How to Choose Travel Insurance

21 Jan 2009 by Olga Brighton

Travel Insurance Tips

Planning your vacation, do not forget to choose travel insurance as it may prevent you from spending extra money in case of an emergency and will let you feel protected during your trip. Before buying an insurance policy try to find out everything about the company you are going to arrange your cover with, what services it offers to the clients and coverage of it’s polices.

Good vacation insurance should cover for any travel:

Travel Curtailment

If you or a member of your family becomes seriously ill or is injured during a vacation, insurance companies must compensate you the unused part of your vacation.

Travel Cancellation

Your money will be reimbursed if you have to cancel your trip due to the sickness or death in your family or other calamity listed in the insurance policy.

Personal Liability

Personal Liability is important in case of legal liability, arising out of one's negligence in causing a third party injury (or death) and/or third party property damage. Some travel insurance companies even insure against the loss or theft of golfing equipment and laptops.

Luggage/Baggage/Flight Delay

It means that insurance companies compensate loss of your luggage/baggage/flight in case when the delay exceeds a certain time frame.

Emergency & Medical Assistance and Information Service

Emergency evacuation is very helpful for inexperienced travelers or travelers with medical conditions or for those who are traveling to more remote and less traveled places. Most vacation insurance policies would compensate a couple of hundred dollars for each day of hospitalization up to the maximum limit indicated in their respective packages.

Accidental Death Insurance

Compensation for permanent or temporary disablement or accident death.

Two Main Types of Vacation Insurance

Annual Policy

Annual policies cover unlimited trips made by the insured during the entire year if each trip does not exceed a certain number of days (usually 90 days). This type of insurance will be the best for those who travel often. For frequent flyers, this type of cover would be most ideal in terms of cost and convenience.

Family Vacation Insurance

Family packages are also designed to cater for immediate families (you, your spouse and your children) traveling together. Family vacation insurance is less expensive than individual insurance policy. If you are go in for water, winter or other kinds of sports during your trip it would be very useful to purchase in insurance which covers such activities. Some traveler insurance companies may charge an additional premium for this extension, so it is better to check this point before you affect your cover.

Unfortunately, you will not find scuba diving and bungee jumping in typical insurance polices. Some companies set certain age limits meaning that their insurance does not cover persons exceeding a certain age. There are traveler insurance companies that do not impose any age limit and offer the same coverage at no additional premium loading. If you have any problems with health you must inform your travel insurance company about it in order to be sure that in case of emergency you will be treated right. We hope that our advices will be useful and prevent you from mistakes and you will have an unforgettable vacation.