With Covid 19 still confronting us, airlines canceling and delaying flights, not to mention losing luggage, travel insurance appears to be necessary. But coverage is confusing, and your needs may change from trip to trip.
In the August 2022 issue of Money Magazine, a reputable publication, they list by category the 9 Best Travel Insurance Companies.
Top Picks for the Best Travel Insurance
- Seven Corners – Best for Large Groups
- Generali Global Assistance – Best for Emergency Support Services
- World Nomads – Best for Adventure Sports
- Nationwide – Best Cruise Travel Insurance
- Travelex – Best for Families with Children
- Allianz – Best for Business Travel
- AIG Travel Guard – Best for Add-ons
- HTH Travel Insurance – Best for Long-term International Travel Insurance
- TravelInsurance.com – Best for Comparing Quotes
Many of these companies offer single-trip insurance or annual coverage. The difficult part is anticipating your needs. Do you desire to cover the cost of your trip or tour, get coverage for canceled or delayed flights, reimbursement for lost luggage, theft or loss of items, and Covid or injury coverage if needed for medical assistance and extended stays? I recommend starting to compare policies at TravelInsurance.com. Then, depending on your needs and time, continue your research.
From personal experience, I can tell you some unexpected events do occur. In 2016, I took a six-month trip to Europe that included adventure activities like hot air ballooning, rafting, boating, hiking, sledding, and whatever else we found along the way. We planned to use public transportation, including planes, trains, rental automobiles, buses, and taxis (but no Tok-Toks on this trip)! As a travel writer, I needed to bring my computer and camera gear. Therefore, I needed as complete coverage as I could get.
After much investigation and debate, my travel buddy and I purchased a policy with World Nomads. In retrospect, I certainly am glad I made that choice.
During the six months. we never got sick or had any medical issues, but I did encounter a strange loss: a theft while I was wearing the item.
While in St. Petersburg, Russia, we were walking with the crowds of morning pedestrians to catch a bus. I had my camera strapped across my body, not in a camera bag, and my travel purse included a slash-proof wire in the strap over my other shoulder. The wired strap prevents thieves from cutting the handle and running off with the bag. Many backpacks include such straps.
The incident must have happened while waiting at a congested stop light. A very talented thief unscrewed the lens from my DSLR camera without my noticing or feeling. How that happened still confounds me, but it did. As I entered the bus, within the next half block, I looked down and saw the lens missing. I was aghast.
Judy and I turned around but saw nothing, and we didn’t speak Russian, so no one understood us. Befuddled, we returned to our lodging to regroup. We thought about reporting the crime to the police, but then again, we were Americans in Russia without proficiency in the language. And what was the likelihood of ever recovering the gear?
The next thought was to contact the US Embassy. I did this online by filling out a report. The Embassy later notified me of a time to come in person. Thankfully, we were staying in the city for a few more days.
I went to the US Embassy, passed through their stringent security checks, and was required to leave my phone and passport with them while I went upstairs to wait for a meeting. The meeting was surprisingly a standing affair, me on one side of bulletproof glass and the embassy official on the other. The officer was very understanding, and we completed a form explaining my loss and how it had happened. The Embassy signed and sealed the document, and I took it home.
Once I returned, I filed the report with World Nomads (I may have reported the loss online but did not send the paperwork until back in the states.) I am pleased to report that World Nomads covered the cost of the lens. It wasn’t brand new, so I got the resale price- the exact amount I spent to replace the lens.
I have since been on trips, including a 3-day camel trek in South Sinai, Egypt, riding camels again in Morocco, driving ATVs in Iceland and West Virginia, and taking a deep underground tour in a salt mine in Poland. World Nomads covers these kinds of adventures as well as typical tourist travel.
Since the loss of my lens, thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary has happened to me. But I have been on tours where others have suffered injuries. Getting medical attention abroad can be tricky, but some insurance companies will help with medical issues. Be sure to read the fine print, and do get insurance.
