Booking travel always comes with some level of uncertainty. Travel insurance offers a security net, so that you can step out on top of the world with relative confidence. However, insurance isn’t just about covering the little financial risks that you don’t need to bear alone. More Americans are also investing in travel insurance.
You’ve probably heard the term “wear and tear” over when it comes to your rental car. It’s a phrase that’s familiar to most travelers and may even be mentioned with derision by some non-native speakers. A rental car has an expiry date stamped on its door. That date is applied to the whole trip, not just your rental car. The only way you’ll get around the expiration date is by purchasing travel insurance.
Your luggage will need to go through rigorous screening. This can include x-rays, an examination by a trained eye and an allergy test. The screenings can cost a lot of money, but the best travel insurance plans will cover these costs. Your trip’s total coverage will include your luggage and all the other items you brought with you as part of your trip.
In the case of an emergency evacuation or trip cancellation, you will need coverage for these costs as well. There’s a specific amount of coverage that you get for any single event. Some companies offer a standard excess for a single occurrence up to a maximum amount per trip. Some plans have a special emergency evacuation coverage limit of up to $5 million, which can provide relief in cases of a mass evacuation.
If your rental car is involved in an accident, there will be expenses for damage to the car and medical expenses for the passengers and driver. Some insurance policies don’t specify a limit on rental car expenses. A good travel insurance policy will reimburse you for the expense of a rental car if it is damaged, stolen or has an accident during the trip. The same is true for the rest of your trip.
Other types of coverage pay for lost baggage and trip interruption. Your medical expenses will depend on how much the coverage pays for and how many people are covered under the policy. Many insurance policies provide coverage for passengers who become ill or hurt during the trip. Some policies also have evacuation coverage pays if a flight is cancelled due to weather conditions. It will pay for missed connection flights and for the cost of connecting flights if the airport is closed.
Be sure to read the fine print of any policy you’re considering before signing anything. It is common for insurance providers to offer pre-existing conditions as a part of their services. Pre-existing conditions are those that develop prior to your trip and usually are not covered by regular insurance policies. Therefore, you should always check to make sure that your coverage includes pre-existing conditions.
The type of coverage you select will depend on several factors. If you’ve never had a trip in the past that included traveling abroad, you will need to take into account what kind of activities are typically performed there. If you’re a sports fan, for example, you may be interested in the travel insurance policy that covers your tickets if they are lost or stolen. Others may prefer the coverage that reimburses them for other kinds of emergencies that happen while they’re on a trip. A good rule of thumb is to think about what coverage would be most useful to you. Taking a look at the fine print of any policy you’re interested in will help you determine what you really need.
