Should You Buy Travel Insurance for Short Holiday Travel?

Travel insurance might seem like an avoidable expense when going on a short vacation over the weekend. However, even brief trips can come with unexpected hiccups that could disrupt your plans.

From last-minute cancellations due to bad weather or unexpected illnesses while on vacation, there’s a significant risk of unforeseen events ruining your holiday, regardless of its duration. Therefore, purchasing travel insurance for short trips is a necessity.

Travel insurance for short trips provides a safety net, ensuring that unexpected events don’t turn your brief getaway into a costly ordeal. Here, we explore reasons why you must get travel insurance, even for a short holiday.

How Does Travel Insurance for Short Trips Work?

Travel insurance for short travel covers trips that usually last one or two to three days. These plans work exactly like regular travel insurance for a long holiday, providing coverage for flight delays, trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage and passports, etc. 

These policies offer peace of mind, allowing you to enjoy every second of your quick vacation without worrying about the potential monetary impact of unforeseen events. Moreover, due to the shorter duration of your stay, they have more affordable premiums.

7 Reasons to Get Travel Insurance for Short Trips

Now that we know how travel insurance for short trips works, let’s see why you must get one before going on a holiday:

1. Cross-Border Medical Coverage

You may avoid purchasing travel insurance for short trips under the pretence that your health insurance will cover the cost of medical emergencies. However, health insurance doesn’t cover international trips, which is where travel insurance comes in handy. 

Whether you buy travel insurance for trips over 30 days or three, it includes international medical coverage. This covers the cost of transportation to the nearest hospital and treatment. If needed, your insurer will also assist you in travelling back home for treatment.

2. Insurance for Airfare

For shorter vacations, you basically buy travel insurance for flight tickets. The share of ticket prices in your total expenses is significantly higher since you’d spent less on hotel stays, food, transport, etc. 

If your flight is cancelled or you choose to postpone your trip before departure, you will lose the money spent on the boarding passes. However, with travel insurance, the insurer will reimburse you the cost of tickets in case your trip is interrupted.  

3. Coverage for Flight Delays 

Your trip’s duration does not affect weather, mechanical issues, or air traffic. These disruptions are as likely to cause flight delays, bringing with them additional expenses like meals, accommodation, and transport. Travel insurance shields your short trip from becoming a financial nightmare by compensating you for these extra expenses.

4. Covers Loss of Luggage

Whether you’re travelling for a short trip or an extended vacation, there’s always a chance the airline will misplace your luggage. There’s also the risk of theft or losing it in transit. In such cases, travel insurance will compensate you for the loss and cover the cost of purchasing essentials to help you complete the journey. 

5. Protection for Passport 

Passports are essential for cross-border travel, regardless of the duration or purpose of your visit. If you lose your passport or it is stolen, you won’t be able to continue your trip as planned unless you either recover the original document or get a duplicate. Travel insurance again helps you, covering the cost of getting a replacement passport. 

6. Personal Liability

While on vacation, you may be involved in an accident that causes injuries to a person or damage to property. If you are found liable for these damages, travel insurance provides financial protection to cover the cost of legal proceedings and settlements. 

7. Emergency Evacuation

If you are travelling to a destination prone to natural disasters or affected by conflict, not having travel insurance isn’t an option. That’s because these plans include emergency evacuation coverage. 

In case a disaster strikes or there’s civil unrest, you don’t have to worry about finding safe passage and bear the exorbitant costs of emergency flights. Instead, your insurer will arrange emergency transportation to bring you home safely. 

Key Takeaways

Some aspects of travel are outside your control, including flight delays, lost or stolen items, and unexpected health issues. What you do control, however, is your safety. Therefore, always opt for travel insurance to safeguard your well-being while travelling. This way, you can ensure peace of mind and enjoy your journey without worrying about unexpected situations.