All You Need To Know About Travel Insurance

Most of us plan our vacations down to the minutest detail. Every detail receives great attention--from where to eat breakfast each day to figuring out the sunset time for the perfect photo. And if it is work that we travel for, then the care is all the more. Flight details, visa applications, transport and hotel bookings, everything must be done with efficiency. 

But while most of us are capable of handling our travel planning, travel insurance seems to evade us. Most travellers don’t understand what travel insurance is or if there is even a need for it. The question is do you need travel insurance or not? 

While travelling there is a lot that could go wrong--cancellation of flights, loss of property, or sudden, unfortunate illness or accident. Insurance goes a long way in covering you from unexpected expenditures or accidents. Travellers have the option of getting long term insurance (three to four years) or a shorter one that stretches over the duration of your trip. Though not always, most countries expect travel insurance as part of their visa applications. A Schengen visa, for instance. Countries like the USA, Turkey, UAE are also on the list. Many countries might also insist that you buy one locally, but the premiums could be high, so it is best to go prepared.    

It is advisable to sort travel insurance as soon as you pay for your trip. Even if the trip is cancelled after, you will get some compensation. There are different types of insurance--while a generic one might provide 24-hour assistance and emergency aid, there are also specialised ones. Business travellers, athletes, and even expats.   

For people travelling for leisure, short term insurance that covers loss, theft, medical emergencies and accidents might be more than enough.

And our opinion? It is better to be safe than sorry. Travel insurance will take some of the travel anxiety off your back, and you might enjoy your trip a lot more. If unfortunately, something were to go wrong then a monetary compensation surely doesn’t hurt.