Initially, shopping for travel insurance can seem daunting because there are so many types of travel insurance and so many choices. It’s hard to know what kind of insurance you need for a particular trip, especially when there are dozens of companies, hundreds of policies, and countless options to choose from. This information will help you find the type of travel insurance you need for your trip or trips.
| Contents (click to jump down) Different types of travelers and trips means lots of travel insurance choices |
Different types of travelers and trips means lots of travel insurance choices
So many types of travelers:
- Families (sometimes multiple generations)
- Singles
- Honeymooners and couples
- Seniors
- Students and academics
- Business travelers
- Missionaries and volunteers
- Expatriates
On all kinds of trips:
- Cruise trips
- Vacation travel
- Group trips
- Business trips
- Backpacking trips
- Adventure trips
- Cheap or last-minute trips
Explains why travel insurance companies have so many options from which to choose. Let’s review the types of travel insurance plans.
Package plans are the most popular overall coverage for most types of trips
When most people think of travel insurance, they’re thinking of a package plan. Travel insurance package plans deliver coverage for trip cancellations, hurricanes, lost, stolen, and delayed baggage, medical emergencies, evacuations, and more. This type of plan is the most popular because it fits the needs of most travelers.
Package plans are ideal for
- Vacations and general travel
- Cruises and family trips
- Senior travelers
- Business trips
- Adventure trips or eco-tours
- Domestic trips or travel abroad
- Any traveler concerned about having to cancel their trip
Read the full review of travel insurance package plans.
Travel Medical plans are necessary for travelers leaving their home country
Travel medical insurance is international travel health insurance that provides coverage for medical emergencies, accidents, emergency evacuations, and repatriation. It provides very specific medical coverage for the policyholder. In some cases, travel medical plans include package-like benefits, but those benefits are often limited; this type of travel insurance plan focuses on medical and evacuation coverage.
Travel Medical plans are ideal for
- Travelers leaving their home country (U.S. and non U.S. citizens)
- Vacations abroad
- Business trips abroad
- Long-term work or study abroad
- Living in a foreign country
- Any traveler concerned with medical and evacuation costs
Read the full review of travel medical insurance plans.
Medevac plans are for those visiting remote or dangerous locations
Medical evacuation, or Medevac, plans provide coverage for emergency medical evacuations and international security evacuations. Most of these plans include repatriation and some AD&D and a few include special features to help travelers, including trip interruption coverage (for emergency returns), lost baggage, and optional adventure sports coverage.
Medevac plans are ideal for
- Cruise travelers with health insurance coverage
- Vacations in a foreign country
- Business trips in a foreign country
- Travelers visiting remote locations
- Any traveler concerned with emergency medical evacuation costs
Read the full review of travel medical evacuation insurance plans.
Travel Accident plans are for term life and accident protection on your trip
Travel accident plans provide international accident protection and term life benefits for frequent travelers. This type of plan focuses on AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) and term life insurance benefits that are in effect while the insured is traveling on an insured trip or during their annual coverage period, depending on their plan.
Travel Accident plans are ideal for
- Vacation travelers
- Business travelers
- Frequent travelers
- Domestic trips and trips abroad
- Any traveler concerned about having life insurance and AD&D
Read the full review of travel accident insurance plans.
Annual plans are for frequent or long-term travelers
Annual travel insurance plans are more common than you think and useful because they provide a variety of coverages in one convenient plan that covers you for an entire year’s worth of trips. Frequent travelers, traveling academics, business travelers, and even retirees who travel often like the simplicity of having the same coverage all year long.
Annual plans are ideal for
- Retirees
- Frequent travelers
- Business travelers
- Academic travelers
- Any traveler who wants the same coverage all year long
Read the full review of annual travel insurance plans.
Specialty plans are for all those trips with rare or unique risks
Specialty travel insurance plans are those that cover one-off needs like car rental, term life, and other types of coverage that fill in the gaps between what the traveler already has available to them back home.
Specialty plans are ideal for
- Corporate Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion coverage
- Car rental collision and road trip coverage
- Term life insurance coverage
- Medical tourism coverage
- Any traveler concerned with a specific travel risk