Whenever the "add insurance & protection" popped up for electronics purchases (I'm dating myself here), I remember as a child my dad would say it was a rip-off.

As such, my general mentality is to self-insure for most products I purchase. However, when it comes to traveling abroad, it's one area where I consistently purchase additional protection.

Perhaps it's an occupational hazard and I've seen too many instances where people were underprepared. And don't even get me started on COVID and the numerous folks I recommended to protect their trips but they didn’t because they said they were “risk tolerant”, only to later decide that they really weren't.

Why Get Trip Protection?

TTLT recommends that every traveler procures their own medical insurance, travel protection, and trip cancellation or interruption protection that is suitable for the risk they are willing to assume. This is for any trip you go on, not just a TTLT trip.

We've seen the benefits firsthand of taking a more cautious approach to the uncertainty of travel - both the investment itself and what can happen unexpectedly when traveling abroad.

Trip protection is one of those things you never want to use, but want to have when you need it. We’ve unfortunately had a few experiences with independent travelers where they had emergencies that arose right before travel or on their trip, and had their investments protected 100% because they purchased coverage. Then they were able to turn around and put that money back towards another trip.

We’ve loved working with Travel Insured for their quick assistance, live personnel to communicate by phone, and the clarity of claims and payout.

What to Look for When Purchasing Trip Protection?

There are different premiums and benefits for the following coverage:

Emergency Medical Assistance
Trip Cancellation & Interruption
Baggage Delay/Loss

Many travel protection packages are comprehensive and include coverage for each of the three above categories which can make a big difference in your premium. Depending on what coverages you want to be included, your premium will vary. You can get a free quote online in under a minute with our preferred provider, Travel Insured whether you’re traveling with TTLT or not.

We recommend to travelers that they purchase travel protection that includes trip cancellation and interruption protection and purchase “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage if not already included in the travel protection policy. Insurance companies are there to protect you for a variety of matters surrounding your travel which you may be unable or unwilling to assume as a risk personally.

3 Steps for Evaluating Travel Protection

Identify your costs. Including the non-refundable trip costs and the value of items you are packing (like electronics, etc.).
Determine what coverage you already have. Contact your existing health insurance provider, credit card company, and homeowners/rental insurance provider to find out what is currently covered while you're traveling overseas (including pre-existing medical conditions and medical evacuation).
Compare plans & read the fine print! The coverage you need varies from your neighbor. For example, your neighbor might be skydiving and need coverage for extreme sports while you may have concerns about work or family life that could necessitate canceling your trip last minute. Not all plans cover both and it's critical to know what yours does - including definitions of "reasons for cancellation", "travel partners", and activities where medical is covered in the event of an accident.

At The Table Less Traveled we recommend Travel Insured, which has over 25 years in the travel protection industry. It's easy to get a quote online in minutes for any trip!

Get a FREE Online Quote

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