Would a Refund Be Possible if Travel is Banned?
 

I have already bought my airplane tickets to Paris for the beginning to middle of December. I was going to schedule my hotel and eurostar tickets this week or next.

I am also going to buy travel insurance via Access America.

Would insurance cover something as big as civil unrest? I get the feeling that no insurance will cover something as civil war or civil unrest. This trip is for my birthday....and I am soooo eager to go.

sigh... :(

As a lot of insurance companies very their limitations suggestions on this board would be speculative. Check with the Insurance Company you are dealing with as it is always better to be sure.
Things are bad in Paris at the moment. Just heard that a number of policemen shot and injured.I wish them well.

Also, many insurance policies don't cover preexisting conditions, particularly if the policy is purchased more than a certain number of days after the first money is paid out on a trip (such as airline tix). How long ago did you purchase your tickets?

You will need to discuss this with the insurance company as there are so many variables and finepoints. And, I personally don't know enough to say whether civil unrest is covered.

Good luck.

The policies I've looked at don't cover civil unrest, labor strikes, and the like. But there's a new kind of policy out (read about in an Ed Perkins column) that will cover trip cancellation for ANY reason. It's not cheap, but it might be worth it.

"civil unrest" is rather subjective. You would have to check with a particular insurance company, but I don't think any insurer is going to cover cancellations unless the State Dept. issued a warning that travelers shouldn't go there, unless you bought a specific policy where you can cancel for any reason you want. France is not having a civil war and won't.

I don't believe the State Dept. currently has any warning or even comment on France.

Since you've already bought your airline tickets, you have little or no monetary value to insure. I didn't think travel insurance would cover you if you bought it after you had purchased something except in a very short window. Perhaps a Eurostar ticket could be nonrefundable, but just don't book hotels where you must prepay, would be my advice. You can find hotels with cancellation policies very close to the checkin date.

Does anyone know who (which company) offers that insurance for "ANY" reason?

I already checked with my travel insurance carrier, Travel Guard, and they said that civil unrest is not covered. Your policy should have that information.

There are insurances which you must purchase when paying the for tickets or reservations. Others give you a 2-week window. There are also insurances which cover 1 year of flights.

They all have different coverage. I remember looking up a table which compares everything! Now, if only I could remember the website... was it insurance101? or insuremytrip?

I think I saw it on "other" forum.

I think basic travel insure will suffice. The "civil unrest" appears to have stopped and the chance of civil war seems minimal.

Hi MDB,

You are worrying about a problem that has a miniscule chance of occurring.

You are more likely to be killed on your way to your departure airport.

((I))

I will insure your trip (maximum benefit of $20,000) for a price of $200. The benefit will be collectible if the US government or the French government ban travel for US citizens to Paris in December 2005. Make the check payable to me. You can even postdate the check December 31, if it is a cashier's check.

Best wishes,

Rex Bickers
Floyds Knobs, Indiana

Funny thing...insurance.

You're betting something might happen.

They're betting NOTHING will happen.

I am comfortable with the bet that I have proposed.

You need to read the specific terms and limitations of the policy you've bought or the ones you're considering buying.

Have these riots become more widespread than I thought? Last I heard our American media was ranting and raving about riots in the SUBURBS. I haven't heard that central Paris is in danger. Something new happen?

Civil Unrest... like people complaining that the tube is 3 nano seconds late and start mumbling 4 letter words?

Check out http://www.touristripoffs.com for things you really have to watch out for ;-)