Travel Insurance
We require that everyone traveling with us purchases travel insurance to protect themselves from unforeseen events. Like all insurance, it's an additional cost but you’re grateful you have it when you need it.
Travel insurance can sometimes get complicated and confusing. It’s important that you read and understand the fine print about what you’re buying so you don’t end up with a rude surprise.
There are many providers of travel insurance and you're welcome to purchase insurance from any reputable provider. We recommend SquareMouth a service that compares policies from dozens of highly reputable providers so you can price shop and choose the coverage best suited for you. It’s like Kayak for travel insurance.
Tips & Recommendations
Here’s a few tips and recommendations when you’re shopping for travel insurance:
- Generally speaking, there are two kinds of travel insurance: 1) Travel Medical insurance that provides reimbursement for medical expenses (often including evacuation) when you’re overseas, and 2) Trip Cancellation insurance that reimburses you for your trip expenses in certain circumstances. Make sure you’re getting the kind of insurance and coverage you need. Many insurers will bundle both in the same policy.
- Trip Cancellation insurance usually applies in circumstances when you can’t travel because of illness. (There are often other circumstances that are covered, such as a natural disaster or terrorist incident at your destination). But many circumstances aren’t covered, like “I changed my mind”, “I’m suddenly too busy at work”, “My daughter’s having a baby”, etc. For these kinds of situations, you need to purchase a “Cancel for any Reason” rider to your Trip Cancellation policy.
- “Cancel for any Reason” coverage is an enhanced benefit that comes at a cost – usually an additional 40%. As the name indicates, it typically provides Trip Cancellation coverage for just about any reason, but often caps its benefit at 75% of your cost. This kind of insurance usually must be purchased within 2-3 weeks of you making your first payment towards your trip. Cancel for any Reason coverage is not available in all US states.
- Many carriers offer “Coronavirus Coverage”, but that doesn’t mean you’re covered from everything related to Covid-19. In conjunction with a Travel Medical policy, it usually means reimbursement for medical expenses due to coronavirus illness while overseas. In conjunction with a Trip Cancellation policy, it usually means if you contract Covid-19 and can’t travel, you’re eligible for a refund of your out-of-pocket paid expenses. It typically does NOT mean you can cancel your trip and get a refund if you’re worried about Covid-19 or decide you don’t want to travel because of Covid-19 or even if a government restriction prevents you from entering a country or enjoying your trip as planned. For these circumstances, you will have needed to purchase “Cancel for any Reason” coverage.
- If you want to purchase a Cancel for Any Reason rider or a rider to cover pre-existing conditions, you typically must purchase insurance within 2-3 weeks of your first trip payment.
- If you travel frequently, it may be more economical to purchase an annual travel insurance policy that covers all your travel for a year. You can price an annual policy here: