Vacation, Holiday, and Travel Insurance Plans Our vacation and holiday insurance plans are available to purchase online and can cover you for any unforeseen trip interruptions or disasters that might occur. If you have any questions regarding a holiday insurance plan for our hostel or a new holiday insurance plan, you can call us during our office hours or send us an email. Travel Insurance Tips Make sure your travel insurance covers any potential medical bills, as medical expenses are by far the most expensive way to cover travel disruptions! Consider getting travel insurance that covers you on the road or while traveling by car, boat, plane, bus or any other mode of transportation you choose. For travel insurance when you travel by car, you can buy one with the following features: collision and theft, comprehensive and third party liability coverage, and personal accident liability. If you need to cancel your trip or you have to cancel your travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances, ask if your credit card insurance coverage will cover your trip cancellation. Read the credit card policy to determine if you are covered. You can even cancel your card to find out if it will cover your cancellation fees. If you don’t cancel your credit card and cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances, you’ll still be responsible for the cancellation fee. What Does Cancelling Mean? If you cancel your trip before you travel, you should have no issues with canceling any of your purchased tours or activities. If you have a pre-purchased excursion, this usually covers any and all tour cancellations. If you have a transportation pre-purchased such as a cruise ship or train, and there is no cancellation fee for this, the airline or company cancels your travel and the provider for the cruise or train will reimburse you with the ticket price plus fees. Many cruise line and train companies offer this insurance, but check with the transportation company about this when purchasing your travel. If you are cancelling your trip due to illness, injuries or emergencies, then all plans and itineraries are non-refundable. If you buy travel insurance, you must use it within 120 days from the date of purchase or the date of your planned trip, whichever is sooner. Many companies may charge a non-refundable fee for cancelling your trip at least one week before you planned to travel or may even charge an additional fee on top of your other charges if you decide to cancel at least one week after you were going to start your trip. If you cancel the trip 30-120 days before you planned to travel, you will be charged a cancellation fee. If you cancel the trip between 31 and 59 days before your trip begins, you may be charged a cancellation fee in addition to the price of your trip. If you cancel less than 30 days before your trip, you will be responsible for your cancellation fees, even though the service provider will not reimburse you for the cancellation fee. As with any pre-paid service, if you have to cancel at the last minute, this fee may seem exorbitant. If your vacation plans are cancelled because you’re ill or injured and the plan covers illness or injury, then you should have no issues. The cost for cancelling a trip may seem like a small price to pay to cancel an insurance plan, but your vacation and the money you plan to spend will be lost forever if you have to cancel last minute. Also, if you aren’t already pre-paid for your travel to Europe, it may be hard for you to find plans, even when cancelled, that will cover you. Another thing to look at with your travel insurance is the time of year you are cancelling. In the summer months, the tickets are more expensive and the cancellation fees more expensive than in the winter. If you’re travelling in the summer, plan for this when you get the best deal. If you have to cancel, then ask yourself, is this the best deal I can get? How to Check When Your Trip Is Cancelled You can check the status of your booking by contacting the online booking company. Make sure you ask to speak with their travel department. If you are using a travel agent, make sure you ask for a travel agent who sells this type of travel insurance. If you are looking for information on a cancellation of a pre-booked vacation tour or package that you paid for, look for the phone number and contact information of the company and call them as soon as possible. Tips on Avoiding Your Trip Cancellation If you’re planning on travelling in Europe, it’s important to consider the risks that may be involved in your travels, such as: accidents, illness, injuries and natural disasters. Even though a mishap can occur anywhere in Europe, it’s best to avoid the places that are highly prone to these mishaps. If you are travelling with your partner, consider travelling together, and if you are a senior traveller, then plan your trip so that you can stay safe. Also, be aware of the local customs. For example, if you’re travelling to Italy, you must be aware of the differences between Italian and American driving etiquette. You should also keep in mind that you’ll need the necessary visas and stamps to be able to leave and enter the European countries you are travelling through. Consider buying travel insurance if you don’t want to be responsible for any cancellation fees. If you’re a senior, then this is something to look into purchasing. If you do not cancel your travel insurance within 30 days of purchasing it, then you’ll be on the hook for the cancellation fee. You should also consider choosing a travel insurance policy that covers you for trip cancellation due to medical needs. If you are travelling with any group of travellers, you should buy a policy for all the travellers on the trip. If you are in the process of getting a group together, consider whether you have a budget for a policy for all of your travellers. If you are travelling alone or have a budget limit, then you should consider looking into travel insurance policies that cover you individually or in a group, as your needs will vary from other travellers. Also, if you’re travelling to several European countries, consider buying a travel insurance policy for each country you visit, instead of buying a single policy. This way, you can cancel one portion of your trip without cancelling the entire trip. If you’re only taking a tour to Paris or London, then you may not need a policy for travel insurance for the entirety of your trip. If you do decide to take a trip insurance policy for the duration of your entire trip, you should check if you have coverage for all of your purchased tour tickets. If you are travelling through Europe, you’ll want to be sure to check out if you’re covered for all of your transportation tickets. It may seem confusing if you are trying to purchase travel insurance and are wondering if you need all of the different types of coverage. But, if you want to buy travel insurance, the main thing to consider is where you are travelling. For example, if you are travelling to Canada or Alaska, consider getting travel insurance that is specific for travel to these parts of Canada. Or, if you are travelling to some parts of Canada but not to the rest of the country, consider getting a policy that is limited to only that