What’s the one thing I never leave home without? Travel insurance. It may not be exciting or sexy, but the reasons to have travel insurance are plentiful. And spoiler alert – it covers far more than just vacation cancellations.

I personally use World Nomads for all my trips, and absolutely love them! They’re reputable, great with communication, and have extensive coverage at a reasonable price.

Here are ten reasons to have travel insurance on your next adventure:

1. Emergency Accident or Sickness

There’s nothing worse than getting sick or injured on vacation. Especially if you’re out of the country. Many health insurance companies don’t offer coverage internationally. Even in your home country, medical treatments can really break the bank. In the U.S., an ambulance ride alone can cost $1,200+! And that doesn’t include the sticker shock of when you actually get to the hospital and receive treatment.

It’s probably the most important reason to have travel insurance. And your travel insurance coverage can extend past hospitalization to include emergency dental and adventure sports.

The medical coverage alone is enough to make the small amount you’d pay for travel insurance well worth the cost.

2. Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation

When I traveled to Cuba, it was still extremely difficult to get in and out of the country as an American. For that reason, I found travel insurance to be a good investment. If there was a medical emergency and I needed to return to the U.S. for treatment, I would need travel insurance to do it.

Having heard stories of the medical facilities in Cuba, I knew I’d prefer to come back to the U.S. for care. Without travel insurance, I would have had to wait a significant amount of time to be evacuated. And any amount of time in a medical emergency can seem like an eternity. No thank you.

3. Trip Cancellation

After months of planning and anticipation, you have to cancel your trip. Bummer! This could be for any number of reasons: a death in the family, foreign tensions, acts of god (hurricanes can really put a damper on an island getaway), etc.

And without travel insurance, you’ll lose a significant amount of money in addition to your dream vacation.

Often times, you’re unable to get a full (or even partial) refund on deposits, accommodations, flights, tour packages, etc. Having good travel insurance can help cushion the blow. So while you may not be taking that trip after all, at least you’re not still having to pay for it too.

4. Trip Interruption

Similar to trip cancellation, trip interruption helps if your vacation is cut short due to a medical problem, death, natural disaster, or other catastrophe. Travel insurance will help ensure you get home and are reimbursed for non-refundable expenses.

In addition, if you can’t travel home because you or your travel companion need medical treatment, travel insurance has your back! It will pay you a daily rate for unforeseen expenses (like additional accommodations and transportation).

Can you imagine having to stay away longer than you anticipated? Cha-ching!

5. Trip Delay

It can be quite the odyssey trying to get to your vacation destination. Well, if your trip is delayed 6+ hours, then travel insurance can help with losses on pre-paid accommodations or additional expenses.

Because nothing is more frustrating than a delay, why add the stress of a potential financial loss?

6. Baggage & Personal Effects

We’ve all been there. You checked your bag and it’s either lost entirely or your belongings are damaged. Ugh! It’s one reason I always carry-on when I travel. But if you do lose your luggage or your belongings are ruined, travel insurance is great!

Travel insurance covers your belongings for theft, loss, or damage while on your trip.

Because I travel with an expensive camera, multiple lenses, and my laptop, this coverage is extremely important to me. The financial loss I would suffer if any of them were damaged or stolen would be significant. Travel insurance costs a fraction of what my potential loss could be.

It’s the second biggest reason to have travel insurance. Knowing your belongings are covered will ensure you enjoy your vacation rather than spend it worrying about your stuff.

7. Baggage Delay

So you made it to your destination, but your luggage didn’t.

Sigh.

Having travel insurance will help you purchase necessities until your belongings are returned. There’s typically a per day allowance (World Nomads offers $150/day) so you can purchase clothing, toiletries, etc. This will keep an annoying situation from turning into a costly one.

8. Collision Damage Waiver

Your auto insurance will rarely cover you for rentals outside your home country. And we all know how expensive the additional insurance at rental car companies can be. Yowza!

Yet another reason to have travel insurance.

It will cover you in case of damage to your rental car outside your control. This can include collision, theft, and natural disasters. One less thing to stress about as you’re driving down an unfamiliar road.

9. Accidental Death & Dismemberment

Not exactly a fun one to talk about. But the nightmare of passing away on vacation can be made exponentially worse when your loved ones try to get your body home. There’s a lot of red tape when it comes to returning remains to their country of origin. Travel insurance can make the process much easier for those you leave behind.

Coverage also includes dismemberment while you’re away. Another one that’s not exactly fun to talk about, but good to be aware of.

10. On Call 24-Hour Assistance

Finding appropriate medical care on vacation can be tough. World Nomads has you covered with a 24-hour multi-lingual staff to direct you to the closest medical facility. They can even arrange and pay for medical transportation!

And there you have it! Ten reasons to have travel insurance on your next adventure. Because why have the trip of your dreams turn into a nightmare when the unforeseen happens? Better safe than sorry!

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