Traveling is exciting! You can go anywhere and see anything. Family trips, whether for a reunion or for your own immediate family, draw family members together and make memories that will last for a lifetime. Couple getaways are fun too, providing intimate settings to get to know each other better. But whatever your reason for traveling, a lot of preparation is involved.
Getting ready for your trip might involve weeks of planning routes, packing bags, and making reservations. The best way to prepare, however, is by doing something most people don't even think of while planning a trip—securing direct travel insurance.
What is direct travel insurance?
Insurance policies are designed around a single trip. Features offered include trip cancellation, baggage, medical and dental care, emergency evacuation, 24-hour travel assistance, and even accidental death coverage. Some companies even offer collision or damage repair for rental cars, flight insurance, and a no-cost clause for children. Direct insurance is available for just about any long distance trip, from cruises and tours, flights to house rentals.
Why would anyone want direct travel insurance?
Travel insurance can help you out in more ways than you might think. On your trip, you could be involved in a car crash, get injured, lose your luggage, become ill, have to cancel your cruise, or get delayed and miss a connection, among many possibilities—and your regular insurance coverage might not help you. If you have insurance, however, you can protect yourself and your family from these problems.
Often times the insurance agencies have thought up solutions to just about any problem you might encounter on your trip, and if you have insurance they will help you through the problem and save you a lot of money you might have otherwise spent. Insurance agencies help you prepare for the unexpected.
Different provisions made by companies run the gamut of possible travesties that may arise on your trip. If you need to cut your vacation short due to the death of a family member back home, that's okay—it's covered. Maybe you need to cancel the trip due to a health emergency, weather problems, or airline or cruise line bankruptcy. You can insure your trip even if you didn't plan it with the insurance company's travel agency.
How soon before my trip should I get travel insurance?
You can get travel insurance any time up to the day before you leave. However, you'll probably want to get the insurance anywhere between seven and 21 days before your flight to maximize your benefits. It is recommended that you get it soon after you make your trip payment, in case a problem arises before the insurance is finalized.
If, perhaps, you decide to cancel your direct travel insurance, most companies require that you do this within 3-10 days of your purchase.
Helpful hints for preparing to travel.
Going to another country can be a major culture shock. Your travel agency or travel insurance company should be able to provide you with a store of information including currency exchange rates, weather reports, medication and health emergency information, even packing tips!
A prepared traveler is the best kind of traveler. If you are sure to plan ahead for any unforeseen problems, your trip will be a success!
By Lyndsey Payzant