Safe Travel Tips and Travel Insurance
Some of the things you should consider are, your health, the health of close relatives, employment, weather related problems, just to mention a few. In short, think of the things that could go wrong that could cause you to cancel a vacation.
So, you decided to get Travel Insurance. That was the easy part. Since 9/11 the insurance industry has seen a boom in people wanting to get travel insurance. Because of this, there are a lot of choices; which insurer to pick and what type of coverage is best. From trip interruption… to policies that include multiple components, such as baggage coverage, medical, and collision damage insurance; all must be considered.
Don’t assume just because you have travel insurance you will be covered. You need to do a lot of research. Just asking questions of your travel agent or insurance agent isn’t enough. You have to read the policy completely – including the small print. You may think you were covered, only to find out that your claim was rejected. Your situation may not have met all the requirements to get a refund. If this does happen, you have the right to appeal the decision.
Time wise, when should you book your travel insurance? The sooner you decide, the better. If something happens after you booked your trip, but before you added travel insurance you are SOL! So, the only way to know if the policy you pick is right, is to research and ask questions.
There is a lot to consider in travel safety. Some is out of your hands, but there is a lot you can do to keep your vacation safe. The most important is being aware. This sounds easy, but don’t be fooled; it’s some thing you have to work at. Research where you are going so you know more of what to expect. If the cab driver tells you this is your destination you will know if it is the right place. Educate yourself to know approximate distances, so you are not taken advantage of by cab drivers.
When you are out and about, enjoy yourself, but stay aware of your surroundings. Look around; are you going into an area that doesn’t look right? Is there som one watching you, is there a group of people who look out-of-place? Don’t listen to your MP3 player. You need to hear what’s happening around you. Let someone know where you will be going.
If something doesn’t look or sound right, chances are it isn’t. So you need to know what you should do to correct your situation. There are a lot of things you can get or do to make your travel safer; money belts, locks, etc. I will cover many of these in a future travel blog. Unless you learn to be aware of what’s happening around you, your vacation could end badly.
With these few simple rules, you can do as much as possible to keep you and your traveling companions out of harms way. Simply put, always be aware of your surroundings; unless you can afford to hire a body-guard to do it for you! Watch for my next blog on safe travel.