Travel insurance: Essential ingredient for relaxed holidays

19 June 2013 - Mark Maffia

Travel insurance: Essential ingredient for relaxed holidays

To be able to enjoy carefree holidays one should take out travel insurance in time

The warm season has started and with it the time of the year when many families plan their annual holidays.   No matter if you would like to spend several weeks on the beach, plan a city trip, a cultural journey or are just about to book a wellness weekend – one thing all options have in common: you want to relax, experience a new change of scene and want to enjoy the most lovely time during the whole year without any worries.

In order to make sure that the well-earned weeks will be exactly as one wishes, a variety of preparations will be necessary.    You will have to, for example, organize who is going to water your garden or look after your pets.   Travel documents and passports have to be checked, and before you leave you will have to make sure your house is locked and made safe against burglary.

Everybody who plans a big journey will have to start saving money a long time ahead.    This is why it is actually quite astonishing that many people do not protect themselves financially with a travel insurance against the event of anything unforeseen happening.

Especially abroad, anything unexpected can mean a lot of extra costs.    These could be medical expenses, costs for treatment in hospitals, possibly an expensive, prolonged stay, and even a transport in an ambulance back home.   If one does not want to pay these things out of one's own pocket one had better take out travel insurance.

Most people when travelling carry a camera and a mobile phone with them, often also a laptop or an Ipad.     Regrettably, it needs just a moment of inattention and the expensive gadget has disappeared – and travel insurance will reimburse you for the purchase of a new one.    And what happens if your luggage does not arrive?    Without travel insurance, this could be an expensive matter!

If you fall ill before starting your journey, travel insurance will take over cancellation fees, pre-booked events and more and, although it cannot take away your disappointment, at least it can make sure that no money has been spent for nothing.

In addition, a good travel insurance offers support as well, like helping to find a doctor, and providing assistance in the event of lost travel documents or passports.