What is Travel Insurance? – A Simple Explanation

Many people ask the question what is travel insurance and a lot of them have no idea what it actually is or how it can be useful. Travel insurance is essentially an insurance product designed to cover unexpected losses incurred when travelling, both domestic and internationally. The majority of companies offering travel insurance offer a basic level of cover for you and your possessions while you’re abroad, but there are some who offer an extensive range of options that can benefit all travellers.

When planning your trip it’s always best to have insurance in place just in case something happens whilst you’re away from home, such as a trip cancelled due to a bad weather forecast or even due to the non-attendance of your flight. When buying insurance for travel cover you should ensure you opt for the cover that is most appropriate for you and the amount of coverage you require. Some basic policies cover the basic elements like illness, personal belongings, cancellation or delay, loss of luggage and other non dismemberment aspects of your trip and these will usually be sufficient for a single trip.

However, if you’re intending to take longer or more holidays then you will probably want to opt for a policy that covers not only the basic elements mentioned above, but also includes more extreme financial losses, which could include delays or even total cancellation of your trip. Because most policies cover the basic elements, this is usually the best level of protection you can expect. Other benefits offered include medical assistance in case of illness, assistance with rental costs including if you need to rent a car, assistance with booking hotel accommodation and more. It’s worth shopping around and finding a policy that suits your needs perfectly, taking into account any other insurance you may already have that may already include trip cancellation or delay insurance as well as any additional financial losses you may incur during your holiday.