Family Travel Insurance

"While most vacations go as planned, something can always go wrong, whether it's a child's illness, an accident or a parent's work-related emergency.

It's important to ask yourself 'what if,' to consider the alternatives, and to protect your family and your wallet against any number of possible mishaps that can occur," says Ed Walker, US Travel Insurance Association president. He adds that many companies offer family travel insurance that includes children at no additional cost.

Talk To Your Existing Insurance Company First

 

Before purchasing a plan, you should check with your existing health insurance carrier, travel booking site and credit card company to see what travel benefits are included in your current plan, if any. Then you'll know where the gaps in your coverage lie.

Have You Considered Cancellation Protection?

Generally, when you book a vacation, your airfare, hotel, sightseeing tours, rental cars and attraction tickets are "non-refundable." So if you or anyone in your family falls ill or loses their job, or if your home is damaged by fire or a death in the family prevents you from traveling as planned, then you lose all your deposit money!

One of the most common reasons why people buy travel insurance is for trip cancellation protection. With trip insurance, you'll get your money back should you need to cancel for any reason prior to your travel date.

Another safeguard family travel insurance provides you with is peace of mind over sudden adverse weather and natural disasters. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fires and tornadoes could put a stop to your vacation plans, so it is crucial that you have insurance to cover this if you are traveling to a place that has had some kind of natural disaster in the past.

Of course, no place on earth is immune from occasional bouts of bad weather. Trip insurance with delay coverage can set you up in a hotel with meals for the duration of your wait, which can be a real lifesaver!

Do not leave family travel insurance planning until the last minute. It is best to buy a travel insurance policy when other reservations are being booked. The majority of claims are for cancellations due to family bereavements or changing circumstances, so the sooner you have that protection in place, the better.

If you're a frequent traveler, then you may want to look into annual travel insurance. To start looking at plans, try one of the online comparison sites like www.squaremouth.com.