We plan our trips meticulously taking care of schedule, places to visit etc. There is a lot of investment involved as well. But there are many unforeseen circumstances that may happen when you go abroad like cancelled trips, medical emergencies, lost/delayed luggage etc, political emergencies or disaster events which can lead to evacuation etc. Such events might upset your travel plans or lead to cancellation of the trip and result in financial loss. You will have some peace of mind and also be financially covered if you are insured when travelling. There are a range of plans available and each has different coverage. We list out important criteria to look at to select an appropriate travel insurance policy. 

• Type of Travel– Travelling abroad requires international travel insurance that should cover travel delays, trip cancellation, medical emergencies, hijack, loss/theft of baggage and identity documents like passport. If you are a student travelling abroad, getting travel insurance is easier and covers medical treatments, loss of passport and some reasons for breaks in the study tenure.

• Medical Coverage– The travel insurance should cover primary and emergency medical costs, hospitalization, accident cover in case of permanent disability/death.
• Pre-existing Medical conditions– If you have an existing medical condition for which you have received medical treatment or had symptoms in the last 120 days or less, you will be covered under this clause. The coverage, terms and conditions differ in different plans. So one should read and understand them before buying.
• Trip cancellations– If you think, you might have to cancel your trip or cut short your trip which could lead to financial loss, buy an insurance policy that covers this. 
• Loss/Delay of Luggage– There is always a risk of luggage delays and loss in international travel especially when you need to change flights to reach a destination. If your trip entails such travel, cover yourself for this risk.
• Type of activities– If your travel involves adventure sports like skiing or bungee jumping, you should insure yourself for accidents.
• Frequent Flyer- If you are a person who has many trips in a year, you should consider a multi trip policy which covers multiple trips and many travel days. It will be more cost effective and time saving than buying a travel insurance policy for each trip.
• Claim Settlement Process– Check out the claim settlement process and timeline for settlement of the insurance company before you buy the policy.

Buying travel insurance policy is a must to protect yourself against unforeseen exigencies. We have compared four travel insurance policies for a single person and a single trip on the basis of certain criteria to help you decide on the correct plan for yourself. There are also family travel insurance plans and multi-trip insurance plans.

* The premiums are indicative. Please contact the insurance provider for all terms and conditions.

Next time, do assess travel insurance policies on the basis of the criteria mentioned here and buy one for hassle free travel. As you can see, different plans have different features and their coverage is different. You have to choose one that suits your travel insurance requirements to ensure you enjoy your travel and have peace of mind. Do let us know your experiences in travel insurance.