Your trip is booked. You and your family are excited. The details are starting to take shape.
Booking a trip can be both exciting and overwhelming. There is so much to plan and so much to get ready for. Not to mention, our trips can cost a lot of hard earned money and in some cases travelers use a lot of there savings for a trip of a lifetime. However, one thing that is often overlooked at this time is trip insurance.
One thought that can plague travelers is that they are young and healthy and don’t need insurance or another expense added to the trip. Depending on the type of trip, this thought could be a big mistake. Certain trip costs can be refundable up until 24 hours before the trip like many hotels and car rentals. However, even when hotels and car rentals can be fully refundable, there are many clear reasons to still purchase trip insurance. Things like airline tickets and cruise travel can come with steep cancellation charges or even a complete loss of the entire amount paid.
So what can go wrong? Of course we have the obvious reasons that most think of, like getting sick or becoming hospitalized and you’re unable to go. And while that may not happen to you directly, what if you are unable to go on your trip because of the illness, hospitalization or even death of a family member or relative? Or perhaps an important work issue came up and you have to cancel or postpone your trip.
Even if you are able to go on your trip, what else can go wrong? Lets consider some examples: flight delays causing missed connections, missed cruises or even additional lodging stays; Lost Baggage; Lost passport or other important travel documents; an accident on a vacation such as a trip or fall requiring language translation and coordination of medical care. These are just a few issues that can occur.
I wanted to share the story of Olga. Olga and her husband booked a trip of a lifetime to Europe, visiting multiple countries and sometimes staying in smaller villages. About a week into the trip, Olga was on a tour and tripped and broke her arm and injured her shoulder. She was taken to the local hospital where it was determined that she would need surgery to resolve the problem. However, the hospital was too small to handle this medical event and she had to be medically transferred to another location, which can be extremely costly. Fortunately, Olga and her husband had trip insurance which covered her transportation to a bigger hospital and eventually back home where she could continue her medical care. The insurance also reimbursed the remaining the expenses Olga and her husband incurred from the unused portion of her trip and her return trip home.
While this situation may not be common, it certainly emphasizes the importance of trip insurance and more importantly peace of mind when traveling. If you’re considering trip insurance, the best time to purchase is within 30 days of your initial trip deposit to maximize benefits. Contact your travel agent for some options, click the link below.
For a wide array of options, click this link: Trip Insurance