Whether you are booking a relaxing cruise to the Bahamas or a week-long trek through the bustling streets of Tokyo, protecting yourself financially during your vacation is important. However, some people forgo travel insurance as an unneeded expense. As many travelers eventually find out, you do not save money by being uninsured or under-insured. Here are some common situations where insurance has proven to be absolutely essential.

Problems Before You Leave

So, you have booked a trip, purchased non-refundable tickets, and also paid for greens fees at your destination. Imagine your horror when you are then called for jury duty or the resort cottage you booked is mostly destroyed by a hurricane! If you are going on a cruise, a problem with the ship can lead to the entire trip being canceled for everyone. If you have proper travel insurance, you will be refunded and can rebook your vacation at your leisure.

Unforeseeable Travel Delays

If your plane, bus, or train trip is delayed or canceled until the next day, who is paying for your accommodations while you wait? What if you miss your ship or your tickets to attractions expire before you can use them? In these cases, those without travel insurance have been known to sleep in airports or simply lose all the money they have paid. Those travelers probably thought they were saving money by refusing insurance, but instead they lost their entire investment. If you are insured, however, you will often be reimbursed for all costs incurred.

Medical Emergencies Outside the Country

Many people love to try new activities while on vacation. Rock climbing, hiking, snorkeling, and mountain biking are all very popular. Trying out new cuisine is another popular vacationing activity. However, what would you do if you were seriously hurt while adventuring? What if you got food poisoning? If you have left your home country, your health insurance usually will not cover your expenses abroad. This is one area where travel insurance is all about saving money. Not only do most travel policies include coverage for emergency care, they also will cover the cost to bring you home again on a medically-staffed flight. Travel insurance can save you thousands of dollars in medical and transportation costs if the unthinkable happens and you become seriously injured or ill.

Lost Baggage

Imagine that you have had a lovely, mishap-free vacation. You catch your flight home and sigh in relief as the wheels touch down in your home city. You may think you have managed to vacation without travel insurance successfully, that is, until you wait at the baggage carousel until it is empty and your bags never arrive. Your clothing, souvenirs, costly camera, and other electronic gadgets are all lost. Can you afford to replace everything in your bags? Travel insurance will ensure that you can recover financially from the loss.

Far too often, those who thought they were saving money have refused travel insurance and had terrible debacles to show for their thrift. Research exactly what your insurance needs are and purchase a policy that suits you before you book your flights!