Travel Insurance is something that can’t be ignored for any international or domestic travel. Be it a week-long trip or a year-long trip.
Though we have hardly opted for insurance for domestic travel but of late we prefer having an international travel insurance.With so many reports of delayed flights, baggage loss or missing the connecting flight – having a good travel insurance on the go is of utmost importance. A travel insurance plan can cover you from financial losses, damages, flight delays and medical expenses.
It is even mandatory to have an insurance before applying for VISA for European countries.
WHY IS TRAVEL INSURANCE IMPORTANT?
Because it covers the following …
Medical emergency and treatment
Stolen, lost or damaged luggage
Emergency situations where you had to resume your trip or cancel your trip
Missing connecting flight
Delayed flight
Losing personal belonging
Getting robbed overseas
Accident
Emergency evacuation in case of natural calamities, terrorist attacks or any other uncalled-for situation
Last but not the least, peace of mind when you’re on holiday.
Good to Know
Understand the policy well – Most of us don’t take out time to read the documents properly and end up signing the document without even contemplating the ifs and buts, so make sure you read, understand and ask all your queries prior to signing the policy document.
Single or Multi-Trip Insurance: Check whether it’s for an individual trip, or multiple trips are covered. If you travel a lot, then a multi-trip insurance cover is a better option.
Proof of Document: Make sure to keep all the bills intact and safe with you as many insurance companies ask for proofs in the form of bills to refund the money.
Adventure Activities: Not many insurance companies cover adventurous activities like hiking, bungee jumping etc. So, make sure to choose the one which covers for all your adventurous activities in case you are planning to do any in your trip.
Contact Number or Email ID: Keep important contact numbers and email IDs handy to reach out in the case of emergency.
In short, try opting for an insurance which is right for you and your budget.
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This post was written in collaboration with Bharti AXA Insurance.
Travel insurance is so important. We are covered for anywhere for a year for really cheap. You just never know when you might need it! Like you say just having the peace of mind is worth it
Insurance is a must for travel.
You have highlighted the valid points for this. Very helpful.
Yes, Travel insurance is must especially for somebody walking on edge of a slippery pool 🙂
I did not know that travel insurance was necessary for VISAS in European countries. That is really interesting. We’ve not needed visas for any travel other than Turkey so this was outside my radar. Great tip!! Thanks for sharing.
I used to never get travel insurance until they required it for a group tour. I am so glad I did when I ended up in the Greek hospital with $1000 in medical bills!
Travel insurance has saved me on more than one occasion and I won’t fly anywhere without it now. If you choose your policy carefully, it gives you peace of mind for your trip!
Useful post and definitely worthwhile to have everything covered with a good insurance! Thanks for sharing these essentials!
I always find it astonishing the number of travellers I meet who neglect to get travel insurance. Certainly, it could very easily be regarded as selfish as, ultimately, if the worst does happen, it will be friends and family forced to pick up the pieces, both financially and emotionally. Beyond that however, there’s a lot to be said of the benefits of a little peace of mind that insurance affords
You have some great insight into why Travel insurance is crucial. Though the flight delays, cancellation or loss of baggage are mostly covered by the airline companies themselves, insurance would definitely be required if we miss the flight or in case we lose our luggage outside the airport. Thanks for this information.
But usually their claim process is so complicated
I always ensure I have travel insurance, especially for destinations that are farther afield, or where the cost of being flown to the nearest hospital (let alone being repatriated if that becomes necessary) are so high. I’m less bothered about lost luggage (though still nice to be able to get it replaced if it does get lost or damaged) and more worried about illness or accidents and how they are dealt with. I agree that it’s worth looking at the policies in detail. Beware the caps on any of the elements included – one I nearly bought had a maximum payout for a cancelled trip that covered at best 20% of the actual cost of the trip I was about to take!
Totally agree travel insurance is so important, especially if you visit the US where the medical costs can be huge
I worked for a medical assistance company for travel insurance claims for about a year and can only echo everything you’ve said here! A lot of people value saving a few dollars over their lives should something happen, and this is something I’ll never understand! For me, travel insurance is the first most important thing to take on a trip.
Travel insurance is really important, I can’t imagine going anywhere without it in this day and age. We travel to the US a lot and I wouldn’t want something to happen and be hit with a huge medical insurance bill
I’ve seen a few bloggers write posts recently about how there is no need to buy insurance and it always infuriates me! It’s great to see someone actually say that you DO need it and explain why!
Very helpful post highlighting the already important topic of travel – insurance. Well written.
Like you I never cared for a travel insurance when traveling within India. But I know it is very important when traveling abroad. Anything can happen, be it luggage issue or delayed flight. I am most worried about medical emergency though.
We hardly ever opt for the insurance, but after having to cancel a flight due to family issues it is something we have kept in mind more often now! Great reminders why it can be helpful!
I am glad you put it up . Travel insurance is very important to have. I would never travel without it. Medical needs can arise anytime and you would feel completely stuck in a foreign land if you were not fully equipped
Travel insurance gives me peace of mind when travelling. It’s rare that I’ve had to claim but it’s always good to have a back-up. We take special skiing insurance quite often as it falls outside of our usual policy.
You are right, we hardly bother about having a travel insurance while traveling in India but as you have mentioned, it is definitely something which we should not ignore while traveling overseas. We always fear of situations where you would be helpless if you are robbed or fall seriously ill or meet with an accident in an unknown place!
I’m very good at buying a year European travel insurance and forgetting to extend it when I go further afield. It is, of course, really important. My friend has twice now needed special care from skiing accidents and I know it would be pretty impossible without insurance.
It is important to have a travel insurance. I had one when I joined a sponsored road trip here in the Philippine. We did a lot of outdoor activities like hiking. However, I need to think what travel insurance that I would get since I am planning to apply for a Schengen visa. There are a lot of options but I want to get a good one.
I’ve never opted into purchasing travel insurances, but you sure make it sound like a must! I’ll be rethinking my choice next time I book travel, especially with that tidbit about the requirement for European visas!
Over 30 years of traveling, and I’ve never bought, or have needed insurance. I known that it’s a crapshot, but can I gently ask: how many times (percentage) have you used your travel insurance? Has it paid for itself?
Could not agree more !! Travel insurance is absolutely necessary. I once ended up needing to see a dentist unexpectedly and I was so glad that I had bought travel insurance. Regardless of the distance or destination one visits, travel insurance should be part of the package.
Okay, I’ll admit that I very rarely purchase travel insurance but this post has made me re-evaluate my decision. I didn’t know that some covered getting robbed and medial emergencies. I travel a lot and I will definitely start considering purchasing travel insurance for international vacations, especially. If nothing else it will give me peace of mind! Thanks for sharing this! I definitely learned a lot 🙂
True! I’ve never bothered about travel insurance in domestic travels, but with international travels and our not-so-friendly currency conversions, I dare not skip travel insurance!
Great info about travel insurance! I think it’s important to note too to take a close look at your health insurance as well because there’s usually a travel section there so make sure that it doesn’t overlap!
I have never traveled without insurance. It’s just not worth the risk. You can get really basic coverage (depending on your needs) that is suoer cheap – so there is absolutely no excuse not to have it.
Really great reminder that travel insurance is necessary, and I totally agree. It’s never worth the risk to put yourself in a situation where you can’t afford the proper care you need – one of those things which you never want to understand the value of, but if you do, you don’t want to wind up regretting its importance. Thanks for the reminder.
Travel insurance is quite important. Thanks for this wonderful post.
for my short trips i stick to the insurance provided by my visa card but i did not hesitate to buy one for my world, just in case. in the end it was a happy trip but who knows!
Honestly have never gotten travel insurance. OHIP (Ontario’s healthcare plan) has some reciprocal insurance in the world. Being Swedish means I have some as well in Europe and overall I’ve got private insurance benefits so I just haven’t seen the point.
Travel insurance does have its uses. I only buy for international travels, I have never had to do any claim so far and don’t want to too. It definitely buys you peace of mind. I have never bought for domestic travels in India. I don’t even know if it exists. Also it helps get Schengen visa <>
This is a great reminder to purchase travel insurance! We never think about how things might go wrong with our travels. But like you said, it brings a peace of mind!
I totally agree with you that international travel insurance is important as you never know what unfortunate circumstance can come! I prefer not to take any risk if I’m traveling outside the US!
I stopped buying travel insurance. My AMEX card gives me some kind of coverage, which is good enough.
I agree travel insurance is SO important! I can’t believe that some people still see it as an option. I’ve had to claim a few times through things that are no fault of my own, and I’m so thankful I had it!
I agree with the importance of travel insurance and you have mentioned a lot of detail about travel insurance if something does happen. I recently took a trip without travel insurance and was a little paranoid through my trip. One time I did get robbed my insurance helped me out no problem as i got all the documents required.
Thank you for sharing this. Travel insurance is always a must for us. I always thought it was a waste until last year when my suitcase didn’t arrive in Tanzania even after 5 days. I managed to claim money from both the airlines and the insurance.
Whenever I hear the word, insurance, it’s something so complicated for me! But I know how important it is when traveling. I haven’t traveled abroad yet, but when I do, I’ll surely get one!
It is really important, thank you for sharing! We have been on vacation and we did had insurance over our credit card, but we were very easy going with the formalities when my son broke his collarbone .. naively we thought that we can just hand in the bill afterwards and thats it. Nope. Call beforehand; we had to pay 900$ without reimbursement. Ouch!
A small crisp indeed very helpful post. We actually ignore this part while planning our travels, but it holds a special weight age esp when traveling internationally. Thanks for sharing this. Will keep it marked for me.
Totally agree! I always get the plans that offer rental car excess insurance as well. This year I even splurged for annual cover so that all trips (last-minute ones included) are covered.
Whilst sometimes it feels like a pointless thing to do and a waste of money it really is good to know you are covered if you need it, you have provided some great tips on what to look for when purchasing insurance yourself
Travel Insurance is essential for family tourists going abroad. Missing of luggage and missing or delaying of flights is quite often when travelling abroad. You have highlighted all points to convince us.
Insurance is one of those things that we don’t think about UNTIL we need it. Hence, like you said, it is good to have one so you have peace of mind. You can enjoy your travel more without worries knowing that you’re protected.
I don’t travel without insurance. It’s not worth the risk at all. It always amazes me how many people don’t. Now a days is easy and affordable to buy and claim.
Ooops, this is something I still not consider having. You have good points here. I have been a member of Life Insurance tho 🙂
Travel insurance really is important, but sometimes people forget that they have already some travel insurance on their credit cards (depending on which card they own), or on their insurance package when they own a hous,car etc… So I guess it really is important that you first know what is already covered, and what insurance you have to buy for yourself… that way you don’t necessarily have to spend huge amounts on a specific insurance. 😉
I agree on the need for the travel insurance. You have well covered those points. Having said that, it is important that one reads the finer points of insurance forms as sometimes, it does state some important aspects that are “:not covered”. One should be mindful and not feel cheated about that
TBH I have never done it (except for the one in IRCTC that it automatically includes). But yes, in an ideal world it should be done, keeping in mind all possibilities. After all the very idea of Murphy’s Law exists for a reason!
Of course it’s important. I don’t go anywhere without a travel & extreme sports insurence (if you check out my blog, you’ll kniw why;)
Travel insurance is very important, but I think mostly people don’t care so much about it, until…