As the World becomes increasingly connected, travel is becoming a more affordable hobby. It’s now just as easy to jump on a plane and travel internationally as it is to travel within your home country. When travelling you expose yourself to a number of new risks, which can very quickly ruin your holiday abroad if you do not protect yourself adequately before hand. Travel insurance can be purchased either for a single trip, or for a set period of time. Here we look at some of the risks which good travel insurance can protect you against. Before buying a travel insurance policy be sure to examine the table of benefits to understand what you are covered against, and to what level. Know the importance of why you need travel insurance.
1. Medical Expenses. The risk of falling sick whilst travelling is one which should not be taken lightly. Medical care abroad can be very costly which is why it’s essential you're covered. Whilst some private medical insurance policies can cover you outside of your country of residence, it’s crucial you understand the limitations of such cover. There may be restrictions on the length of your trip as well as limitations on the actual cover provided. Therefore a travel policy will provide cover where health insurance may not. Make sure you buy a travel policy which geographically covers the scope of your travels. The USA for example can be excluded from some policies, so if you plan on travelling there make sure you are protected!
2. Travel Delays. Delayed flights can be very stressful as well as costly. If your flight is delayed for a significant period of time then you face paying for meals and possibly even airport hotel accommodation which can prove expensive. Travel insurance can reimburse the costs of such delays. No cover can mean a big hole burnt in your pocket or a bad nights sleep on the floor in the terminal building!
3. Delayed luggage. Airports are very complex places and from time to time errors can occur which means your luggage gets lost. Whilst being massively inconvenient for travellers, it can mean one having to purchase new clothing and toiletries.
4. Loss of travel documents. Whilst the days of needing a paper copy of your flight tickets seem to be over, losing your passport can prove to be a very expensive and inconvenient occurrence. If you have to travel to your Embassy within the country then this can take time and cost money. Getting decent cover in place will help you to cover these costs should the worse happen.
5. Loss of personal effects. Whilst the majority of people on their travels and do not encounter any problems, it’s important to remember that in a strange country you can be vulnerable. If you are in a position where your mobile phone or laptop is stolen, then having a travel insurance policy in place can lessen the blow of losing your belongings.
6. Personal liability. If you inadvertently cause an accident on your travels, which seriously injures or kills someone, then you face the prospect of expensive liability claims. Seeing as the sky really is the limit in terms of the potential costs of such claims, it really does make sense to get a policy which covers such eventualities.
