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How to Protect Yourself from Theft While Traveling

October 15, 2009 By Damian Tysdal

theft-traveling-abroadMany unexpected things can happen when a person is traveling. Other than accidents, a traveler may lose their possessions to theft. Being a victim of theft is something many travelers experience, especially if traveling to a foreign country. Locals in a foreign country have the perception that tourists bring a lot of cash and valuables along, and this makes travelers a common target for thieves.

It is important for travelers to get a travel insurance policy that provides protection for cash and belongings before they travel. Although measures can be taken to prevent theft, sometimes, theft or loss of possessions can be quite inevitable. With a travel insurance policy that offers coverage for theft of personal effects, travelers can be sure they will get compensation for items stolen during their travel. The types of travel insurance coverage that provide protection against theft are baggage coverage, personal effects coverage, and cash coverage. These items are usually covered in a basic travel insurance policy, but some insurance providers may offer them as special coverage options. It is advisable that travelers get coverage for all their belongings, so they will get some compensation when theft occurs.

Most travel insurance policies only offer partial coverage for baggage or personal belongings, and it may come as compensation per item or set of items. Usually, there is a fixed rate of compensation regardless of the values of the items. Travelers should make a list of the things they are bringing with them including a record of the value of each item. Those who are bringing expensive items such as: jewelry, electronic gadgets, laptops, costly sports or activity equipment should get special coverage for these items, because ordinary travel insurance policies do not provide full coverage for them. There are certain types of policies that will compensate policy holders according to the current market value of each loss item.

Baggage coverage is most beneficial to travelers visiting a few different places when they travel. It provides protection for loss of baggage in the airport as well as other locations during travel, but some travel insurance policies only offer coverage for baggage within a certain city or region. Those who are traveling to many locations can pay extra cost to get unlimited area coverage.

Travelers need to report theft of their belongings to the police as soon as they can, so that they can get a police report to make claims for compensation. The best way travelers can protect themselves from theft is to keep a close watch on their belongings at all times when traveling.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/samiksha/

Filed Under: Learning

About Damian Tysdal

Damian Tysdal is the founder of TravelInsuranceReview, and he believes travel insurance should be easier to understand. See more from Damian on Google+.

About this website

My name is Damian, and I started this website in 2006 to help travelers understand travel insurance.

The site features company reviews, guides, articles, and many blog posts to help you better understand travel insurance and pick the right plan for your trip (assuming you actually need travel insurance).

I am also a licensed travel insurance agent, and you can get a quote and purchase through this site as well.

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