There are a number of travel insurance policies available in the market today, and many of these insurance companies offer a lot of benefits and privileges for their clients. The question is how do you sift through these offerings and choose the best travel insurance policy that is best suited for you and your family’s needs? Having the best travel insurance coverage will definitely give you peace of mind, and ensures you that you and your loved ones, if they’re coming on the trip with you, are protected and safe even outside the country.
Here is a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best travel insurance policy:
- Check if the most basic needs are covered.
One gauge of good travel insurance is if the most basic travel needs are covered. If you are headed abroad, it makes sense to see if the most basic needs are included in the policy. If these needs are not covered, you have to think twice about purchasing that policy. Some of the most basic things that a standard travel insurance policy should be able to cover are the following: trip interruption or cancellation, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, lost or stolen baggage, personal belongings, and important travel documents.
- Check the standard limits.
You need to ensure that the main components of the coverage has sufficient amount of coverage to cover for expenses. For example, emergency medical cover should be more substantial than lost baggage, cancellation or missed departure. However, lost baggage, cancellation, and missed departure should also have reasonable coverage limits. There should also be limits for personal liability.
- Check if there are inclusions for additional coverage.
Another important thing to consider in choosing the best travel insurance policy is to see if they have inclusions for additional coverage that are not part of the basic package. Some examples may include coverage for financial failure of tour companies or airlines and missed hotel reservations. The add-ons should be optional, and should be appropriate to the needs of the client. Travel insurance that is customizable is a big plus, especially for people with erratic schedules.
- Check if there is coverage for a number of outdoor/sports activities.
Many travel insurance policies limit their coverage of outdoor and sports activities. However, some of the best travel insurance companies provide coverage just in case you have a serious accident or injury while doing a long list of travel or holiday activities. This could range from skiing, trekking, sailing, going down a tunnel, spelunking, snorkeling, and even up to riding a camel or an elephant. These are all tour activities that travellers participate in, and travel insurance companies should be able to specify these activities in their policies.
- Check if there are options for different groups.
You may want to get travel insurance just for yourself if you usually travel solo, but good travel insurance firms should be able to offer options for groups, families, students, expatriates, travelling artists or musicians, and many others.