Whether you are preparing for a world tour or a simple trip of a few days abroad, it is essential to have guarantees to prevent any unforeseen events. Between the means of transport, the stay itself and the protection during your activities, travel insurance is essential. Here are our tips for choosing the right insurance for your next trip.
Summary
Why choose travel insurance?
When traveling abroad, even within the European Union, travel insurance can be essential for various reasons:
- Insure you at the level of transport.
- Insure you in case of damage, accident or illness on site.
- Insure you in case of other problems, such as a need for an early return.
In general, the guarantees included in travel insurance include cancellation costs in the event of inability to travel, repatriation assistance, medical expenses or civil liability abroad. Conditions may apply depending on the plan you choose.
Attention : travel insurance should not be confused with travel assistance, which only offers you support in the event of minor difficulties, particularly at the airport.
Define your potential needs
Before choosing travel insurance, you must first take stock of your needs. Indeed, you will not have the same if you do a Brazil circuit or a circuit throughout Latin America. For example, if you decide to practice certain activities, such as scuba diving, then travel insurance will be all the more advisable to be covered. If you choose to rent a car locally, same thing.
Some travel insurance covers the minimum for a stay (such as baggage protection or cancellation of plane tickets), but others are flexible and can be adapted. Regarding existing formulas, you must pay particular attention to:
- Duration of cover: some all-inclusive packages are valid for up to 3 months.
- The ceilings on the level of guarantees, which are particularly important with regard to medical expenses.
- Deductibles, which can vary especially if you rent a car.
- Exclusions: check carefully the operating conditions of the guarantees.
Now that you know what to check to choose your insurance, it’s time to do some comparison shopping.
Your bank card may already insure you
A word of advice before choosing your travel insurance: check that your credit card does not already offer insurance associated with your stay. Sometimes, the guarantees supported with your bank card can be surprising: support for your pet, linguistic assistance… It all depends of course on the type of card you have. Gold cards support more guarantees than regular cards, such as Maestro. The main condition is to book your entire stay with your card for the guarantee to apply. Your bank is also able to offer you insurance adapted to your stay, whether in Brazil or anywhere else in the world!
It is therefore essential to compare the existing offers before making your choice, to identify your needs and to determine what you already have.
Read also: Travel cancellation insurance: operation and interest
