Travel insurance typically covers trip cancellations, medical emergencies abroad, lost luggage, and other travel disruptions, but whether it’s worth buying depends on your trip and existing coverage.
If you’ve prepaid non-refundable flights, hotels, or tours, trip cancellation coverage can protect that investment if illness, weather, or another covered reason forces you to cancel.
Check your existing health insurance policy first – many domestic health plans offer little or no coverage outside your home country, which makes travel medical coverage particularly important for international trips.
Some credit cards include limited travel insurance benefits automatically when you book with that card, which may reduce or eliminate the need for a separate policy.
For a short domestic trip with fully refundable bookings, travel insurance may not add much value. For an expensive international trip, it’s generally worth the relatively small added cost for the protection it provides.