A holiday is often planned long in advance. Flights are booked, hotels are reserved and the anticipation grows. But what happens if an illness occurs shortly before the start of the trip, luggage is lost or a medical emergency arises during the holiday?
Travel insurance exists precisely for situations like this. However, not every policy is automatically necessary. While some policies can be useful for many travellers, others are often already covered by existing insurance or credit cards.
This guide explains what travel insurance policies are available, when they are useful, and what you should look out for before taking one out.
What travel insurance policies are available?
The term travel insurance encompasses various types of insurance. The best known are:
- holiday cancellation insurance
- trip interruption insurance
- travel health insurance
- travel insurance for baggage
- travel public liability insurance
- travel accident insurance
Not every one of these insurances is necessary for every trip. Which cover makes sense depends, amongst other things, on the destination, the duration of the trip and personal circumstances.
When is travel cancellation insurance worth it?
Depending on the policy conditions, trip cancellation insurance covers the costs if a trip cannot be started for an insured reason.
These often include:
- unexpected illness
- serious accident
- Death of a close relative
- substantial damage to one's own residential building
- certain professional events
Especially with long-haul trips or family holidays, cancellation costs can quickly amount to several thousand euros.
Anyone who books an expensive trip well in advance can significantly reduce the financial risk with travel cancellation insurance.
What is the difference to the curtailment insurance?
While trip cancellation insurance applies before the start of a trip, travel interruption insurance protects during the holiday.
If a trip has to be cut short, for example due to serious illness or a family emergency, the insurance will cover, depending on the policy, among other things:
- additional return travel costs
- unused travel services
- Additional costs due to necessary rebookings
This protection can be particularly useful for longer long-haul trips.
Why comprehensive travel medical insurance is often indispensable
According to many experts, travel health insurance is one of the most important travel insurances of all.
Although many medical services are covered by statutory health insurance within the European Union, costs that have to be borne personally frequently arise.
Outside Europe, medical treatments can quickly become very expensive.
Particularly costly are:
- Hospital admissions
- Operations
- Rescue operations
- medically necessary repatriation to Germany
Repatriation from the USA, Canada or Asia can cost several tens of thousands of euros, depending on the situation.
For this reason, travel health insurance is considered by many travellers to be one of the most important travel insurances of all.
Is travel luggage insurance worth it?
Whether travel luggage insurance is worth it depends heavily on the value of the luggage being carried.
Many damages are already covered by other insurance policies or are partially covered by the airline.
However, anyone transporting particularly valuable items or travelling frequently should consider whether additional cover is worthwhile.
Before signing the contract, it is worth taking a close look at:
- maximum sum insured
- excess
- Exclusions
- Burdens of proof
Not every loss is automatically replaced.
Credit card or separate travel insurance?
Many premium credit cards already include travel insurance.
These often include:
- travel health insurance
- Cancellation insurance
- holiday interruption
- car hire insurance
However, these benefits often only apply under certain conditions.
For example, the trip often has to have been paid for in full or in part with the respective credit card.
Furthermore, the policy conditions also vary considerably in some cases.
Anyone wanting to rely solely on their credit card benefits should carefully check the terms and conditions before starting their journey.
What should one look out for when taking it out?
Not every travel insurance policy automatically offers the same level of cover.
Before completion, particular attention should be paid to the following points:
- Sum insured
- excess
- Scope
- insured reasons
- Exclusions
- maximum travel duration
- Benefits during pandemics
- return transport arrangements
Particularly with very cheap tariffs, it is worth taking a look at the insurance terms and conditions.
Is an annual policy worth it?
Anyone who travels several times a year should consider an annual insurance policy.
Often it is already cheaper than several individual insurance policies.
Frequent flyers in particular often benefit from permanent cover.
For a single holiday, on the other hand, a single-trip policy may be sufficient.
When should the insurance be taken out?
Many travel insurance policies can be taken out directly after booking.
Trip cancellation insurance often involves time limits.
The earlier the insurance cover is in place, the better protected you are against unforeseen events.
Anyone who only thinks about insurance shortly before the start of a trip may no longer be able to take out certain benefits.
Choose travel insurance that suits your trip
Which insurance for a trip is useful depends, among other things, on the destination, the duration of the trip and personal circumstances.
A travel health insurance is considered by many travellers to be one of the most important forms of cover. In addition, depending on the trip, cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance or travel luggage insurance may also be useful.
About our partner HanseMerkur you can find out about various travel protection options and check the services and policy conditions relevant to you.
→ View travel insurance with HanseMerkur
Partner notice: If you take out insurance via an appropriately labelled link, we may receive a commission. There is no additional cost to you.
Travelling relaxed with full protection
Not every travel insurance policy is equally necessary for every trip. However, for many travellers, comprehensive travel health insurance is one of the most important coverages of all.
Whether travel cancellation, travel interruption or travel luggage insurance is also worthwhile depends on the trip booked and your personal situation.
Therefore, find out about the services offered before starting your trip and check the respective insurance terms and conditions. This allows you to decide for yourself which travel insurance suits your trip.
To ensure the journey begins as relaxed as possible, a stress-free trip to the airport is also recommended. When myParkplace Park your vehicle securely near the airport and travel comfortably to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) with our shuttle service. That way, your holiday begins even before departure.