Your big day has come. You have been waiting for months for your vacation. You have the time off work, your reservations are made, and you are just hours from boarding the plane to your tropical destination. What if something happens to keep you from your trip? What if the plane doesn't take off? What if an accident happens? Let's talk about travel insurance and how to find it cheaply. We will look at what travel insurance is, what it covers and where to get it at a low price.
1. THE BASICS OF TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance covers losses that can occur when traveling. While this seems rather vague, there are some examples below that will help you understand a bit more what that means. You might need to get insurance to cover the loss of the money that you are out if your plane doesn't take off, or if your luggage is lost in handling, but there are some other things that it covers as well. Let's review what most travel insurance covers; it will make the picture much clearer.
2. WHAT IT COVERS
Cancellations. If your plane gets cancelled due to weather or other factors outside of your control.
Loss. If any of your property is lost or stolen while you are on your trip. (Even if your bags are delayed, most policies will pay for you to get the essential items until your bags make it in.)
Accidental death or dismemberment.
Legal issues If for some reason you need a lawyer or legal help while traveling abroad, this will be covered by most plans.
Medical. If you become ill or hurt, the policy will pay for some of your medical bills.
Emergency Evacuation. In cases of violence or natural disaster if you need to leave the country quickly, you would be covered.
3. WHERE TO FIND IT (CHEAPLY)
The biggest barrier to people when purchasing any kind of insurance is the cost. Most people want to spend as little as possible on travel insurance. You dont want to waste all your vacation money on making sure that you are covered. Here are a few quick tips on how to get your travel insurance at a good low price.
Check what you already have. Check your current insurance policies. You might already be covered on some of this. It would be silly to get duplicate coverage on something, when you already have it with your current policy. Also, check with your credit cards. In some cases, you may be eligible for some types of coverage when you pay for plane tickets or make other reservations on your card. See what you have before you buy anything extra.
Get an agent. Your travel agent will have the best handle on travel insurance. He or she will be able to get you a policy when you book your trip. This can be easy because you will just roll the cost of the insurance right into the cost of the trip. You also may be able to get a deal when you get everything through your agent.
Go Online: There are several sites that offer cheap travel insurance, or you might even have it packaged in a travel deal that you book with Expedia or Travelocity. Here are some travel insurance sites to inform your decision.
4. MORE TO THINK ABOUT
You might not need insurance. Don't buy what you don't need. If you are making a short trip to see your relatives a few hundred miles away, you probably don't need to buy the insurance. Review how much you are spending on the trip, then see how much the insurance would pay off in the case of something happening. Also, if you are going overseas for an extended trip, you may want to look into that as well.
Read over all the benefits carefully before traveling. This might sound very elementary, because it is! Make sure that you know all the limitations and benefits before packing your bags. Your policy might have a funny clause about not being covered if you don't do something exactly. The worst-case scenario would be thinking you are covered for something and finding out you really werent.
You may need high-risk insurance. If you are going on a trip that involves a high-risk sport, such as scuba diving or parasailing, or in a high-risk country, due to war or elevated risk of natural disasters, you might need to upgrade your policy. Talk to the person that is selling you the policy about what you are doing and where you are going. They might tell you that you need the high-risk policy.
So that is the long and short of buying travel insurance cheaply. With some knowledge, you can be sure that you are insuring your trip of a lifetime against the unforeseen, as well as getting the best deal for your trip. While it's unpleasant to think of anything happening while youre on your vacation, you'll feel better in knowing that you are covered if something happens.
