Not sure if it’s worth taking out travel insurance? Here are 5 reasons why you should. (Our featured image is by AMagill)
Medical attention does not come cheap
Accidents and illness can strike anywhere, anytime. It’s just a fact of life. And there are many places around the world where the risk of a medical emergency is much greater than at home. Whatever you need treatment for – be it life-saving surgery after a car crash, the leg put in a cast after a fall skiing or round-the-clock care for acute malaria – you can be sure it’ll be expensive.
What’s more, you could find yourself in need of medical attention in a country with a very limited health system. In those cases repatriation cover could be the thing that saves your life. In our eyes, the case for taking out travel insurance is made alone on medical grounds. Be sure to check the maximum cost of medical expenses you’re covered for especially if you’re travelling to the USA.
Natural disaster
Mother Nature doesn’t care whether you have a trip lined up or not. Earthquakes, volcano eruptions (ah… remember Eyjafjallajökull?), tropical storms – there are many and varied ways the natural world can stop or cut short your travels. Many, not all, policies will help you leave a dangerous area quickly or provide support while you wait to evacuate. Others will provide compensation if your trip is cancelled (again, not all do).
Theft
By the very nature of travel, your possessions are at risk of theft. Insurance will help you replace travel documents while out on the road and possessions upon return from home (it’s worth paying careful attention to the excess charge in the theft portion of any policy).
Mistakes happen
From time to time, travellers are involved in incidents that affect other people or other people’s property. In an ever more litigious world, it’s worth having legal protection (ensure a liability clause is included in your coverage).
Your travel operator / airline / tour company goes to the wall
In the past, most journeys were booked face-to-face through well-established companies that were essentially financially bullet proof. There are so many companies nowadays, many of which are only accessible through the internet, offering travel services. The many bankruptcies in the industry in recent years are evidence alone of why you need protection from poorly run organisations.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
