Let’s break down the concept of "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst." It’s a pretty solid approach to life, right? Especially when it comes to travel. You can plan your trip down to the last detail, but all it takes is one unexpected event to throw everything off. This is especially true when you’re far from home. A single storm, strike, or medical emergency can ruin your trip and cost you a lot of money.
But there’s a solution: travel insurance. It gives you peace of mind, knowing that if things go wrong, you’re covered. So, how do you choose the right travel insurance? You can start by getting quotes from multiple companies.
Here are some of the best travel insurance companies for U.S.-based travelers:
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World Nomads: This is a great option for high-risk travelers in remote locations and countries without adequate medical care. They offer two cost-effective policy tiers: Standard and Explorer. Both policies include a range of coverages, like trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical insurance, evacuation and repatriation for medical emergencies, and more.
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AXA: This is a good choice for adventure sports enthusiasts and travelers who might need to change their plans at the last minute. They offer three distinct plan tiers with standard inclusions and some unique features like non-emergency medical evacuation and a Cancel For Any Reason option.
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iTravelInsured (IMG): This is ideal for wilderness explorers and international visitors to the United States. They offer three generous plans with high coverage limits for trip interruption and cancellation, medical evacuation, and rental car damage.
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Seven Corners: This is a good option for adventure travelers and those traveling to politically unstable countries. They offer varying levels of protection for common coverages and some valuable add-ons.
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Travelex: This is great for those who want a la carte coverage selection. They offer a larger-than-average menu of travel insurance plans, including low-cost products like flight insurance.
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John Hancock: This is a good choice for travelers with special medical needs. They offer three distinct travel insurance plans with generous medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.
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Allianz Travel: This is a good option for basic, cost-effective coverage for low-risk trips. They offer multiple plans for single- and multi-trip travelers.
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Generali Global Assistance: This is a great choice for travelers who may need to cancel or interrupt travel for medical reasons. They offer three modestly priced plans with generous trip interruption and cancellation benefits.
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Travel Guard (AIG): This is a good option for basic protection plans. They offer three competitively priced plans available for purchase online: Essential, Preferred, and Deluxe.
If you’re overwhelmed by the number of travel insurance providers, consider using comparison tools like TravelInsurance.com, Travel Insurance Center, InsureMyTrip, Aardy.com, and SquareMouth. These tools can help you quickly find the best providers for your needs and budget.
Remember, many credit cards come with complimentary travel protections. But if you don’t have such a credit card or you don’t like using credit cards to pay for travel, then you should probably purchase travel insurance coverage from one of the providers listed above whenever you fly. You can buy travel insurance on a per-trip or annual basis. The latter is generally a better deal for frequent travelers.
In the end, it’s not just about the coverage. It’s about peace of mind. After all, the last thing you want to worry about when you’re traveling is how much it’ll cost you if things go wrong.
