When planning a trip, it’s important to ensure that all of your boxes are checked and that you are fully prepared for your travels, even for the unexpected. Trip insurance is an excellent way to protect your travel expenses and can give you a valuable safeguard in certain travel-related situations or unforeseen health issues.
While it can be overwhelming to research and understand trip insurance, we’ve broken down all of the common questions asked about trip insurance and how it can truly help improve your overall travel experience.
What Does Trip Insurance Cover?
Trip insurance allows you to insure your nonrefundable and prepaid travel expenses such as your flight, hotel accommodation, tours, activities, and more. This means that you can recoup all or a portion of your nonrefundable costs in the event of a travel interruption, cancellation, or delay.
Additionally, trip insurance can cover emergency medical expenses related to accidents or illnesses that occur abroad, emergency medical evacuation, and other benefits such as lost luggage or stolen travel documents.
How Much Is Trip Insurance?
The cost of trip insurance will vary depending on the plan you purchase, your travel destination, the length of your trip, the total of your nonrefundable expenses, and any additional coverage you may opt into.
On average, trip insurance can cost around 5-10% of your total nonrefundable travel costs.
How Does Trip Insurance Work?
When purchasing a trip insurance plan, you will calculate your prepaid and nonrefundable travel expenses, and these are the costs that you will insure.
In the event that your travel plans are canceled, interrupted, or delayed due to a covered reason listed under your trip insurance policy, you’ll be reimbursed for all or a portion of your insured expenses.
Additionally, in the event that you require emergency medical care or emergency medical evacuation for a new illness or injury that occurs during your travels, you can submit a claim for coverage through your trip insurance policy.
Is Trip Insurance Worth It?
Trip insurance can be extremely valuable, especially if your trip plans include a lot of prepaid and nonrefundable expenses that you otherwise wouldn’t get back if you had to cancel or delay your trip due to certain unforeseen circumstances.
With trip insurance, you can travel with peace of mind knowing that your travel plans are protected and that you’ll have medical coverage in the event of an eligible illness or injury abroad.
How to Buy Trip Insurance
Trip insurance can be purchased online through VisitorsCoverage, which offers an excellent selection of trip insurance plans designed to fit the needs of a variety of different travelers.
Trip Insurance: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get trip insurance?
Trip insurance is highly recommended as it protects you against financial losses you may suffer as a result of last minute trip cancellation, trip delay, or other unexpected travel related incidents. If you are sick and have to cancel your trip, or bad weather causes trip delay, trip insurance reimburses you for non-refundable trip costs up to the covered amount.
Trip insurance coverage may include, but is not limited to, benefits such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, lost or stolen passport, baggage loss or delay, and emergency medical evacuation.
Don't I already have coverage from my credit card or regular medical insurance?
Some credit card companies do provide trip cancellation coverage, but the coverage is usually very limited or specific to certain benefits. Credit card trip insurance may not provide as good of coverage as travel insurance companies.
Your regular medical insurance usually only covers health and sickness within your country and does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, or travel delay benefits. Trip insurance can help cover you for medical costs while traveling internationally where your domestic health insurance wouldn’t cover you.
Can I buy trip insurance if someone else is booking my flight, hotel accommodations, or other travel plans?
Yes, you may buy trip insurance even if someone else is booking your trip reservations. All you need to buy trip insurance is the non-refundable trip expenses such as airline ticket and accommodation costs.
How soon do I have to purchase trip insurance?
What is the initial trip payment date or deposit date?
It's the date when you made the first payment for your trip.
What is the final payment date?
It's the date when you fully paid for your trip. The final payment date must be before the departure date. The initial trip deposit date and final payment date can be the same date.
What do I include in total trip cost when getting a trip insurance quote? Do I include taxes and fees?
What should I do if I'm traveling to multiple destinations?
You can select any one of your planned destinations while purchasing a trip insurance plan. Trip insurance covers all prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, including those from different destinations.
Can I make changes to my trip insurance policy after purchasing?
Yes, you can make changes to your policy if you need to change information such as travel dates, destinations, trip costs, travelers personal information, mailing address corrections, etc.
