it, but to emphasize how important insurance is when traveling, here are a few reasons.
Missing your flight schedule
Would you believe it, you can actually get covered for when you miss your departure schedule. Our cars might break down on the way to the airport, or our shuttle from the hotel might get in an accident; the insurance allows you to get to the night scheduled flight without worrying about spending extra.
If your trip is interrupted, cancelled, or curtailed
There are emergencies that do not happen to us when we are abroad, there is a possibility that there might be one at home. If you cut a trip short, usually you lose money for deposits and transportation. A travel insurance will make sure the expenses you have incurred are reimbursed, as long as your reason is valid like someone at home fell ill, death, or natural calamities. You can discuss the range of reasons with your provider.
In case there are emergencies that require medical assistance or evacuation
If you get injured or sick during your trip, the travel insurance will cover the following:
- Treatment costs in a hospital or clinic. The amount usually depends on what you have discussed with the provider.
- Medical transportation like an ambulance, sea rescue boats, and airlift. This will also cover expenses in the event that they send you back to your home country with a medical practitioner to assist during the trip.
- Medical evacuation for when there are no hospitals capable of treating you
If you injure other people and if you go to court
Covered in the insurance are personal liability expenses and litigation expenses. This is if you accidentally injure someone or break property and if you get involved in the litigation process.
It is always a wise choice to be prepared for anything that can possibly happen during a trip, and getting yourself insurance is one of the best ways to ensure you remain safe and secure.
I’m hoping to travel more outside the US in the next few years and this is an aspect that I hadn’t given much thought. It sounds like a smart idea and I’ll be considering my options now that I know it even exists!
Someone in my family had to cancel a trip once. If they had had this they would’ve probably saved themselves some money and aggravation.
Thanks for letting me know what travel insurance covers. I thought it was usually just accident insurance. I will have to remember to look closely into this and avail of it the next time we travel.
Not a frill…travel insurance It is a necessity. Check your insurance every single time to be sure you know what it covers and also what happens if you need to use it. How do you access it? What do you need documenting your treatment abroad. Receipts? Credit card statements? Find out. This is so important. As you know I have travelled a lot this year and I needed to check this before I accepted the Shot @ Life fellowship to Zambia last year. It was a good temperature check for me. I called and had my policy read to me and clarified and it turns out I have GREAT coverage even for repatriation should I or someone in my family ever pass away while we are abroad. Good reminder. Always know what your plan covers.
I’ve never thought to get travel insurance before. At least not if I travel domestically. These are good reasons why!
This is interesting. I’ve not heard of travel insurance. We don’t travel very often though.
I’ve never thought about the possibility of injuring other people when I’m traveling. That’s certainly something to consider!
just bought insurance for my flight first time ever
I never thought of getting travel insurance before but I see that there are a lot of great reason as to why I should. I didn’t know that most travel insurances covered missed flights.
My stepmom always gets travel insurance. It does sound pretty convenient to have if you run into an emergency
We always buy travel insurance… you never know when you may need it. The one time we used it was I found out I was pregnant and we were supposed to travel to the Dominican Republic and I was about 7 weeks and we lost one of the twins. We ended up having to cancel and thank goodness for the travel insurance cause everything was fully paid for.