How to choose your travel insurance?

choose travel insurance

If you’re looking for travel insurance for your next trip, you may be a little overwhelmed by the different options, with their varying benefits and prices. How to find the best deal that meets your travel needs? Here we look at the main factors you need to think about before you choose your travel insurance.

The extent of coverage

The first factor to consider when choosing your travel insurance is understanding the extent of the coverage. Does the policy only cover compensation for medical expenses incurred abroad or can you also obtain reimbursement for medical treatment pursued in your home country? You need to understand the predefined coverage limits. Many people wrongly assume that the insured amount is the only factor limiting claims settlements. Typically, the travel insurance policy covers your pre-existing conditions. To ensure the smooth running of reimbursement requests, it is advisable to check the wording of the policy in detail to find out about the guarantees and exclusions. In addition, it is essential that you inform the insurer in advance of your pre-existing health condition.

The type of travel insurance

There are hundreds of travel insurance policies. Before choosing travel insurance, you therefore need to know what type of policy you want and what you want it to cover you for. Having travel insurance is a very good idea. Protect yourself properly by exploring all your options, rather than just choosing the cheapest one. If you are traveling with your family or friends, you can choose one of these options:

Coverage for single-parent families
Travel insurance for couples, if you live at the same address as your partner
Family vacation insurance for two adults and up to four children traveling together. It will suit you if your children are 18 years old or younger and live with you full time

Couple and child cover, often cheaper than a family policy if you only have one child.

Make sure your destination is covered

Before choosing travel insurance, you need to make sure your destination is covered. Traveling abroad is good, but some destinations can also be considered risky. So be aware that your destination may not be covered if it is considered risky by your country’s embassy. Additionally, travel insurance plans are often set up to cover different regions. Make sure all your destinations are covered, especially if you plan to travel to multiple countries in the same region or if you choose an annual policy.

Short-term or annual travel insurance plans

Annual plans will cover your travel within a given region for 365 days. This means you can consider opting for an annual plan if you know you will travel at least 5-6 times in the next 12 months. This is especially the case if your travel destinations tend to vary widely around the world. As the travel insurance benefits are the same for different durations, you don’t have to worry about it when choosing between an annual plan or a short-term plan, as long as you are satisfied with the overall benefits at the beginning.

The purpose of the trip

Another factor to consider before choosing your travel insurance is the purpose of your trip. If you are interested in adventure sports, you should explore travel insurance that covers such risks. If you are planning an adventure trip that would include outdoor sports like bungee jumping, skiing or skydiving, it is important that you are covered for these activities. Generally, adventure sports are not covered in a normal travel plan due to the high risk factor associated with them. You must therefore take out insurance for these activities in addition to the basic travel plan.

Opinion & Conclusion

Choosing the right travel insurance requires finding the right balance between premium and coverage. In addition to the tips above, you can also use an online travel insurance premium calculator to help you with this task.