Trip Cancellation Insurance
 

What's the feeling on trip insurance? We are 10 days away from a trip to Italy and don't know if this is a good bet or not. The cost would be another $214 each. Anyone have any ideas on it? Thanks so much for the input.

Do you have good medical insurance for overseas travel? Have you prepaid for anything? What are the terms on your airline tickets?

Have you tried insuremytrip.com?

Meant to add, that I used it once....didn't need it after all. I wouldn't buy it unless you've spent a great deal of money on the trip or if there's a good chance you may have to cancel due to an known family illness that may preclude you taking your trip.

If 10-days prior your trip, you certainly won't be covered for any pre-existing condition. And if someone else is ill and you know this and they unfortunately die while you're on holiday, this probably won't be covered - it's pre-existing, even if not you or your travel partner.

For a premium of $214 each, you've probably laid out for airline tickets, hotels, car, or tours, etc. And while you might not get ill, anything else can occur on holiday in a foreign country, even Italy. An innocent slip on wet pavement and ending up with a broken leg into a cast can cost you a fortune to obtain business or first class tickets (and sometimes more than one seat) to have room to place the leg. The amount of $214 is a pittance in the scheme of things if you've prepaid a sizeable amount of money. I no longer travel outside the States without covering myself and hope never to need to put in a claim, and haven't.

Only you can make this decision.

Insurance is usually profitable for the insurance company. That means they pay out a small percentage of the premiums in claims.

Insurance makes sense when it is required or if could lose more than you could aford. The loss of your home for example.

IMO buying insurance to cover lesiure travel is not a good buy unless it just makes you feel good and you are uncomfortable without it.

The worst you could experience is a loss of most of the cost of your trip. And you are already prepared to pay that.

Keith

We've had some bad times, so I always buy travel insurance. In June I paid $600+ for a trip in Sept. (El Husband had a fit.) In Sept. he ended up in the hospital for three weeks. Two weeks ago we received a check for almost $9000 from the insurance company... no hassle..(sp?)

Insurance always seems expensive when you don't need it.

A few years ago I was in my late 20s and perfectly healthy myself. No illnesses in my family, either. Out of the blue, my brother required major emergency surgery a week before my trip to Europe (so I chose not to go on my trip). Luckily, I had purchased travel insurance. Everything I had already paid for was reimbursed, no questions asked, when I submitted all the necessary paperwork (lots of it, I must admit).

To me, insurance is peace of mind. Once something happens, you can't go back in time.

I always buy insurance when I have a lot of money that will not be reimbursed. 3 years ago I contracted a very bad ear infection 2 days before our trip to Spain. I couldn't stand up without getting dizzy much less hike for 8 days. We paid about $180.00 for both of us and insurance paid for the plane trip and the nonrefundable hiking tour. It was very worth it.

Grandma, am I correct in assuming your husband was on vacation when he was hospitalized for three weeks?

Would you mind advising what Insurance Co. you used? Thank you.

P.S. I have not been to Friday Harbor for a couple of years. I was going to to this June but my sister-in-law had to have an operation and I felt it was not the best time for her to have company. Love your islands!

I looked into insurance a couple of years back when I was worried that I would not be able to go on a trip due to war in Iraq. Not covered. After reading the fine print a couple times I concluded that the insurance was definitely not worth it.

Although anything is possible, the policies are big money makers for the insurance companies and it is not too hard to understand why...

Casale-Villa Rental in Abruzzo
http://www.angelfire.com/film/casale

LoveItaly.... Fortunately my husband's problem developed before our trip.. which led to its cancellation. However, in 2001 he had to spend four days in a hospital in Moscow. In both cases, Access America came thru. My husband is one of those who carries on that travel insurance is a real windfall for the insurance companies.
However, since my insistance on insurance has saved us over $15,000 in the past few years his recent protests are rather muted. -:)

I would never travel anymore without it. Wasn't there a thread on this not too long ago?....well at the risk of being redundent (hmmm..didn't know I knew big words like that) my brother had a horrible bike accident about two weeks before he and SIL were set to head to Italy. He broke his collar bone and a few other things. They could not cancel, would have lost almost everything so they went and he certainly did NOT enjoy that trip very much because of the pain...and same SIL..not travel related but..didn't think it necessary to re-new her virus protection on her computer...couldn't see putting out the money..well, the rest of the story is not a happy one. There are policies that are less than 214.00 so you might check or if you feel comfortable with it, then just don't do it. So there you are. Oh, I forgot the kicker...brother was bare foot, opening wine to ease the pain I imagine, and he dropped the full bottle of wine on his toe!!!!!! So he was hurtin' top to bottom.

Oh Crefloors, OUCH! That would be my luck. On time I had strained my back really bad (all my stupid fault) and was almost OK when I went to supermarket, went to get a big can of tomatos and another can fell right on my left foot and broke it. Ouch, ouch and ouch!

LoveItaly..as they say..."Damn the luck"!!!!!