Every traveler is different, everyone has different needs. You might be very concerned about a sick parent causing you to cancel your long-awaited safari in Africa. Someone else might have worries about having a heart attack while touring rural China, in which case you would want travel medical insurance. Different trips, different needs.

7 steps to finding the best travel insurance for your trip:

1. Sit down (with your travel companion is applicable) and write out all of your concerns regarding the trip. These might include cancellation due to illness, being called in to work, losing your bags, missing a flight, crashing your rental car, getting sick and needing medical care, having an accident and needing a medical evacuation, etc.
2. Rate them in order of what is most important. If your father has been ill recently, you might place “trip cancellation due to the illness of a parent” at the top of the list. If you have a trip with a hectic schedule and several flights, you might place “missed connection” at the top of the list.
3. Assign a dollar value to your trip. This is easy with trip cancellation coverage; you simply look at the amount of pre-paid, non-refundable trip payments. This is the amount of money at risk if you need to cancel your trip. Furthermore, you should consider the expenses of any emergency medical treatment or evacuation. This cost can be very high.
4. Use a comparison site to find the best travel insurance. There are several, the easiest of which is Squaremouth.com. Enter your trip information, and their comparison engine will give you instant quotes from all major travel insurance companies.
5. Compare coverage based on what is important to you. As you look over policies from the different companies, compare the coverage they provide for the risks that concern you most. Every company has varying amounts of coverage, which is helpful when picking a policy. It lets you choose one that is right for your trip.
6. Read the small print. There are two sections to pay attention to. Benefits & Exclusions. The Benefits section will clearly describe the coverage you will receive. Do not make any assumptions here. Read it through. The Exclusions section will tell you clearly when the Benefits will NOT apply. Again, read this carefully.
7. When you find the right policy, use Squaremouth.com to purchase the policy. When you find the right plan, you can click “buy” right on the Squaremouth website. This is the best price available, and Squaremouth has a “zero-complaint” policy regarding their carriers. If any company receives a complaint that cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, that company cannot sell their products through Squaremouth.

“Having a good travel insurance policy can make the difference between weeks of worry and peace of mind about a refund” Christopher Elliott, CNN.com

“the right kind of travel insurance has become an essential item to pack for smart travelers.” Peter Greenberg, MSNBC.com

Related Links

How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?
3 Steps to finding the right travel insurance
Who has the best coverage for lost luggage?

Read our Travel Insurance 101: The Complete Guide to Travel Insurance

How to buy travel insurance

1. Use a travel insurance comparison site- The best way to buy travel insurance is to use a travel insurance comparison site. Compare quotes and plas side-by-side, and buy instantly online.
2. Check reviews and buy direct- If you want a quote from a specific travel insurance company, visit our reviews pages. You will see links to purchase insurance directly from the company.