When to Purchase Travel Insurance

4. Shop around
Generally, travel insurance costs between 5 percent and 15 percent of the total cost of your trip. Start your research with aggregator sites like Insure My Trip, which let you plug in trip details and insurance needs, and then provide several quotes. Note that not all travel insurers offer medical evacuation; you might need to research these companies separately.

5. Read the entire policy before buying
Yes, even the small print. Does the policy reimburse you for prepaid expenses like airfare and hotel stays if you can't make the trip, or out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of trip interruption, delays or missed connections? Does it cover theft of expensive items? Are you eligible for reimbursement if your trip is canceled or interrupted by, say, a hurricane, the outbreak of war or terrorist threats? (Note that some policies have riders where you can pay extra for emergency evacuation.) One final tip on travel insurance: Finalize your itinerary before buying; itinerary changes you make yourself will affect coverage.

Also of interest: Read travel horror stories and share your own.

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