Outdoor Vacation – Taking A Beach Trip

Author: Jean Andrews
Source: ezinearticles.com

Taking out adequate travel insurance should be the first thing on your list after booking a trip. Having insurance in place in caseanything goes wrong between the time you book your holiday and the actual departure date is important.Why risk unwelcome financial losses on top of the disappointment if you have tocancel your holiday.

When purchasing Annual Multi-trip travel insurance many people try to save money and ‘extend’ thelength of validity of the policyby making the’start date’ the same as their holiday departure date. This is false economy because it means there is no cover in place in the interim period for any unexpected events which may cause cancellation.

Most travel insurance policies cover cancellation of a trip for a variety of reasons, including unexpected illness, accidental injury, or death relating to you, your travel companion, a business associate, relative, or the person with whom you were planning to stay on your trip.

Other unexpected reasons which might occur to cause cancellation include:

Being called for jury service, called as a witness, or for compulsory quarantine

An accident involving your vehicle occurring within seven days prior to the date of your departure – if going on a self-drive holiday

Being posted overseas or unexpected urgent requirements of duty in the case of those in the armed forces, police, fire service, nursing or ambulance service (Note: does not normally extend to being posted abroad due to an act of terrorism, war, or invasion)

Redundancy – if the event happens during the period of insurance which qualifies for payment under the Redundancy Payments Act

Accidental damage to your residence, making it uninhabitable, or if the police should require your presence after a burglary at your home within seven days prior to the departure date of your trip

Pregnancy:Where the birth is expected within 14 weeks of the departure or return date; or where complications of pregnancy occur prior to the 26th week (if no prior history of complications)

For students and backpackers, those on a gap year, etc. some policies include cover if cancellation of a trip becomes necessary because of having to re-sit exams – but only where the date of the policy being issued is prior to all exam dates relating to any need for a re-sit

If you have not taken out travel insurance, or have delayed the start date of the period of cover, an unexpected cancellation may mean that you will be left to bear any financial losses for flights, transfers, rental car, accommodation, organised tours, ticketed events, etc. As you can see from the above, there are all kinds of problems which could arise,affecting you, or someone close to you. With insurance in place your losses should be confined to payment ofany excess due on the policy, which would be minimal compared to the alternative.

Ensure that you obtain all the necessary visas for your trip, as well as inoculations and vaccinations. There have been reports of travellers arriving in the United States and being denied entry because they did not register with ESTA within 72 hours of travel. If you are travelling to the U.S. under the visa-waiver programme it is vitally important to make sure you comply with the new ESTA requirements. Be warned: Travel insurance does not normally coverclaims forfinancial losses due to failure to obtain necessary visas!

Insurance policies can be daunting in their complexity, but it is worthwhile taking the time to read and understand the terms of your policy to avoid any unexpected or unpleasant surprises. If we could be certain of what the future holds there would be no need to purchase insurance at all – for anything.Unfortunately,that is not the case in the real world! Happily, most holidays go ahead as planned – with no serious problems – but why take a chance?

Jean Andrews is a freelance writer living in the UK. She regularly contributes articles for Travel Insurance Agencies Ltd who offer great deals on UK Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance for residents of Eire.

Author: Paul Stokes
Source: ezinearticles.com

Let’s be honest: Most of us have heard enough about insurance. And when we’re thinking vacation or travel, insurance is probably the last thing on our mind. But should it be? Following is a summary of the five most common travel insurance policies to help you decide if it’s a good investment in the event an unexpected crisis happens while traveling.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance — This policy covers cancellations due to unforeseen situations such as illness or injury, inclement weather, military or jury duty, a death in the family, and bankruptcy of the cruise line, airline or tour company. There is even terrorism insurance which covers costs associated with your trip being canceled due to terrorism warnings issued by the U.S. Department of State. Some companies offer an option that allows you to cancel for any reason whatsoever.

Medical Emergency Insurance — If you or your travel companion has a chronic illness, or if you’re traveling to a foreign country that may not have modern health facilities, travel medical coverage or emergency medical evacuation insurance should be considered. This insurance is designed to reimburse you for any medication, doctor and hospital bills, and costs incurred to evacuate or transport you to your home country or hospital of choice.

Missed Connection Insurance — This policy is designed to cover expenses necessary to get you caught up with a departed cruise or trip due to a canceled or delayed airline flight.

Flight Accident Insurance — This policy is a form of accidental death insurance designed to cover the traveler for one flight.

Personal Property/Lost Luggage Insurance — Your home policy may or may not cover personal items while traveling. Check. If you have to bring an expensive item along, spend a little extra to make sure it’s covered in case it gets lost, misplaced or stolen. It’s usually better to just leave it at home, however.

This represents only a few of the available insurance policies. As with all insurance, check with your travel or insurance agent to fully understand your coverage, as travel insurance policies, options and reimbursement amounts vary greatly. Also, if you’re purchasing an expensive flight, tour or travel package, insurance probably makes more sense. If you’re a frequent traveler, you might consider buying a comprehensive package that provides coverage for multiple trips and offers protection on a wide range of coverage, such as trip cancellation, identify theft protection, lost luggage, theft, concierge services and more.

Paul C. Stokes has more than 15 years article writing and nearly 10 years online marketing experience, including email newsletter marketing. Topics of special interest and experience include email newsletter marketing, sailing, boating, fishing, travel, writing, family, health and fitness, home improvement, wine and technology. Mr. Stokes is the founder of http://www.eNewsletterSolutions.com and http://www.PCScontent.com