Travelling and taking holidays can be a lot of fun, but it can also be scary. If something goes wrong, you may find yourself in a foreign land amongst foreign people with no idea where to turn for help. Travel insurance prevents this from happening by helping you through all of the unforeseen circumstances that may befall you on a trip. Travel insurance can help cover expenses if you become ill or injured, lose your luggage, have a car accident or have to change your plans due to weather or illness.
There are two basic types of travel insurance: annual travel insurance and single trip travel insurance. Annual travel insurance is purchased annually and covers all of your travels for the entire year. Single trip travel insurance is purchased at the beginning of each trip and is only good for that trip.
There are benefits and drawbacks associated with each type of travel insurance. The following two sections will address the pros and cons of each.
Pros and Cons of Annual Travel Insurance
When you purchase annual travel insurance, you pay a one-time fee. This fee covers the cost of the insurance for the whole year. If you travel a lot, this price is almost always less than you would pay for multiple single-trip policies. But the price for annual travel insurance is also more than you would pay for one or two single-trip policies. So you need to have a clear idea of how often you will use the insurance before you spend the money for it.
Annual travel insurance is ideal for people who travel a lot. Business professionals, people with family living abroad, and families with holiday homes usually benefit the most from such a policy. Students who have to travel back and forth from school may also benefit from this type of policy.
Pros and Cons of Single Trip Travel Insurance
Single trip travel insurance is the most cost effective way to purchase travel insurance if you only have need of it a couple of times a year. It is spontaneous. You can purchase travel insurance prior to any trip even if it is spur of the moment. It is also inexpensive. Single trip travel insurance normally costs about four to seven percent of the entire cost of any prepaid trip.
If you make a lot of spontaneous trips, however, you could end up spending more than you bargained for if you purchase a separate policy each time you leave town.
Both annual and single trip travel insurances offer the same coverage. The only real discrepancy between them is cost. Therefore, you need to choose the most cost effective way to purchase the insurance that best meets your needs. If you have any doubts, talk to a travel agent. They will be able to help you compare prices and coverage options. The most important thing is that you always travel while insured. You need to be prepared for everything that may happen.
Posts Tagged ‘Unforeseen Circumstances’
Annual Travel Insurance Vs Single Trip Travel Insurance: Which Is Better?
Friday, May 21st, 2010Cheap Travel Insurance: Why You Need to Be Covered When You Travel
Sunday, October 18th, 2009If you travel often or book family holidays, you’ll have been offered travel insurance. Maybe you didn’t see the need at the time to pay for the extra insurance, and maybe you made a good call. Unfortunately, however, many have made the same decision but with disastrous consequences. The truth is that unforeseen circumstances can occur at any time. You may not be able to see into the future. But you can plan for it.
If you travel without cheap travel insurance, you are only setting yourself up for a potential, costly disaster. At its most basic, travel insurance financially protects you from everything that can befall you on your holiday. If you get sick or injured, cheap travel insurance will pay your bills. If you lose your luggage, travel insurance will buy you new clothes. If you get stranded, travel insurance will pay for any additional lodging and transportation fees.
There are many reasons why you need travel insurance. Cheap travel insurance can give you coverage for the following events:
? Medical crisis – Most private health insurance plans do not cover medical expenses charged abroad. If you become ill on a holiday, you can rack up quite a bill in just a few short days. Travel insurance will pay hospital and emergency medical bills that you incur while travelling.
? Accident/mishap – Accidents happen. There is no end to the number of things that could happen to you while on holiday. You could fall and become injured. You could have a car accident. If you have travel insurance, you are covered for anything that happens.
? Misplaced luggage – How much would it cost you to replace everything in one bag of your luggage? What if you lost your prescription medications or your passport? The truth is that it could be quite costly if you were separated from your luggage. Cheap travel insurance will help you replace everything quickly and at no cost to you.
? Altered plans – If your plans were to change due to an illness, natural disaster or some other calamity, you would lose the cost of your trip. Travel insurance will reimburse you the cost of your unused trip if you are unable to continue. Insurance will also pay for any additional expenses involved with change of plans.
Cheap travel insurance offers so much coverage at such a low price, it is almost impossible to pass up. For a fraction of the cost of your holiday, you could be completely covered. Coverage can also include everyone going on your trip if you purchase a holiday package.
There simply is no reason to travel without insurance. The cost of travelling without insurance is much higher than the cost of cheap travel insurance. In fact, it could cost more to treat a sprained ankle or minor cut abroad than it does to purchase cheap travel insurance. So, why not travel prepared for anything that may come your way while on holiday?