When looking at traveling internationally, one element you need to consider is purchasing travel insurance. Some individuals are going to tell you that you need to have travel insurance, while others are going to tell you that you don’t really require it and that you can avoid purchasing the travel insurance. However, it really just depends on the situation and what you currently have. Due to this, before you go on any sort of international trip, regardless of if it is to Canada or Indonesia, you need to determine if travel insurance is right for you.
For starters, it is very important to know if you are already covered. You don’t need to purchase separate travel insurance if you already have travel insurance covering you from a different providers. In fact, many homeowners and renters policies are going to provide you with protection for material and theft when you are away from home. Additionally, your current medical and auto insurance might also cover you while you are in another country as well. This is something you need to double-check. It doesn’t take long to find this out. In fact, you just need to make a single phone call to your current insurance provider and you should be good to go. Additionally, your life insurance policy is also going to cover you while you travel as well, in case something happens while you are traveling internationally.
One aspect that individuals tend to forget about is their credit cards or their auto club membership. There are many different credit cards that actually provide exceptional travel insurance, so as long as you have your credit card with you, you are going to be fine. One of the best service providers when it comes to travel insurance for international travel is American Express. An American Express Platinum Card is going to cover all sorts of different elements, including accidental death, dismemberment, lost baggage protection, insurance for your car, should you find yourself involved in an accident, or simply have damage sustained with the vehicle, and your AAA card might also cover you with health insurance as well. No matter what sort of credit card you have, it is important to determine if it is going to cover you. Also, you need to know when it covers you. While your American Express card is going to provide you with desirable car insurance while renting a vehicle, you must actually rent the car with your American Express card. You can’t book it with a different card and expect the American Express to cover it. You just need to know the ins and outs of your coverage and what it is able to do for you.
One thing you really want to avoid is buying travel insurance through a travel agent. There is a reason that everything you purchase from a travel agent is going to be more expensive. Hotels are more expensive. Flights are more expensive, and so is the insurance coverage. Travel agents need to keep the entire staff in business and paid, and the only way that is going to happen is if they increase the prices for what you are receiving. They do the leg work and you pay for it. However, you don’t need to do this. Instead, you can book travel insurance often through your home, life or car insurance provider, and there are even options for purchasing travel insurance if you book the trip online through a company such as Priceline or Expedia. These companies are going to offer you travel insurance when you purchase the flight, so you might want to consider this, if you do need travel insurance for your trip.
When you are looking at the different forms of travel insurance, you should consider emergency medical coverage. You never know when you might become sick and when you might need the assistance of a doctor. This can range anywhere from being airlifted from a location to haven to stay inside of a hospital for an extended period of time. Not only do you need to know if your current health insurance provider is going to cover this, and if not, you need to consider looking into services that are going to help with this coverage.