Travel Tip Number 3 - Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is a concept that has been hard for me to understand. I have called several credit card companies and also noticed that there is a ton of information on the internet. So far my understanding is that there are 3 kinds of travel insurance: 1. Flight Travel Insurance, 2. Travel Medical Protection, and 3. Trip cancellation insurance.

1. Flight Travel Insurance -- This is a free service provided by many credit card companies when you purchase your airline ticket. Check with your credit card companies to see who will provide the best coverage for you and then use that credit card to purchase your ticket. This usually covers your medical needs during a flight only, in case something happens.

2. Travel Medical Protection -- This insurance will cover medical emergencies, hospitalizations, evacuations (check for exact details) for a specified time period, for instance, a trip of 30 days, or a trip of 45 days (check for policy details). This can be very inexpensive and a person can enroll on a monthly basis. American Express has plans that begin at $9.95 per month. You can also check with your current insurance provider. You might already be covered for foreign travel and not even know it!

3. Trip Cancellation Insurance -- This kind of insurance will apply if the trip has to be cancelled at the last minute due to sickness in the family, or natural disasters, or political disasters, or even labor disputes with airlines. An insured person can get full reimbursement of airline tickets and even tour company costs with proper validation of charges. This insurance can be a bit costly. The price depends on the cost of the tour plus airline tickets and also the age of the traveler. Again American Express has package deals that include both Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation.

If anyone knows of any special offers on the internet that will cover these insurance needs in a clear and honest manner, I would appreciate getting more information about them.

One last thing about insurance -- you will need to bring along on the trip your information about your insurance coverage. We will need to know that information and have it handy, along with your passport, at all times.