Purchasing travel insurance is easier now than ever before. With hundreds of policies and providers at your fingertips, travelers can find and purchase a policy in a matter of minutes. But with so many options available, knowing how and where to buy travel insurance can be a daunting task.
Below we’ll discuss some popular places today’s travelers are finding their policies, as well as some tips to keep in mind as you browse different plans and providers.
Where to Buy Travel Insurance in 2023
A solid travel insurance policy is a great way to protect your trip investment. In 2022, travel insurance policies reimbursed travelers roughly $2,200 on average. While it can be tempting to purchase the first policy you see, finding the right policy at the best price may involve a bit of patience.
Direct From Insurance Providers
Travelers have endless options when it comes to providers. Much like buying an airline ticket or hotel stay, travelers can easily visit a provider’s website, call their customer service department, or even use their app to purchase a policy for their upcoming trip.
This is a great option for travelers with a preferred provider or one that they’ve had a great experience with in the past. However, booking directly through a provider eliminates the ability to compare plans from competitors and shop around for a better price.
When Purchasing Flights, Cruises or Hotels
Many airlines, hotels, and other travel suppliers offer trip protection as an add-on when making a reservation. This offers travelers a convenient way to protect their trip investment and have a layer of financial protection while traveling.
These policies are usually offered through third-party providers, and can vary widely when it comes to premiums and benefits. For some, the plans offered by travel suppliers may fit their budgets and travel needs. But it’s likely the majority of travelers would benefit from exploring other options.
From Travel Insurance Comparison Sites
Comparison sites like Squaremouth allow travelers to instantly compare policies from multiple different travel insurance providers. Travelers can simply enter in a few basic details about their upcoming trip details and compare policies across the entire travel insurance market, making it easy to view the different prices and plans available to you.
These sites are great for travelers that want to find the best deal at the lowest price, and don’t have the time or patience to compare policies on their own. Many comparison sites encourage past customers to leave travel insurance reviews and share their experiences, helping future travelers find a trusted, reputable policy.
Through Your Travel Credit Cards
In addition to attractive sign-on bonuses and benefits, many high end travel credit cards offer travel protection to cardholders at the cost of an annual fee. Generally, this protection can reimburse cardholders in the event of canceled trips, missed connections, and lost luggage. More luxury cards may also offer emergency medical coverage to customers, too.
While these plans come included in the card’s benefits package, the coverage limits and benefits may not be adequate for your trip. In addition, credit card travel insurance plans often come with strict limitations that limit what’s covered, making filing a successful claim more difficult.
Travel Insurance Buying Tips
Purchasing travel insurance is a great first step in financially protecting yourself going into a trip. However, being overseas with the wrong policy could lead to stressful situations down the road in the event you need to file a claim. Below are a few tips to keep in mind as you go about your search for a travel insurance policy.
Know What Type of Coverage You Need
Different trips call for different coverage demands. Before searching for travel insurance, take time to think about your upcoming itinerary and decide which benefits are important to you. Next, consider how much financial protection you want for your trip. Outlining these bits of information will help you better evaluate policies and focus on the plans that meet your specific criteria.
Higher Cost Doesn’t Mean Better Coverage
A common misconception when it comes to travel insurance is that a higher premium means better coverage. But that’s not always the case. In fact, we often urge our users to buy the cheapest premium possible that provides the right coverage.
In some situations, providers could offer identical coverage but differ widely on prices. Don’t let this get to your head. As long as a policy meets your trips criteria, and the provider has a positive track record within the travel community, getting the cheaper coverage is a great way to get trip protection and save money.
Read The Policy Thoroughly
When comparing insurance policies, there’s going to be a lot of documentation to read through, such as coverage limits, exclusions, and definitions. Taking the time to go through this information will help you better understand the policy, and how coverage can apply in different situations. You will also find the policy’s Money Back Guarantee, a period of time where you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund on your premium.
After purchasing a policy, you will also get a few further documents sent to you, including your Declaration of Coverage and your Certificate of Insurance. These documents will provide more details about your policy, as well as important contact information if you need to contact your provider at any point before or during your trip. It’s recommended that you physically print or electronically save these documents so you can access them at any time.
Start Your Search Early
Almost more important than knowing where to buy travel insurance is knowing when to buy travel insurance. Timing is everything when searching for a policy for your upcoming trip, and the earlier you begin your search, the better.
Not only does securing your policy early give you more coverage and peace of mind, but it also opens the doors to time-sensitive travel insurance benefits, too. Buying a policy within 14 days of your first trip deposit, whether it be a plane ticket, hotel reservation, or other trip-related booking, would make you eligible for benefits like Cancel for Any Reason and Pre-Existing Condition coverage, which could be beneficial for your trip.