To have or not to have? Having it might just save your trip!

To have or not to have? Having it might just save your trip!

So you just made these awesome plans to go to these amazing places with these great people! What are you missing? Remembering to book travel insurance is something that everyone does - said nobody ever. I know, when getting ready for a trip you’d rather be researching hotels, things to do and places to eat and clubs to dance at! But travel insurance is one of those things you should really get for every trip you take. Chances are you will never need it but, but IF you do, you will be so glad you got it.

Buying annual travel insurance is a good idea to always be covered if anything happens to your computer, phone, suitcase, etc. I think this is the best way to do it because I travel a lot - therefore it is cheaper. There was a time when I booked individual policies for each trip but the dollars started to add up. However, if you go abroad once or twice a year, it’s fine to buy it trip by trip. But if you go abroad more than 2-3 times it’s usually cheaper to go for annual cover. It also just gives you peace of mind if you buy an annual plan because you never have to think or worry about what could happen. Just grab a glass of wine and and enjoy the ride!

The next thing that I do is print three copies of my proof of travel insurance and the policy. The first, I fold and put it inside my passport. The second, I put in any checked bag (if I check a bag - if not, wherever most of my stuff is). The Third, in my ‘Bag-Bag’. It may sound like a lot, but no matter what, it’s always around when I travel in case I need it in an emergency. On top of all that, I email a copy of it to myself in case I need to access it electronically. Lastly, I tell a friend that I might be travelling with where they can find it in case anything happens to me.

Lucky for me, in all of the traveling that I have done, I’ve only ever had to use my travel insurance once. In 2014 I was travelling through Mexico seeing all of the “Magic Towns” throughout the center of the country. I met up with some travel buddies in the state of Colima. It is one of my favorite places because as soon as you enter the city, you’re met by endless rows of palm trees - it is absolutely breathtaking. One of the most beautiful sites that you will ever see is Nevado de Colima and the Fuego volcano - they are still active and covered with snow, and shelter the beautiful city of Colima (the capital). It is the perfect combination of modernity and tranquility.

Anyway, my friends and I took a walk around the main square of Colima and saw Liberty Garden, with great fountains and sweet local music. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the garden, enjoying the warmth and taquilla! While we were listening to the music of the locals, we decided to do some dancing. In hindsight, it was totally silly to do, but we got up to have fun and left our belongings sitting on the ground. It was still in out line of site, so we thought it was okay. In a sillier coincidence, I decided to take off my necklace that my best friend gave to me for my birthday because it kept hitting me in the face when I jumped.

Of course, you can already guess, we sit back down to have another drink and my necklace is gone! Not the bag, but the necklace. To this day, we still have no idea how someone had managed to get inside of just my bag and take that necklace without any of the five of us noticing.

Lucky for me, I had travel insurance! Within a couple of days I had claimed on our insurance and had a new necklace a week later. Of course, nothing can replace that gift that my friend had given me - but at least I had something to take the naked feeling that I had around my neck.

Since then, I’ve been extra vigilant about keeping my stuff safe. The real moral of this story is very simple – don’t leave your stuff unattended, and don’t take off expensive jewelry! An even better lesson is to not travel with expensive jewelry!  I use to travel around with an enormous bag filled with notebooks, random gadgets, too many clothes, food and a ton of knickknacks that I convinced myself I would give away as gifts but never actually did.

These days, I don’t travel with much. I have my phone, a travel computer, a small portable charger and a bottle of water.

That was kind of superficial, but travel insurance can be a real lifesaver.

Travel insurance can cover just about anything. It can cover all medical bills, the special flights home, other people's flights and hotels. Can you imagine how much it would cost to get the proper type of care in another country without the right kind of coverage? The thought of it actually makes my stomach turn.

I actually had a friend who traveled to Asia and contracted malaria. Thank goodness he had travel insurance to cover the ambulance from the remote village that he was in to the mail city to get treatment before anything really went wrong.

Like I said at the beginning of this blog, chances are, you wont need it. But the next time you take a trip, you should think about investing a few bucks and covering yourself just in case!

For anyone who decides to take a trip with the best and most affordable travel immersion program, Venture Road, your insurance is included with your tuition! For more information on an affordable way to have a priceless experience, visit www.ventureroad.org.

"To have or not to have? Having it might just save your trip!" by Lieke van den Berg

Lieke van den Berg is a 25 year old world traveler from the Netherlands. She discovered a passion for traveling when she was young and has been exploring the world ever since. Lieke stands by the fact that travel does not have to be expensive, it can be an affordable but priceless experience. Her goal is to inspire people to explore the world, discover themselves and inspire passion. She loves to share travel tips, travel tricks and travel stories.

Venture Road - An affordable way to have a priceless experience.

See you on the road soon!