Travel Insurance – Should It Be a Priority?

What do you think of first when planning a holiday or trip rhinobooksnashville.com? Judging by many published statistics it is safe to bet that for many people travel insurance is the last thing on their mind. It is not unheard of for people to phone and purchase insurance when on the way to the airport! That is not the smartest way to plan a trip, but better to purchase it late than not bother at all.

When your kids go off travelling or backpacking to other countries do you check whether they have insurance in place, or do you take care of it for them? Young people are less likely to bother with travel insurance – but parents are usually the first ones they call for help if something goes wrong – especially if they need money. Parents could save themselves a lot of potential worry and headaches by sending their young travellers off with the gift of travel insurance.

A Backpacker travel insurance policy is very affordable (literally pennies per day) with options to purchase additional cover if required. It may include any or all of the following: emergency medical care, hospital costs, repatriation, legal liability, legal costs, cancellation and curtailment, failed exams (re-sits), holiday abandonment, delayed departure, personal accident, personal liability, and more.. The sooner you purchase travel insurance after booking your holiday the better. You would be very glad to have it if a problem should arise causing the trip to be cancelled.

Following are some suggestions for priorities to consider before booking a trip:

• Check for any government advisories regarding travel to your destination country
• Check expiration dates of passports
• Check Visa requirements
• Check Expiration dates of European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or apply
• Book a health check with your GP, and required or recommended vaccinations for your destination
• Once your travel plans are confirmed take out travel insurance immediately (to cover cancellation)

It is amazing that many people place priority on less important matters, such as purchasing holiday clothes or a good holiday read, or choosing gifts for friends and relatives overseas.

With millions of people travelling to other countries every year, it is shocking that so many still neglect to take out travel insurance. Those who plan to stay with friends or relatives are reported to be even less likely to bother with insurance – presumably believing that everything will be taken care of for them. If you are lucky enough to have unlimited funds then this may be the case. However, would you really want to burden your hosts, or feel comfortable asking them for a loan to pay your medical bills? Surely it is common sense and basic consideration for others to be responsible and have insurance in case unexpected problems arise?