The Budget Room

The average traveler will find a few things to contend with wherever they go on Earth. Theft, illness, and basic mistakes can cost a fortune, quite easily. Being stuck on the other side of the world with those kinds of problems can be quite dangerous, as well as unpleasant. Even with help from a consulate and friendly locals, it’s a situation to avoid. The right travel insurance can solve all these problems.

The absolute basics

• Money: Money is the usual source of the problems. Running out of cash is difficult enough, but in some countries you’ll get help losing track of your money. Getting more money online is easy enough, but so is identity theft while you’re at it. The classic case was an English tourist who came to Australia and discovered he’d been cleaned out before his plane landed. He was unlucky, but it shows the risks possible anywhere.
• Lost property: The fact is that people can lose important documents, property and other essentials very easily. Being in a place where you don’t know your way around makes these problems a lot more difficult, and having to replace plane tickets, passports, and visas isn’t simple.
• Health: Traveling can involve some health risks. Some countries have good working medical cover and reciprocal treaties covering health insurance, some don’t. The basic rule of thumb is to make sure you’ve got enough cover to deal with anything. That’s not quite as difficult as it sounds. You can get good and comparatively cheap travel insurance online which will do the job. Remember to check with the insurer, because you can get some useful tips which might save money, particularly if you’re traveling with your family.

The health issues are comparatively rare, but they need to be considered:

• Diseases: “Traveler’s tummy”, which is caused by adapting to local food, affects most people. Giardia, a common microbe, is endemic in some parts of the world, and can be a very trying experience, requiring hospitalization in extreme cases.
• Injuries and medical insurance: A too common situation on “adventure holidays”, the problem isn’t getting treatment. It’s paying for it and not having the cover you need. This can be worse than the injuries, and definitely more annoying.
• Accidents and car insurance: You may have to take out car insurance locally as part of a car rental deal, but accident insurance is something quite else. Statistically, it’s better to play safe and check out cover before you even get on the plane. With some online policies you cover accident insurance automatically, but some of the No Frills type are a bit too basic to cover these things.

Travel insurance- The safe options

You need:

• Good all round cover for health
• Lost property
• Accidents
• Sports cover
• Clear payment terms
• 24/7 emergency claim service
• Services which can help with the problems, like messages to family, rescheduling, and other useful things.

Play safe, and make sure you have a great holiday.