Travel insurance protection for international travel

Do I Really Need Travel Insurance?

Do the current attacks and events have you a little nervous about travel? It may be time to reconsider travel insurance.

This is a question that has personally confused me over the years. First, how do you know if you need it? Second, how do you pick it?

I think the answer is there are a few “ifs” and a lot you need to check out. Fortunately, it’s getting much easier to know whether you need it, and then to find the right coverage.

What to consider…

Where are you traveling?

If you’re headed to the coast with the kids for a weekend you probably don’t need travel insurance. Headed down the road to visit Grandma? Same answer.

If you are traveling over 100 miles, have to prepay for tickets, expensive events, or a tour, you may want coverage.

Keywords are “prepaid” and “non-refundable”. You can’t get insurance to reimburse you for money you haven’t spent.

If you are flying, you may want coverage in case there are flight delays or baggage issues.

Sit down with pen and paper and add up trip costs that are non-refundable. Things like pre-paid flights, hotel, all-inclusive packages, tour packages and event tickets. This will show you the travel coverage that you need.

International travel

International has more considerations. It’s more expensive and insurance coverage that you have may not cover you.

If traveling internationally, you may want to supplement your health insurance. This may also cover emergency medical evacuation. Medicare does not cover international travelers.
Are you a regular traveler? You can purchase coverage that covers all your travels in a year. There are some restrictions and caveats.
Another way to save on insurance is to cover all family members traveling together on the same policy.
Be aware of the limits and exclusions on the policy.
Think about extra coverage – for failure of an airline, cruise ship or travel
Stressed travel researcher

company.
Activity coverage. There are a lot of common tourist activities that are only covered if you request this. You may not ride an elephant or camel at home, but tourists do this. One woman was badly hurt falling off a camel.
Winter sports are a lot of fun but can lead to accidents. You need these covered, just in case.
“Cancel for any reason” this covers you for all eventualities. This covers you for things that are foreseeable but unavoidable. If you are traveling with a known medical condition, it’s the only way you can get reimbursed for last minute cancellation.
What about coverage through my airline reservation? Do some comparisons. These generally are much more restrictive and harder to receive reimbursement on.

Will you be driving internationally? Most travel policies do not cover international car rental. Your existing auto insurance may not cover this. Some credit card benefits do cover international car rental – check it out. But there are specific restrictions you need to be aware of. Reading the fine print is the only way to know.

Select coverage

When you start making reservations, you need to find desired coverage right away. Most companies require you to purchase coverage within 10-21 days of making your initial purchase. If you have additional purchases to make, contact the company.

Once you have decided what you need, you need to go to an insurance comparison website. Three of the leaders are:

insuremytrip.ocm
squaremouth.com
travelinsurance.com

I recently used Squaremouth based on a travel insurance review that I read. The company is top rated and has 44,795 travel insurance reviews. They made it easy to compare coverage and find exactly what I needed. And the price was less than I was expecting to have to pay.

[Note: I have no financial interest in Squaremouth and receive no reimbursement from them.]

Take documentation with you

In addition to your travel documentation, be sure to take copies and contact information for:

your travel insurance policy
international health care coverage
credit card details on international car rental if applicable

Proper insurance coverage will allow you to relax and travel knowing you have it covered.

10 Tips for incorporating wellness into your travel

Wellness Lifestyle Travel

You feel good with your commitment to a healthier wellness lifestyle. Your stress is more controlled, your body feels better, and your clothes fit better. You exercise regularly. You focus your food choices on fresh organic, local, seasonal…

Now you want to maintain those choices while traveling. It can be a challenge. Long hours sitting in transit, airport and hotel food.

Here are ten tips to help you incorporate wellness into your travels.

1) Plan ahead and take favorite snack foods with you.

While you cannot take beverages through security screening, you can take

food. Proteins, (nuts, seeds, organic snack bars), firm fruits/vegetables, dried fruit… a little advance planning can have you feeling better about your choices.

2) Schedule time to move between flights.

Instead of racing from one flight to another, consider giving yourself a little more time. Walk the airport, explore, make use of the yoga room to stretch and rebalance. All airports have places to walk, more are adding gyms, quiet rooms and massage.

3) Check your destination hotel.

Look for those that feature healthy lifestyle choices. Fitness facilities, access to bicycles, walking paths, yoga and more. Increasingly properties are making healthy food choices available. Don’t see what you are looking for on their website? Call them and ask questions to see if they can accommodate your needs. If not, are there restaurants or grocers nearby that feature organic, seasonal local?

Use internet search engines to help you plan. Find healthy choice restaurants and grocers near where you will be staying. Keep a list of those who meet your specific preferences.

4) Locate the nearest farmer’s market.

This is a great place to find

seasonal organic items. Often they include vendors offering prepared healthy selections.

5) Ship it ahead.

Consider shipping your own care package of non-perishable foods ahead of time. On arrival, collect the package at the hotel’s business office.

6) Schedule your travel to include time dedicated to your fitness activities.

Don’t let a tight schedule prevent you from a morning walk or time at the gym.

7) Opt for in-room fitness.

Many savvy travelers carry lightweight packable devices like stretch bands. These plus normal in-room furniture allow them to get an exercise routine in. This is a bonus if the weather is inclement or the hotel’s fitness center gets high use. Some hotels also have fitness tools available for in-room use including DVD workouts.

8) Skip the elevators… take the stairs.

If you are staying at a larger property, select a floor that coincides with your fitness level. Then instead of standing around waiting for the elevator, take those stairs.

9) Track your fitness goals.

If you don’t have a personal activity device, there are free applications you can download on your smartphone. Most can track your distance, steps, kcal, time spent and movement speed. Some can be set up with alerts and reminders.

10) Relaxation time.

Relaxation and focused breathing is a proven way to

destress. Work stress, travel stress, too much technology stress. All benefit from dedicated time to relax. Yoga, meditation, and massage are recognized “safety valves” to reduce stress and enhance wellbeing. Schedule some into your trip and renew.

With a little preparation and planning, your next trip can be a wellness fitness trip. You’ll feel better, be more alert, have more energy and come home rejuvenated.

7 Tips to enhance your visit to a spa

tip 1 Use those resort amenities to enhance your spa visit — Take advantage of resort amenities is a key tip to spa visiting

7 Tips for Your Spa Visit

There are different ways to visit spas. Here are some tips to help you enjoy it to the maximum.

You can go in for a service. You can spend the day. Many hotels have spa’s on-site. This may mean you can spend the day at the spa, then wearing the lovely robe they provide, wander back to your room to freshen up.

Tip #1: Check out what facilities the spa or day spa has that you will be

Tip for your spa visit, know what amenities are available to you — Relaxation room with cedar spa in background

able to use. While we think of water and showers associated with spas, not all facilities have them. Some are only available to the person who is spending the day as opposed to a single service. You need to know this.

Tip #2: What are you going to be doing after your spa appointment? Plan your visit around this. You will most likely have no makeup and messy hair when you finish. Some treatments include a scalp massage and you may have residual oil in your hair. It’s well worth the disarray. But, if you have social plans either make sure they have a place you can restore yourself, or take a hat. I strongly recommend a hat! It’s a great travel accessory.

Tip #3: All spas should be collecting at least basic medical and skin history information about you. They need to know about any sensitivities that you have. If you tend to have sensitive skin, select non-aggressive treatments. Go for soothing and calming. They need to know what medications you are on, any implants you may have, or if you’ve had Botox or line fillers.

Tip #4: Speak up. Your therapist wants you to have the best possible

Another tip is locating where you can freshen up after the treatment. — Finding a facial room with en-suite shower is a great spa tip

experience. Let them know if you are uncomfortable, hot, cold, the pressure is too much or if a product is uncomfortable. Don’t just endure. They want you to be happy, but they can’t read your mind.

Tip #5: Wet floors can be slippery. Use the slippers they have provided you.

Tip #6: Some shower systems can be a mystery. If you can’t figure out how to turn their’s off and on, don’t hesitate to ask. Every time I travel, I run into one I’ve never seen before.

Tip #7: Be a good spa guest. All spas want this to be a relaxing experience. Turn OFF your PHONE. No phones are allowed in a spa. Guests who don’t follow the rules may be asked to leave. Relax, enjoy your visit, disconnect from the world outside.