Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is as essential to your trip abroad as your passport. Why?

• Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime.
• Health care costs vary around the world.
• In an emergency, you're going to want to make sure you have access to the best healthcare possible.
• Premiums tend to be affordable, so the coverage will pay off should travel misfortunes rear their ugly head.

To be honest, buying it—or not buying it—is a gamble. If your current health insurance provides coverage for emergencies abroad or is willing to reimburse non-refundable portions of your already-booked trip, then it might not make sense for you. For all others, we highly recommend getting travel insurance before going abroad.

Travel insurance ≠ health insurance. Travel insurance covers you when emergencies strike, but you're not in-network. It helps you avoid hefty fees for services offered beyond your hometown. It can also cover things like lost luggage, missed flights, repatriation, or trip cancellations and interruptions.

How do you know which travel insurance is right for you?

Consider your trip duration and how many “high risk” activities, like bungee jumping or surfing, that you'll be doing while abroad. The higher your chance of injury through adrenaline-busting activities, the more you'll want to find a policy built for the adventurous (possibly with a higher deductible, but a higher cost allotment).

Pay attention to the details of both your travel insurance policy and your health insurance policy, to make sure there are no gaps in coverage and you can set sail as smooth (and emergency-prepared) as possible.

The sheer number of travel insurance options might feel overwhelming, but we're here to help breakdown some of the best ones in the market!