With everything going on in the world right now, I’ve been thinking a lot about travel insurance lately. While I’m not a travel agent anymore to worry about customers, now I worry about people I know…and yes, someone I know got stranded in Dubai because of regional unrest, and watching them try to navigate that situation from afar is a sharp reminder: travel insurance isn’t just a box to tick. It can be the thing that saves your trip, your health, or a serious chunk of your savings.

So let me break down what you actually need to know before buying one.

But First: Why Bother at All with Travel Insurance?

Because things go wrong. Flights get canceled, luggage gets lost, people get sick, and sometimes a geopolitical situation flips overnight. The question is never if something will happen, but when – and whether you’ll be financially protected when it does.

>> Buy your Travel Insurance HERE

Medical Coverage

This is the big one, and probably the most important reason to get travel insurance.

If you’re an EU citizen traveling within the EU (plus Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC) covers you for state-provided healthcare. It’s not perfect – it doesn’t cover private hospitals, medical repatriation, or everything a local citizen would get – but for basic emergencies, it does the job.
The moment you step outside that zone, you’re on your own.

A medical emergency abroad – a broken leg, appendicitis, a car accident – can cost tens of thousands of euros without insurance. In countries like the US, the bill can be life-altering. Medical evacuation back home? Easily €50,000+.

What to look for: high coverage limits (minimum €1–2 million recommended), emergency dental, medical repatriation/evacuation, and pre-existing conditions coverage (read the fine print carefully on that last one).

Trip Cancellation

You’ve paid for flights, hotels, tours. Then something happens and you can’t go. Without insurance, that money is likely gone.

Standard trip cancellation covers situations like a serious illness (you or a close family member), a death in the family, your home being damaged before departure, or legal obligations like jury duty.

What it does NOT typically cover: changing your mind, work conflicts, or “I just don’t feel like going.”

Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)

This is the upgrade version of trip cancellation, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. You can cancel for literally any reason and still get reimbursed – usually 50–75% of your prepaid, non-refundable costs.

It costs more, and it has conditions: it must usually be purchased within 14–21 days of your initial trip deposit, and you typically need to cancel at least 48 hours before departure.

Is it worth it? If you’re booking an expensive trip with lots of non-refundable components and there’s any uncertainty in your plans – yes, seriously consider it.

Flight Delays and Missed Connections

Most travel insurance policies include some form of flight delay coverage, but the details vary a lot. This typically covers meals and accommodation during a significant delay (usually a 4–6 hour minimum), costs to catch a missed connection if the delay was outside your control, and rebooking fees in some cases.

For more on what to do in these situations, check out these articles:
>> What to do when you miss a flight
>> What to do when your flight is delayed or canceled

Important: if the delay is the airline’s fault and you’re flying within the EU (or from/to an EU airport), you may also be entitled to compensation under EU Regulation EC 261/2004 – regardless of insurance. But insurance covers the gaps that regulation doesn’t.

Extreme Sports Coverage

Standard travel insurance policies almost universally exclude extreme sports. If you plan to ski, snowboard, scuba dive, skydive, bungee jump, or mountaineer, you need a policy that explicitly covers these activities.

Always check the insurer’s definition of “extreme sports” – it sometimes includes things as mundane as cycling or hiking above a certain altitude. Don’t assume; look it up specifically for your planned activities.

War, Political Unrest, and Force Majeure

Most standard travel insurance policies exclude war, terrorism, civil unrest, and force majeure events. The fine print usually says something like: “this policy does not cover losses arising from acts of war, invasion, or civil commotion.”
In practice: if a conflict erupts and your flight is canceled, standard insurance may not reimburse you. If you ignore a government travel advisory and go anyway, you are almost certainly not covered. Even CFAR policies sometimes have exclusions for war zones.

What you can do: check your government’s travel advisory before booking and again before departure. Look for policies that explicitly mention terrorism or political evacuation coverage – these exist but are less common and more expensive. And note that if your flight is canceled by the airline due to these events, the airline is typically required to refund you regardless of your insurance situation.

Force majeure is a broader category covering natural disasters, pandemics, and other “beyond anyone’s control” events. As 2020 reminded us all, standard policies often become void in these situations. CFAR is usually the only type of policy that still pays out.

What Else Can Invalidate Your Travel Insurance

Beyond war and force majeure, here are common reasons claims get denied: you were drunk or under the influence when the incident occurred; you ignored a travel advisory; you had pre-existing medical conditions not declared at purchase; the activity wasn’t covered by your policy; you left valuables unattended (insurers love this one for luggage claims); or you bought the policy too late.

So, What Should You Actually Buy?

It depends on your trip, but here’s a simple framework: for a short EU trip, EHIC plus basic cancellation cover probably does it. For long haul or non-EU destinations, full coverage with high medical limits is non-negotiable. For adventure travel, get a specialist policy or an extreme sports add-on. For expensive prepaid itineraries, consider CFAR. And if you’re traveling somewhere politically unstable, look specifically for political evacuation coverage and read every exclusion.

Whatever you choose, buy it at the time of booking, not the week before departure. The earlier you buy, the more you’re covered for.

Have questions about what cover makes sense for your trip? Drop a comment below or get in touch – happy to help.

Note: this article includes links may qualify as affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a commission.