I’m sure this is one of the most dreaded aspects of your travel preparation but, unfortunately, travel insurance is quite possibly the most important thing you will buy for your trip. And, you know, the most annoying part is, that 99% of the time, you won’t need it! But, unfortunately, it’s still a necessity.
Think about it this way…
Would you be able to drive your car without car insurance? Would you be living in your house if you didn’t have house insurance?
Well, it’s the same principle here… You can’t travel without travel insurance!
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU NEED IT FOR?
You will need travel insurance to cover you in case you, unexpectedly get injured or sick and you need to be treated in a foreign country. It should also cover you if some of your belongings get lost or stolen. And it should even cover damage to your stuff as well.
Depending on the type of traveling you are doing, you can be covered for other things as well, such as search and rescue or emergency evacuation if you are doing some extreme backpacking.
There is so much more that I will get into, in more detail, in another article.
As a whole, travel insurance is one of the few things that you should never leave home without when setting off on a traveling adventure. You hopefully will not need it, but there are some horror stories out there about people getting into some pretty nasty situations without being covered.
You may think it’s a lot of money all at once, but for less than a few pounds a day, it’s more than worth it just in case you get hit with that worse-case (very unlikely!) scenario.
SOME THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR
- Always be sure to read the small print of the policy you’re looking to buy. The requirements, terms, and conditions will vary, depending on which provider you are going for.
- If you have a pre-existing medical condition, check if the policy will cover that. Lots of the companies won’t cover a pre-existing illness or condition so always be sure to check before purchasing a policy.
- Never treat it as a substitute for health insurance. Travel insurance is to cover unexpected accidents or injuries.
- Don’t just buy the cheapest policy you find. Do the research, and find which company and which policy is the best suited for you.
- You may not be covered if you injure yourself when you’re drunk. Lots of insurance companies will deny your claim if they find out you were absolutely hammered when you fell down the stairs (or whatever the accident is). Not trying to be a party pooper here, it’s just something to look out for!
