Monthly Archives: February 2012

Travel Europe This Summer

Travel Europe this summer and enjoy your holidays in the elegant cities of Europe. There are many interesting places in Europe to travel. Some of the most beautiful places of Europe are Paris, London, Venice, Madrid, Frankfurt and Rome. There are many ancient buildings, architectural splendors and magnificent structures in different cities of Europe which are worth seeing. You can easily travel Europe as many airlines have come up with great offers of cheap air tickets.

Though there are many beautiful places to visit in Europe, some of them which no tourist should miss to travel are The Roman Coliseum, Eiffel Tower, Acropolis, Tower Bridge, La Sagrada Familia, St. Michaeliskirche Church and Buckingham Palace.

The Roman Coliseum is another interesting place in Europe to visit. This was originally a grand amphitheater with a seating capacity of over 50,000 people. You cannot afford to miss the opportunity to see this magnificent structure during your travel to Europe this summer.

You can enjoy the view of Paris from Eiffel Tower which is one of the tallest buildings in the world. It is 984 feet high and is a famous landmark in the history of world architecture.

You can travel Europe and visit Acropolis, located in Athens is another important historical site in Europe. You can have a look at Athens from here and enjoy the ancestral city with its ancient buildings. You can also see sites like Parthenon and ancient ruins of as old as 5th century BC.

If you happen to visit London in your Europe travel then you have to see Tower Bridge. This has been built over river Thames and it is designed in such a way that you can view beautiful London from the walkways of the bridge. It will be really a thrilling experience for you to include Tower Bridge in your sight seeing list when you travel Europe.

While you travel Europe for a summer trip you have to make a point to visit La Sagrada Familia. It is one of the most beautiful churches situated in Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by a famous architect Antoni Gaudi who died before completing the structure. You have to see the amazing architecture and innovative designs of it in your Europe travel and make your summer travel a pleasant one.

You can have a panoramic view of Hamburg from St. Michaeliskirche situated in Germany. This would give an exciting experience of enjoying the beautiful sights of Hamburg. In your travel to Europe, you should definitely visit this beautiful church and enjoy your travel this summer.

Buckingham Palace is the residence of British royalty. You cannot waste your Europe travel without seeing this beautiful palace where the Queen of England lives. You can get an opportunity to visit the palace and see the rooms in it. However, you get this chance only in the month of August or September.

Is Travel Insurance A Rip-Off?

Is travel insurance a rip-off? That is a simple question with a complicated answer. To properly understand this issue, you should first understand what travel insurance is. The definition of it is fairly straightforward -it’s short term insurance that covers you while you are on vacation. Travel insurance coverage depends on the parameters of the policy, but in general it extends to lost or broken luggage, thefts that happen during your vacation, medical needs that might arise during your vacation and lost personal items.

There have been many documented occasions of travel insurers being downright fraudulent. The internet is rife with examples. Many people have complained about this that travel agencies or airlines recommend for them being absurdly expensive, difficult or impossible to use, or even non-existent. In some cases, class-action lawsuits have been filed and have been paid to fraud victims. Many people have claimed that exploitative travel agents offered them vacation packages at seemingly steep discounts, only to force them to purchase overpriced travel insurance packages.

That said, not all travel insurers are bad, and buying travel insurance is not always a bad idea. There are many reputable, well-organized, established travel insurers out there. The best thing you can do if you are considering this is do your homework. Compare different travel insurers’ rates and coverage packages. Read the fine print. Check consumer reports and fraud awareness websites.

Here is a brief list of circumstances in which you might find yourself where traveler’s insurance can be a big help. If you suspect you might run into one or more of these problems during your trip, then traveler’s insurance is probably a good idea.

Your flight is cancelled. If you are flying during a very high-volume holiday season and the weather is predicted to be particularly bad, traveler’s insurance might come in handy.

Your bags are lost and you have prescription medication. You need to have an emergency prescription filled. If you have critical medical needs, then traveler’s insurance is absolutely a good idea. You will want to be sure and have a quality, proven insurer with strong medical coverage. Regardless, you will want to put any prescription medications in your carry-on in case your luggage is lost.

Your passport and wallet are stolen and you need emergency cash and a new passport. It isn’t easy to predict a theft, but if you are traveling to an area where you are at greater risk of having your wallet stolen, insurance is a good idea.

A hurricane forces you to evacuate your hotel, resort or cruise. Certain areas of the world are more susceptible to hurricanes, especially during a few months of the year. If you are traveling to one of these volatile locations during hurricane season, insurance could bail you out if a storm comes.

A terrorist incident occurs in the city you’re planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip. Terrorism is a horrific, tremendously unfortunate reality in today’s complicated world. It’s horrible to think about, but if you are traveling in a particularly volatile part of the world, travel insurance might ease your mind.

Travel For Education

Travel is the best form of education. As Francis Bacon has said “Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.”

Travel is the means through which man is able to liberate himself from the trivial anxieties of this world. Which oppress him to no end. It enables him to transcend through his mechanical existence and be exposed to the wonders, excitement and novelties of this world.

If it had not been for travel and man’s insatiable curiosity, man would never have been able to spread his civilisation in all the parts of the globe. Christopher Columbus’s yearning to know what lies ahead of the Pacific landed him up in America; Vasco De Gamma’s curiosity to know what is on the other end brought him to India.

Last but not the least it was Ibn Batuta’s joy for travel and his desire to see the world that made it possible for him to become the first medieval traveler to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time. It was the work and travel of these great explorers that we have been made aware of the existence of these places.

Travel educates a man by bringing him to terms with the ground realities of life. It broadens the outlook of people and clears the difference between urban and suburban lifestyles. For instance, if one would take a trip to coastal America and then to the Midwest one would realize a wide difference between the two lifestyles.

Even in Pakistan if one would head towards Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, one would seriously be shocked. Indeed one contrast is of the terrain; but being in an undeveloped surrounding, one would think that there is more insecurity in those areas than in Karachi, however, one is absolutely mistaken for those areas are safer than large cities. Shocking, yet a fact! I would never have realised this if I had traveled; hence I now believe that travel is the best form of education. Apart from this, travel also gives a person first hand information of the people living in different countries.

Although, now with advancements in technology, the television and Internet fulfill this task quite effectively yet sometimes its make belief reality oppresses us. Personally witnessing the location, meeting the populous and eating the local food has its own charisma and most importantly a lesson, sometimes accompanied with an adventure.

However, some people consider travel to be a waste of time rather than a mode of education. They are drastically in contrast to those who find inner peace, tranquility, recreation, enjoyment, health and fitness in traveling. These people would rather be engrossed in their own hectic lives than take a break and sink into the majestic beauty of God’s creation. For such people, the statement of Robert Louis Stevenson truly befits; “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go, I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

Trip-Travel Insurance

A lot of money is being invested today in traveling. Cruise lines, resort package deals, and air travel can easily run into thousands of dollars. You may have invested some of that money on your trip and can risk losing it all. Some people either don’t think of getting travel insurance or they just don’t want to. Some may think they are in perfect health and they are physically active, what could go wrong? If something does, they will deal with it then.

Why should you buy travel insurance?

Why not? It’s relatively inexpensive. The cost is typically about five to ten percent of the total outlay for the trip. There are literally hundreds of things that can go wrong on a vacation, from a cancelled flight to a serious illness. In some rare cases an act of terrorism or the financial default of a travel supplier can cost money you had originally planned to spend in more enjoyable ways. An illness, accident or other unforeseen circumstance can force a traveler to cancel or interrupt their plans. In that instance they face two major losses: nonrefundable deposits and medical expenses not covered by insurance

Suppose you find yourself in some mishap that leaves you far from home with no money and unable to keep the reservation you already made with no refunds available. This is when it makes sense to purchase travel insurance.

Most trip/travel insurance will cover trip cancellation, trip interruption or delays, medical, dental, emergency medical transportation, lost luggage, accidental death, financial default of airlines, and cruise lines.

Here are some common questions often asked by travelers

What happens if a traveler must cancel their vacation?

Often times a traveler could lose nonrefundable deposits and prepayments that add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars. A good travel insurance plan should provide trip cancellation coverage for the traveler’s vacation investment and the insurance company should reimburse the traveler for all pre-paid, nonrefundable expenses.

How does trip cancellation and interruption coverage work?

It reimburses for forfeited, nonrefundable, unused payments or deposits if the traveler must cancel or interrupt their trip due to a covered reason.

Does travel insurance cover acts of terrorism?

Some travel insurance policies do not cover terrorism. They may only cover terrorist acts that occur in foreign countries. Others can cover terrorist incidents both in the United States and abroad.

What is the cost of travel insurance?

The cost of travel insurance is based on the value of the trip. It normally will run between 5 and 10 percent, based on the age of the traveler. Typically, the average cost runs around five to seven percent of the trip cost.

What if the airline, cruise line or tour operations goes default?

Almost all travel insurance policies include financial default coverage if the program is purchased within 15 days of making the initial trip deposit.

Always check for duplicate coverage

There are a few types of insurance related to travel that you may not need because you are covered from other sources. Your health insurance, life insurance or even your car insurance polices may have limited coverage. Thus, you could be buying duplicate coverage. It is important to always compare with your existing insurance policies to insure there are no duplications.

Be sure to check the “fine print” for hidden limitations on these existing policies. After researching your current polices, it may seem you are already covered on the surface, but the fine print could limit certain conditions, circumstances, situations or locations. The fine print is written in “legalese” that is hard to understand.

Travel Tips – Travel Insurance

Most likely, your vacation plans will go down without incident and you will have a memorable, exciting experience. However, many people now choose to have a backup plan in place just in case the unexpected happens and their travel plans are disrupted. This is why more and more individuals and families are taking advantage of travel insurance. In general, travel insurance has you covered in case your trip is cancelled, delayed, or interrupted. Each aspect of your trip can be insured, including the cost of your plane tickets, hotel reservations, and even tours that you have prepaid for. In addition, travel insurance can also cover medical emergencies or the loss of your luggage.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

One of the most popular types of insurance, trip cancellation insurance covers all of your travel expenses that are not refundable. Your airfare, hotel costs, and any other items that you cannot get your money back for will be fully reimbursed. This is the most complete type of travel insurance and is the best way to make sure that you won’t be out any money in the event of a change or cancellation.

When you sign up for trip cancellation insurance, make sure that your insurance will cover your canceled trip for any reason. For example, some types of insurance will only cover you in the event of an emergency. But the best policies will cover you no matter what — even if you just happen to change your mind. You can also choose the terms of your travel cancellation coverage. You can get insurance for just one trip, more than one trip, or sign up for annual travel insurance coverage. The best type of travel cancellation insurance for your needs will depend most on your frequency of travel.

Airline Ticket Insurance

Another option to cover one of the most expensive aspects of travel is airline ticket insurance. Of course, this insurance will reimburse the cost or your airfare in the event of a cancellation. While airline ticket insurance will not cover the cost of any other travel related expense, it is often cheaper to purchase this insurance instead of simply paying the money to cancel your ticket.

Cruise Insurance

Did you know that getting medical help while aboard a cruise ship can be tens of thousands of dollars more expensive than getting medical help while on land? That is just one reason why cruise insurance could be a sound investment for you. Most individual cruise lines offer their own cruise insurance, but often this is more expensive than getting coverage from an independent agency. In addition, the insurance offered through the cruise lines often has limited benefits. Shop around for insurance that will give you the most coverage — this way you know you will be taken care of in the event of an emergency.

Flight Accident Insurance

Like its name implies, flight accident insurance covers you in the event of accidental death or dismemberment on an airplane. This type of insurance can be thought of like a life insurance policy that will pay out in event of a major disaster. Most flight accident insurance policies will cover you if you are injured while you are a passenger on an airplane or are injured while using airline provided transportation to the airplane.

Rental Car Insurance

Each rental car agency has their own additional insurance policies. These polices are fairly cheap, but may be unnecessary. Before you pay any money for rental car insurance, consult with your own auto insurance agency. Many policies include coverage for rental cars, so there is no need to double insure yourself. However, if you only have basic insurance on your own car, you will most likely need to pay for rental insurance — just to be safe.

Do You Need It?

Of course, having an accident or unlikely event while traveling is not the norm, so you must consider this when weighing the benefits of travel insurance. Of course, most people choose to be safe than sorry. So if you have the means, travel insurance is probably a good idea.

Getting Travel Insurance Makes Sense

Perhaps you have efficiently planned your next business trip or vacation to include trip travel insurance. But for those who haven’t, it is an excellent idea. This is simply because there are so many variables that can happen to cause one to cancel or postpone their trip.

Trip travel insurance will provide reimbursements for up to 70% of your cancellation fees. Policies can also offer 24 hour assistance in case of a medical emergency requiring hospitalization or even a medi-vac to get you home or to a better hospital or medical facility.

Even if you do purchase trip travel insurance there are certain safety travel tips to keep in mind while away from home. For instance, keep money or important documents, like passports or emergency numbers, safe in a hidden money belt. A lot of cities are well known for their clever pickpockets. They often travel in pairs where one will distract you while the other makes off with your wallet, purse or backpack.

Another tip to insure an enjoyable trip is to be as healthy as possible. You may not want to take a long airline flight if you are suffering with a sinus infection or any other ailment for that matter. Find out what vaccinations or immunizations are needed for the country you are visiting.

Most of us become quite stressed when traveling. We worry about everything from whether we forgot our toothbrush to the possibility of some type of unforeseen emergency situation. One way to alleviate some stress is to arrive at the train station, airport or bus depot early. This will give you plenty of time to check in and go through any type of security that may be in place.

If you do suffer from some type of chronic illness or perhaps have a fear of flying, check with your doctor about medication that could make you more comfortable. You want to feel as stressed free, healthy and strong as possible to insure an enjoyable vacation.

Wear clothes that are comfortable and shoes that can be slipped off easily when going through airport security. Layer your clothing so that if you become too warm you can take off a sweater or light jacket. Likewise carry something to put on in case you get cool during the flight, train ride or on the bus.

Trip travel insurance can offer you help with things like medical evacuation, lost baggage or ticket replacement but not with common sense safety issues. Be a wise and aware traveler and plan ahead to properly cover you and your family with an adequate policy for traveling peace of mind.

Vacation Travel Insurance Tips

Travel insurance is an important but often overlooked part of your vacation. Whether you are traveling to a foreign country or to the next state you should consider travel insurance.

Some of the reasons to have insurance are to cover medical expenses, life insurance for your family, or trip insurance when something goes wrong. If you have medical coverage, check with your insurer to find out the specifics regarding your planned destination. You can buy medical coverage for the duration of your trip or for longer periods. Some travel insurance policies cover multiple trips of specific duration. Some will cover you for travel up to a year.

Planning a skiing or mountain climbing vacation? You may want to consider evacuation insurance. If you need to be rescued it is quite possible that the you will end up with a hefty bill to pay for the service. If you are going on a cruise, taking an organized tour or just flying on an airplane you may want trip cancellation insurance. You or a family member may get sick at the last minute or your plans may change unexpectedly.

Many companies do not offer refunds and you could be out thousands of dollars. There are many things out of your control that can mess with your plans. Refunds are tough to get sometimes. Other popular coverage is loss of baggage, baggage delay, travel delay, dental, 24 Hour Traveler Assistance, and accidental death.

If you are driving out of the country definitely check with your auto insurer. Purchase any extra coverage needed. You may want to ask about an international roadside assistance policy. Auto breakdowns and accidents are bad enough at home but the problems are compounded abroad.

Check with your credit card company. You may have some coverage if you purchase your vacation with their card. If you are traveling with a group you may be able to get coverage cheaper as a group rather than individually. Sometimes you will pay more for less coverage if you buy it through a travel agent who makes a nice commission. This is not always the case but it’s your money. Shop around for the best deal.

Travel Guard Insurance

Run by AIG, the world’s leading financial services and international insurance organization, Travel Guard Insurance is one of the few companies you can bank on for dependable travel insurance service.

Boasting real 24/7 customer service, Travel Guard Insurance makes use of its “World Service Center” to attend to emergency calls round the clock. For the travel insurance industry, this type of service is essential because one phone call may literally mean saving a life.

If you’re still having second thoughts on whether to get travel insurance or not before embarking on your next trip, consider this: Let’s say a huge blizzard forces you to cancel trip for a reason that’s one of those stipulated in the policy. The airline offers to guarantee you a seat on the next plane that’s cleared for travel, but the delay would render your trip useless.

This means that without travel insurance, something that’s as unavoidable as inclement weather could mean money down the drain for you. If you’ve purchased non-refundable tickets, you won’t be able to get a single cent out of the cancellation, and that’s not counting the time, money, and effort wasted falling in line and arranging for your trip in the first place.

Travel Guard Insurance has more than 6 million travel insurance clients who now feel safe and secure after purchasing one or more of their different packages. It’s important to carefully choose which package or plan is best for you, as not all plans are appropriate for all people.

One of Travel Guard Insurance’s Plans, called the “All-Inclusive,” is their basic plan that can cover anyone from age 0 to 69. Some of the benefits included in this package are: accidental death and dismemberment; trip delays, interruptions, or cancellations; 24/7 emergency medical assistance; damaged, delayed, or lost baggage; and emergency illnesses or accidents.

A policy that is unique to Travel Guard Insurance is their “Protect Assist” plan – ideal for individuals who are traveling on a limited budget. It offers general protection at a reasonable price. Make sure that your Travel Guard Insurance representative explains to you all the features and limitations of this policy that you need to know.

For those who are traveling in a group, Travel Guard Insurance offers the “Travel America Plan” which covers a lot of important items relevant to traveling by air or by car. It provides for up to a year’s worth of medical insurance after an illness, provided that the initial treatment was given during your insured trip.

To know the policy best suited for your needs, go online and search for client feedback on Travel Guard Insurance’s services. It’s always better to hear from an unbiased individual so you would be able to do an objective comparison shopping of policies. After all, you’re putting good money into whatever type of travel insurance you’d eventually avail of.

Travel Insurance For Peace of Mind

Airline fares, hotel accommodations, and now even adequate travel insurance can be readily availed of from most travel agencies via their packaged trip offerings. Accidents and emergencies are actually rather common when people travel but these are often disregarded by travelers when they do travel. There are a number of travelers who have experienced firsthand how these travel pitfalls can affect any trip.

In addition to a person’s own concerns may it be medical or not there are also some other elements that coverage can protect the traveler from like when companies close down and declare bankruptcy, when rental vehicles are not ready as agreed upon, when hotel reservations have been lost, and also when there is a case of over booking for the air line. Travel consultants will always tell travelers that it is a good decision to avail of some form of travel insurance. There are a lot of factors which can easily affect a trip and therefore people need to have the proper judgment and get travel insurance if they see fit.

There is a need for a standard policy if a traveler wants to file a claim for a trip cancelled due to a medical emergency. Not having a good reason to cancel travel plans will always incur penalties for the traveler which insurance companies will never shoulder and this article will give out more examples pertaining to when and where insurance is applicable. However some travel insurers have begun offering all encompassing plans that pay for just about anything that may go wrong during your trip.

One travel insurance company provides assistance of ten thousand dollars each for medical emergencies and company bankruptcy as well as another four hundred for possible cancellation fees. If a traveler experiences a twelve hour flight delay or loses some belongings also when hotel reservations have been lost a policy like this will issue a refund. This is a policy which will also cost a lot of money.

There are insurance policies which can be availed of for about eight percent of the total travel expenses. Trip cancellation plans will reimburse five dollars and fifty cents per hundred dollars of coverage a traveler purchases. Because travel agencies make travel insurance a part of their travel packages the insurance companies are now booming.

The cost of insurance can be removed from the overall package should the traveler wish to do so. It is more likely that people will avail of travel insurance when a travel package includes the policy already. How beneficial is travel insurance to the everyday traveler?

Claims can be made when policies extend to a particular situation but the absence of an insurance policy will offer no security for the traveler. When it comes to unsafe locations then refunds are quite easy to get. The condition in this situation is that the company should be the one to cancel the trip or if the country’s government issues a travel advisory.

It is possible for trouble to erupt in countries without prior warning and when this happens some people tend to back out of travel plans. Refunds will not be made when people have the reason of being afraid to push through with it.

Travel Insurance – Essential EHIC

When you’re heading off on your holidays it’s important to check that you’ve got everything.

Alongside the clothes, toys for the kids and the all important sun cream, there’s also the paperwork to take care of.

Before you travel it’s important to ensure you have some form of cover in case anything should happen to yourself or your family whilst abroad.

As well as arranging some travel insurance, you may need other paperwork depending on where you are holidaying to, as well as covering yourself for any additional activities you want to participate in – including winter sports.

If you’re travelling from the UK to European destinations it can be worth your while to take out a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

This handy little card replaced the old E111 form system at the beginning of 2006. The card entitles holidaymakers to reduced costs should they require medical assistance if something should happen on their trips.

However, the card itself is not a substitute for holiday insurance, and many fall into the trap of believing that the EHIC card will be all they need for when they go on holiday to Europe.

The EHIC card is valid for three to five years and can be useful for expatriates as well as holidaymakers, although it might not cover all types of treatment – so you may find yourself having to pay a small contribution to your medical treatment.

Should you require medical treatment whilst holidaying in Europe, taking out an EHIC before you travel could help reduce the cost of your treatment.

As for the treatment itself, you’re likely to receive treatment at a state-provided level, which might not be quite what you are used to on the NHS. Some countries may also charge for some treatments which you may be used to getting free of charge back home on the NHS.

Combined with a travel insurance policy, this handy little card can provide holidaymakers with peace of mind from a financial point of view.