Who needs travel insurance?
I know I do! And several of my friends have also needed it, plus the scores of travellers whose travel-related stories we've heard ... as well as horror stories.
What's it good for?
Imagine you got sick at the last minute and couldn't take your hard-earned and paid-for trip. Cancellation [for full refund] might be as much as a month in advance. If you have travel insurance, and something prevents you from taking your trip, chances are you will get a full refund [less the fee to the travel insurance company].
Now I don't know about you, but this sounds like a pretty good idea to me! In fact, I've had to use my trip insurance on more than one occasion, for differing reasons.
Like the time I was asleep on a train in Italy, my first international trip, and some unscrupulous thief CUT my handbag strap and took my bag while I slept - with passport, wallet, travellers cheques/checks ... hotel reservations, phone numbers, etc etc etc. Get the picture? How was I to get from the next train station back to a big city with an Embassy? With no money and credit cards?
You guessed it - I was insured, so I rang the insurance company's local phone number, and received immediate assistance and support.
Luckily I had read a lot of travel stories before I left, so I was smart enough to have a COPY of my passport, a list of travellers' cheque/check numbers, and other information, hidden in two separate bags I had with me. On their own they were useless, but for me in this dire situation, they were a life saver! [Here's another hot tip for you - leave a COPY of all the same info with someone back at home you trust - they can then fax it to you, or parts of it to whomever you choose if you need to.]
About my passport - the Embassy opened on a Saturday for me [after I rang their emergency number], and because I had a photocopy of the passport, they could issue me with a new one immediately [after a few internation calls].
The moral of the story is - don't leave home without trip or travel insurance. Seriously. Whether you lose a camera, that new leather coat you just bought in Europe, or break your leg skiing, you'll be glad you've got someone to call to help you out.
TIP! Don't forget to read ALL the fine print on every policy, though. Make sure it's the right one for YOU.
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