Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Travel Insurance

Last Updated On 11/4/2020

When you’re planning for an overseas and international adventure, there are a lot of details to keep in mind, from where you’ll go, to what you’ll do once you get there, to how you’ll get around – and that’s just the beginning.

But no matter how well-organized your trip is, things may not go exactly as expected, despite your full efforts. From baggage delays to sickness to bad weather, unforeseen circumstances can affect even the best laid arrangements.

However, we have good news: travel insurance makes it super easy for you to be prepared for any bumps you may encounter while you’re away on (and even before!) your trip. Taking the effort to think through what kind of insurance you’ll need (and what type of unforeseen events could occur) before you leave for your international trip will ensure that you’ll be taken care of when you really need it. This will allow you to avoid the additional stress of managing logistics or emergencies you hadn’t planned for, which can be especially trying when you’re traveling outside of your home country. 

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When you’re arranging your journey abroad, the following questions will help you determine how to get the best travel insurance for your travels:

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Will you be taking a plane, train or automobile (or all of the above)?

Most of the time when you’re traveling internationally (and sometimes even when traveling domestically), you’ll have to take one, if not several, flights to get to your location. And once you’ve arrived, that location might not be your final stop — you could end up taking any number of modes of transportation to get around while you’re away.

When doing so, as we all know, transportation delays and cancellations can arise that make it so you have to rearrange your plans a bit. This could look like staying at a hotel an extra night or rescheduling a flight. Beyond that, even if your transit goes as planned, there’s always a chance that your bags won’t make it with your flight, and you might need to purchase a few items to get you through while you wait for your luggage to catch up. Luckily, you can get travel insurance that covers these delays and losses, so you won’t get stuck with a hefty bill in the end.

Travel insurance may also provide coverage for your rental car so make sure you’re not doubling up on insurance if you’ll be renting a car while traveling!

people at train station

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Will you be doing any outdoor adventuring?

Are you planning on doing any outdoor activities during your travels abroad? Whether you’ll be taking a low key hike in Iceland, scuba diving in Mexico, or skydiving in New Zealand, these kinds of outdoor adventures can increase your chances of experiencing some kind of accident. But what many people don’t know is, your United States-based Medicare or health insurance policy might not cover you when you’re doing international travel.

So if you’re going to do any activities that might put you at particular risk for physical harm while traveling internationally, you’ll want to make sure that you’re covered by travel insurance that encompasses medical expenses for hazardous sports or adventure activities.

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Do you know what you’d do in a medical emergency?

No matter where you’re going, you’ll want to do some research around how you can best prepare yourself medically, and then which steps you can take to be as safe as possible during your trip. There may be some medications you’ll need to take leading up to, during, or following your trip that will help safeguard you from illness, or those that you should carry with you in case a medical emergency arises.

Again here, your normal medical insurance may not cover you when you’re traveling outside of the United States, so make sure you have travel insurance that covers you if you do get sick on your trip.

All travel insurance policies include 24/7 emergency assistance and provide a phone number to call in case an unexpected travel or medical emergency occurs. We recommend plugging this number, which is included in your policy documents upon purchase, into your phone for easy access.

ambulance on cobblestone street at night

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What is the crime situation in your destination of choice?

When we’re traveling to places that are unfamiliar to us, it’s important that we consider what the crime situations are and if we should be aware of any types of crime in particular. For example, if we’re going to a city where pick-pocketing is common in tourist-heavy areas, we’ll want to prepare ourselves to carry our belongings differently.

If you do find that there are crime issues that you should be aware of, you can protect yourself and recover the value of your belongings by getting travel insurance that covers you under those circumstances. And, no matter what, be sure to prepare yourself as much as possible by making copies of your identification before you leave for your trip.

These are only a few tips, but hopefully help you plan and assess your next travel options. Being fully prepared and informed is the best way to travel! If you need help finding the best travel insurance plan for your future trips, send our team of friendly humans an email at [email protected].

Do you have a crazy travel story in which your insurance saved the day? Share with us on FacebookTwitter, or tag us on Instagram (@insureyonder). 

Kate's authoritative voice in travel writing is backed by years of extensive travel experience, allowing her to infuse her writing with the tips and tricks she has gathered over time. This wealth of experience enhances her ability to write authoritatively on travel-related topics.

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