TRAVEL INSURANCE

We do recommend that travelers obtain travel insurance.  You need to understand what you are buying.

Like auto or homeowner's insurance - you have it in case you need it, and the same policy is not right for everyone.  Every traveler needs to determine which policy is best for their needs.

Here is how it works:

- Add up the costs you want to insure - tours, flights, tips, extra activities, parking, anything pre-paid, etc.

- Review different policies to see what they cover and what the limits are.  

- Look at exclusions, pre-existing condition clauses, pre-trip cancellation provisions and how far before the trip those start, medical coverage, transportation home if you need it, lost or delayed luggage payouts, etc.  

- Check your credit cards to see if they offer coverage and if it includes what you need/want.

- Learn how the policies work if you have a claim.  Most policies require you to pay up front then they reimburse you for covered expenses.  Claims require extensive documentation for reimbursement and may take time or be frustrating to process.

You will handle claims if necessary, so keep all your paperwork, receipts, flight details, etc. well organized & take timed/dated notes as you are working through covered issues (like flight delays - save texts/emails you get from airlines, ask for a written explanation of why the flight is delayed, etc.), illness or injury (save receipts, take notes, document symptoms & outcomes), etc.

- If you travel often, consider an annual policy that would cover this trip and all others, even near home or in US, and cost about the same as a single trip policy with trip value of $6000+. 

- If you think you might change your mind about going on the trip or that an event might occur to force cancellation that is not covered under basic policy provisions, consider a policy with Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

- Choose the coverage type and limits that you want - just like you would with auto or home.

- You can buy a single trip policy any time and it should cover the deposit you make/made for the trip (confirm with your policy issuer). Do not buy an annual policy until at least one year before the date you will get home from the trip to be sure you are covered through the trip duration (and maybe a couple of days longer in case you get delayed).

You can buy a policy from any company you want to (or not at all) but we recommend you have insurance. 

We have had travelers make claims through Travelex and through Allianz. Some were easy and some were difficult, especially when the paperwork wasn't submitted completely.

The articles below may help you decide what to do about insurance.

If you want to just "press the Easy button", here are some options we are familiar with but you must know what you are buying and that it covers your needs.

Our ministry does not profit from any of the policies you may buy.  We cannot tell you what to buy and are hesitant to even recommend a policy because each traveler's needs and risk tolerance are different.  We would suggest that, if your travel costs are $6000+, you consider buying an annual policy because it may also cover other trips you take during the year, domestically, internationally, and even close to home. Once you use benefits from an annual policy, the "bucket" of benefits reduces but consider how likely it is that you will have claims - you may or you may not. You cannot predict if you will get sick or injured, what airline issues may occur, or what happens outside of your control.  

Travel insurance is worth it for peace of mind.

We will send out a survey well before the trip to ask if you need insurance through the tour company and to be sure you have considered your options. There is no need to let us know before then what you have decided.