Due to the fact that I have an elderly parent, I feel that I must purchase trip insurance for an upcoming trip. In the past, when booking with a travel agent, I have let them take care of this. This time I booked my own trip . I checked on the web site , Insure My Trip, for several quotes. Has anyone had experience with TravelSafe or Travel With Ease? Interested in good or bad experience any of you have had with companies insuring trips.

I used TravelGuard on several trips, and once had to cancel because my bf got an infection in his leg. We were fully reimbursed, no problem.

With Travel Impressions you can cancel up to two hours before your flight for any reason and get a full refund minus the cost of insurance.

I'd search on these both on this board and on the "airlines" board and the Europe board -- I seem to remember some unfortunate restrictions, things like exclusions for "pre-existing" situations (such as an elderly parent), etc. Don't purchase on line without checking ALL the fine print.

the AIG insurance group have some good policys for travel They have a contract with British Airways www. aig.com

Sabrina,

The most important consideration in your situation is to determine if your elderly parent has a pre-existing condition which would negate the value of any travel insurance policy.

If your parent's condition is not a pre-existing one as defined in the policy then enjoy your trip!

I have been happy with the following policy in my travels:

Protect your tickets, your luggage and your health worldwide:

http://www.vacationtechnician.com/ma...e%20Quotes.htm

Immediate coverage is available once you are satisfied with the quotation. Print your ID Card immediately! The plan is underwritten by a U.S. insurance company rated A- "Superior" by AM Best.

Sabrina....whatever you do, I urge you to speak with a live person on the fone.I personally have never done any trip insurance.But I hear a lot about TravelGuard.Good things.But call and dont rely on what you see on line.

I agree with BeachBoi's advice to speak directly with a live person, since there are so many variables, and you'll want to make sure your particular situation will be covered.

I do recall from past experience that you often can get coverage for pre-existing conditions, but there were certain restrictions, such as you must purchase the insurance during a limited time frame (such as within a certain number of days of booking your trip, or a certain number of days prior to departure, etc.) It varies with the carrier, so be sure to double check that. Good luck.

Where does one go to buy trip insurance? I have never purchased it other than through a travel agent, cruise, etc. I am taking a tour, but don't want to buy the insurance through them. My concern is that I have a very elderly grandmother, and if something were to happen, I would want a refund for my European tour. Any suggestions on this?

Hi Colette,
I went on the web site, insuremytrip.com. They do a comparsion of different plans and they have a toll free number, offering you the chance to discuss different plans before buying. They e-mailed me a copy of the plan I chose before sending the actual policy.
However, I did not need to file a claim on this trip. I don't remember the company I ended up using, but they had a silver and gold plan. It is nice to be able to compare each plan on line.

Thanks Sabrina! I'll definitely check that website.

We're used CSA travel insurance the last several years, taking the gold plan, which covers pre-existing conditions (but read the fine print!). One great advantage is that this insurance covers rental car damage and theft in overseas locations, which is very handy.

Be sure to purchase your policy within the time-frame required, usually 14 days from the time you make your initial trip payment.

Another site to check out is
www.etntravelinsurance.com
You can compare companies and prices and policies.
Also, in case, you were not aware, Medicare does NOT cover you when you are out of the country, so health insurance should be purchased too.