Availing Travel Insurance: For the Frequent and the Occasional Travellers

A contemporary trend that has captured popular imagination, irrespective of age, is travelling. Social media is flooded with accounts of various places to travels, bloggers have been writing about their travelling experiences, and once in a while we even come across stories of self discovery where people have given up their nine to five lives for their love of travelling.

This idea has become a part of our everyday reality as we see more and more people seeking out unknown lands. In all this glossed up stories of travelling there is also the side which is hidden from public view. The simple fact that travelling is expensive and what is even more expensive is when the travel plans get cancelled and the cancellation expenses that accompany that.

I remember a friend of mine once telling me about a court case they are still fighting against a popular travelling company. Their London trip had been cancelled without any prior information and more than half of the entire sum was claimed by the company. This is the side of the coin that no one talks about, the cancelled plans, the money lost in airfare, lost baggage and unforeseen medical expenses in foreign countries. How can we then deal with this side of travel? The answer is in travel insurance.

Types of Travel Insurance

There is a common myth surrounding travel insurance that is only for regular travellers. Travel insurance can be availed by both, the regular travellers and people who occasionally travel. During the time of booking for the trip, travel insurance can be availed for the exact duration of the travel. This is for the occasional travellers.

The regular travellers can buy travel insurance for a fixed period of time and within that time frame can take any number of trips desired. The duration of the trip could vary or be fixed depending on the terms of the travel insurance. Hence, it does not matter the kind of traveller you are or how long or short your trip is. If you have a travel plan, there is corresponding travel insurance for it.

There are five major categories that travel insurance covers:

1. Cancellation of trip:


2. Travel medical


3. Major Medical expenses


4. Accidental Death and Flight Accident Insurance


5. Emergency Medical Evacuation

These are the five broad categories that every kind of travel insurance covers. Depending on the duration of the trip, the destination and whether you are an earning member or student, you have various kinds of insurance. Some common types of travel insurance are:

Travel Insurance for International travel:

This is exclusively for travellers planning international travel. The duration of the insurance is flexible and is renewable depending on the number of trips to be taken and the duration of each trip. Such insurance typically includes covering damages or loss of baggage, trip cancellation or postpone or delayed expenses due to change in weather or business conflict. It also covers accidental death or injury, medical assistance and emergency medical evacuation especially for travellers travelling to remote rural areas which do not have medical facilities available.

Student Travel Insurance Plans:

These are for students who are obtaining their educational degrees overseas. During their stay in the foreign country if they encounter any medical emergency care or assistance or have some ongoing treatment from their country of origin and it needs to continue overseas along with education. Some of the travel insurance also includes compassionate visit to their native country on grounds of family emergency and death. The insurance could also account for bail bonds in case of mistaken arrest in a foreign country.

Continent or Country Specific Travel Insurance:

As a traveller you maybe inclined to travel to a country or continent either due to professional commitments or personal liking for the place. In either case, you can have a travel insurance tailored according to the frequently travelled geographic location. It includes all the major coverage that is included in all travel insurance such as emergency medical evacuation, medical assistance, loss off baggage, passport and cancellation fees among others.

Domestic Travel Insurance:

As a traveller, even if you are travelling within the borders of your country, you can still avail for travel insurance and get all the benefits. It includes covering charges for missed rail and flight, medical assistance for accident and injury among others.

Conclusion

If you want your travel story to be the next big one, then there is nothing stopping you. Do not let lost luggage or delayed flights ruin an amazing holiday. Let the insurance company take care of the hassles while you get the holiday you planned for without burning a hole in your pocket. So travel far and wide but remember to stay insured. Happy travelling with a travel insurance!