Though airline tickets can usually be rebooked (for a fee), then only if you've prepaid other expenses - hotels, transfers, tours, etc. - do you have to insure for cancellations/interruption.

However, when it comes to medical or medical evacuation, this is a small premium based on prepaid costs. Medical and evacuation is worthy of anyone traveling regardless their age. A young person can and break a leg leaving the Bateau Mouche... happened to a friend, who then needed two airline seats for homebound flight. The insurance covered this as well the hospital costs.

I no longer leave home without at least the medical and evacuation.

Medical, yes! Certainly! Flu, food poisoning, broken bones - can happen to anybody!

As for travel insurance... maybe I'll be kicking myself one day for not buying it. Who knows!

I am getting a quote of $61.00 at accessamerica.com

That is a very reasonable amount for peace of mind. I am going for it...

Thanks to all for your advice.

I am my Mother's primary care giver, so I always buy insurance incase I need to cancel or return early while traveling. I usually get Travelex insurance through insuremytrip.com as well and pay no more than $100 which covers me and whom ever is traveling with me i.e. friends. It refunds me 150% for trip interruption, 100% for trip cancellations, delays, emergencies medical, lost baggage etc. I don't leave home without it. $100 is piece of mind.
Clea

I,m sorry the reference to the WSJ article didn't work but most libraries subscribe and I hope you have at least one friend who does.

There are two parts - medical insurance and trip insurance. If you don't already have medical coverage (our work policy covers us abroad) then you definitely need the first.

As for trip insurance (flights, hotels etc.), if you plan on taking several trips over a lifetime, you might want to consider 'self-insuring.' I estimate I've saved us over $1400.00 in premiums over the last few trips when I haven't bothered to buy trip insurance. I now have that amount 'banked' against any cancellation fees, ticket change fees etc. incurred in respect of any future trip.

In my own personal case, I thought through all the possible scenarios and realized that the most crucial decisions would have to be made in the first 48 hours or so following any incident involving a family member. If abroad, it is unlikely I'd be able to get home in 48 hours, even on an urgent basis. (This reflects, in part, where we live and where we tend to travel.) I might still want to return home, and reasonably soon, but I would take the time to arrange things to minimize any additional costs involved in returning early.

I also tend to arrange trips to minimize risk - for example, we stay overnight in London in between our transatlantic flight and any continental legs. This minimizes the risk of missed connections, not to mention reduces stress. I also tend to book hotels with reasonably generous cancellation policies, so that I'd have time to cancel most of them without penalty.

There is, of course, the risk that the incident would occur in the last few days prior to departure. However, I have decided to bite the bullet and assume the costs of rescheduling a trip. The kind of incident that would see me cancel completely, i.e. not even reschedule, is, mercifully, rare. Not to be blunt, but each of us can only die once.

But these sorts of decisions are greatly influenced by an individual's personal circumstances, and yours might be very different from mine. I wish you luck in your decision.

Just read the fine print on any medical evacuation insurance you purchase. Most policies will only "evacuate" you to the nearest medical facility capable of taking care of your problem. In Europe this is a short ambulance ride in 99% of the cases. They usually list it as something like the "Nearest medical facility or one near your home." However when you get into the fine print, the only time they would evacuate to one near your home is if it is also the nearest to where you are injured or become ill.

There is also specialized evacuation insurance that guarantees to transport you to a medical facility near your home--with a few exceptions. This type would be an additional cost to the regular travel medical insurance.

I don't have details but my friend's flight out of the US was delayed due to airport 'backlog' the day following the security changes. She declined the airline offer to reroute thru another area of Europe, and opted to stay overnight in Philly. The insurer agreed they would cover the cost of the hotel for that night, any penalties from the Italy hotel for missing the first night, and for the cost of the toiletries that she had to buy for the overnight since everything was checked in.
So.. that was worth the ins.premium...

We have purchased travel insurance for over 20 cruises and tours, and never had a claim until Oct. 2005, which was denied based on incorrect informaton, and after numerous letters, still denied. I suspicion they believe I will give up the claim if they deny my claim long enough.
Be very careful whom you purchase travel insurance from. This isn't the only invalid denial I've heard of. This seems to be a systematic problem in the travel insurance industry.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette went (? angf got permission to go?) around the copyright of the WSJ

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06236/715443-37.stm

Here are the first two paragraphs:

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The exclusions and illusions of travel insurance
Thursday, August 24, 2006

By Scott McCartney, The Wall Street Journal


Terrorism scares and hurricane warnings have spurred an increase in sales of travel insurance, but there's a catch: Most policies offer only very limited protection, if any, should you want to cancel a trip because you're afraid to go.

Worried about subway bombings or liquid-explosive plots? That probably won't be covered. Thinking a hurricane 1,000 miles away could hit your favorite beach? It probably isn't covered, either. Afraid that a Northwest Airlines strike could keep you from taking your daughter to college? Sorry, but buying travel insurance now won't help.

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Good posting, Rex.

It is not unusual to see articles from major publications such as the WSJ, NYT, LA Times, etc. reprinted with attributes. The source receives royalties.

I located this using Google's Blogsearch... while a few days' wait may be involved, I have virtually always been able to find "restricted articles" (mostly looking for editorials on "TimesSelect" at www.nytimes.com for example).

of course, PPG is not a blog site...

...the site where I found the citation is a bit of a mystery to me, and doesn't seem like a typical blog site:

http://platinumx.com/insurance/2980/...h-post-gazette

I can't even figure out who compiles the citations listed on this site...