It’s easy to be tempted to skip purchasing travel insurance. It’s one of those things that really bring us no joy. But travel insurance can offer peace of mind. There are so many things that could possibly go wrong it is impossible to foresee them all. But if any of those events happen while traveling or before in some cases, you will be glad you spent the few extra bucks.
Natural Disasters: This could be anything from a hurricane bearing down on one of the islands on your cruise itinerary to a volcanic eruption, wildfires, earthquake, and many more. I personally have had some near misses with a number of these natural occurrences that Mother Nature sometimes puts in our path to foil our best travel plans.
Political Unrest: In recent years there has been much political unrest throughout the world. Typically, when we travel to what we consider “stable” countries, we don’t give it much thought. But political unrest can happen without any notice and in places, you wouldn’t expect.
I’ve seen political protests in Rome. Typically, they don’t disrupt an entire holiday but if something like this does affect your travel, you should be covered under most travel insurance plans.
On a European cruise several years ago, we had a port of call in Athens Greece. The day we arrived there was a labor strike. Fortunately, it didn’t cause much disruption but it certainly could have.
Another personal experience I’ve had with political unrest was during my 2011 trip to Egypt. Days before my departure, the Egyptian people began their Arab Spring. In this case, the State Department stopped travel to the country, but if they hadn’t trip insurance would have protected my investment.
What if I had been in Egypt when the political unrest began? Without travel insurance, I may have been stuck in a country in turmoil. Many travel insurances cover extractions. That isn’t even a word I want to think about.
Terror Attack: Obviously, this is a close relative of political unrest. Today, these attacks can happen anywhere. There was a time when we associated these events with unstable countries or regions. This is no longer the case.
Injury and Illness: No one wants to think about the possibility of getting ill on a trip much less injured. But it happens when you least expect it. Typically, injuries while traveling are the result of an accident of some sort. There’s a reason we call them accidents and they are always unanticipated. If you or a travel companion were to become injured or seriously ill in a foreign country what would happen? Would your medical insurance cover it? Not likely. What if you became incapacitated and were unable to travel by the usual means? Would you be stuck in a foreign hospital until you recovered? These are some of the things travel insurance may cover. If you were in such a situation, wouldn’t you feel better knowing?
Death of a close relative: Here’s another life event no one wants to think might happen while traveling, but it does. Probably more than we know. I would imagine this is one of those things the travel insurance companies pay frequently. Yet, we never think it’s going to be our loved one who dies unexpectedly while we are away.
These are only a few reasons a person might need travel insurance and all these examples apply only to events that occur while traveling. Suppose an unforeseen event requires cancellation of your trip prior to departure and it is not covered under the permissible cancellation criteria. Well, if you added the “Cancel for Any Reason” option, your investment will likely be covered.
Because travel insurance plans are not all the same, you will want to compare plans to be sure you are getting the right coverage at the best price. There are a number of websites that can help you compare your options.
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