Travel Insurance
Do you really need Travel Insurance?
Insurance is complicated. Between understanding the different types of coverages and assessing your own individual needs, you are looking at a solid project to get your ducks in a row. However, taking the time to do this will give you tremendous peace of mind and assurances that you can enjoy your vacation and know what to do in case something does go wrong. It might take you a few hours to educate yourself and review policies, but this is something that you don’t want to leave home without AND ….you want to make sure you understand your coverages limits and how they apply in different situations.
Seriously folks… read the fine print on your coverages.
When I decided to travel full-time, I sat down and did a comprehensive review of my health insurance and credit card insurance to see what is covered and considered situations that I may need travel insurance for including the following:
Trip cancellation & interruption coverage
- What if I need to cancel my trip?
- What if my trip is delayed? How long of delays are covered?
- What if my luggage is lost or delayed luggage and what are the limits?
Medical Expenses
- What if I get sick and need to see a doctor – this might apply for out of your USA state or internationally?
- What if I need to get helicoptered out of a remote place (medical evacuation)?
- What if I need to be sent home due to a major illness (repatriation)?
Gear coverage
- What if my electronics or other travel gear are broken or stolen?
- What if my gear is stolen from my car vs my hotel?
- What are the limits on coverage? I make sure to check coverages as many items (especially photography gear) are over limits.
Rental Car Collision
- There are several layers of coverage including Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Supplemental Liability, Protection (SLP), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), Personal Effects Coverage (PEC)
The Miscellaneous Other bucket
- Will I be participating in any hazardous or adventurous activities? Different coverage is often required for single-engine planes and skiing.
- Can I extend my coverage if I stay longer or go to a different area?
- Do I have emergency evacuation coverage? This is the disaster situation no-one wants to think about, but what if there is a tsunami or political situation?
Travel Insurance: simple & flexible
5 things you should know about travel insurance from World Nomads.
1.) Trusted reliable underwriters:
World Nomads is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24 hour emergency assistance and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most.
2.) Value for money with the cover you need:
World Nomads provides cover for what’s important for travellers from 140 countries. By focusing on what you need and leaving out what you don’t, World Nomads prices are some of the most competitive online.
3.) Flexibility when you need it most:
Had a change of plans? You can buy more cover or claim online while you are still away. You can even buy a World Nomads policy if you’re already traveling.
4.) Cover for a range of adventure activities:
From skiing & snowboarding in New Zealand to whitewater rafting in Colorado,World Nomads covers a range of adventure activities, giving you peace of mind to get the most from your travels.
5.) World Nomads keeps you traveling safely:
All World Nomads members have access to up-to-date travel safety alerts, as well as travel safety advice and tips online through the World Nomads Travel Safety Hub.
After sorting through policies and a couple of calls into different companies, I assessed that my personal credit card often covers many of my rental car situations and some protection for trip cancellation/interruption. However, most times and especially when traveling internationally, there is a gap in some of these coverages for my travel needs, especially in terms of medical and emergency evacuations, which is why I purchase Travel Insurance. The cost is minimal in comparison to the $1000’s of dollars that an extreme situation could cost me and I consider it as an essential part of my trip planning.
I use WorldNomads.com for my travel insurance and have for many years.
Fortunately, in all my years of travel, I have only needed travel insurance a few times. One time I did not have travel insurance as I was only traveling to another state in the USA and my medical insurance did not cover this out-of-state situation. I did not understand my medical coverages and had assumed I was covered in the USA. Fortunately it was a minor expense and my lesson learned that I needed to really understand coverages. The other time, I had a cancelled flight and as I did had travel insurance, I was able to make a claim and recover losses.
Thank goodness for my good luck as these were minor bumps in my long travel road. However, the peace of mind I have is priceless in knowing I am covered while I travel in case anything does go wrong as well as knowing what to do and who to call if something does go wrong.
You can check out the full list of “What’s Covered” HERE.
If you want to book your travel insurance with World Nomads, simply use this link to get a quote for travel insurance!
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. I receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, which contributes to maintaining this website as a travel resource. Please know that all companies are ones that I do use and have had great experiences with in my travels, or I would not include them on Blue Sky Traveler.
