Think about the last time you rented a car. Even if it wasn’t during a family vacation. Did you take the optional insurance? Do you see that insurance as a good investment? Or a waste of money? It seems like a good percentage of travelers say no to this optional upgrade for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is they believe themselves to be a “good driver”. Plus, they have car insurance at home. Or the credit card they used to pay for the rental offers additional coverage. I don’t have a strong opinion on rental car insurance. But when it comes to travel insurance, I’m always ready to hop on my soapbox. I always let my clients know what I think, especially when they ask me if travel insurance is worth it.

Should You Purchase Travel Insurance for Your Family Vacation??

I, like any travel advisor worth their weight in gold, will recommend travel insurance to every one of my clients. Unfortunately, most travelers don’t understand what the policy covers. Or when they really should be spending the extra money to purchase travel insurance. This is why I will spend quite a bit of time sharing why travel insurance is important. Whether for family vacations, solo vacations, and even multigenerational trips.

Skip these mistakes while traveling abroad. 

And yet, I still have clients who give me every reason in the book as to why they don’t need travel insurance. Here are some of the reasons why my clients haven’t purchased travel insurance for their vacations. Or as much travel insurance as they should:

“We know we aren’t going to cancel so we don’t need cancellation insurance.”

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve had one of my clients tell me that, I’d be sitting in first class on a flight to Bora Bora!

Let me be clear, travel insurance is so much more than cancellation insurance! In fact, as a travel professional, it’s my opinion that the “cancellation” part of your policy is one of the least important things to consider for your family vacation!

While there are simple cancellation insurance policies available, true travel insurance covers so many things that you probably aren’t even thinking of when you book your vacation. Things like travel delays, lost luggage, lost or stolen valuables, medical emergencies (for a member of your travel party or a loved one at home), dental emergencies, evacuations, lost travel documents, and more.

“We have health insurance coverage, so we’ll be fine.”

That’s another comment I hear often. And while that may be true if you are traveling within the US, more than likely it isn’t going to help for international travel.

It is highly unlikely your regular health insurance will cover anything at all if you are outside of the US. Check your policy carefully before you decide to rely on it for international family vacations.

You are almost always required to pay for any treatment or medication out of pocket. You would then need to file for reimbursement when you return from your family trip. A good travel insurance policy will usually allow the doctor or hospital to bill them directly up to your coverage limitations.

I always recommend considering travel insurance, especially in certain situations. I feel so strongly about this that I ask my clients in these situations to sign a waiver if they choose to decline to purchase a travel insurance policy.

International Travel

A medical or dental emergency abroad can be financially devastating. Many hospitals collect your passport at admission and won’t return it until you pay the bill in full. Do you have the financial resources to handle a medical emergency should one arise during your family vacation?

10 tips for safe family travel. 

Cruises

While there is a doctor on board on every cruise ship, the ship’s infirmary can only handle simple things. If you have a medical emergency, you would need to be evacuated off of the ship by helicopter.

Onboard a cruise ship, a medical emergency can be something as simple as a broken ankle. The cost of evacuation from the ship is typically in the tens of thousands of dollars. This will never be covered by your health insurance. Even if you are evacuated to a US port.

You, a Travel Companion, or Someone at Home has a Chronic Medical Condition

Travel insurance will cover cancellation for illness or injury of a member of your travel party or a family member at home. The decision to stay home and lose potentially thousands of dollars in nonrefundable fees can make an already stressful situation even worse. Better to be able to get those fees reimbursed and plan your travel for a better time. (NOTE: make sure to check your travel insurance policy for any pre-existing condition terms. There are policies available that waive these clauses if purchased within a specified time frame after booking).

Travel is an investment. You’ve likely saved for your vacation for quite some time. Be sure you are making a smart decision in how you want to protect that investment! Take the time to review and discuss your travel insurance needs before each trip.

Are you ready to start planning your next family vacation?

If you said yes, I would like to invite you to click here to schedule a personalized family vacation planning session with me. When you click this link, you will be taken to my digital calendar to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

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