Travel Insurance Protection
The unexpected happens. Protect your travel investment. Get a free quote!Overseas Emergency Medical Coverage
Lost luggage is a hassle. A change of plans before departure may be a major disappointment. However, getting seriously ill or injured while traveling abroad is a critical situation that demands an immediate solution. This is where travel insurance comes in.
The Blue Walk requires all participants on our walking vacations and art workshops to carry overseas emergency medical insurance while traveling with us. At a minimum, emergency medical travel insurance provides coverage for evacuation to the nearest hospital that’s equipped to take care of you. For non-emergency situations, the plan provides coverage for medically necessary transportation to your home or to a hospital in your country of residence. Usually a type of concierge or liaison service is included to assist with communication and coordination of services.
All insurance coverage varies by policy and provider. Therefore providers should be contacted and researched directly to be sure you understand what is included with a given policy and if it is appropriate for your needs.
Other Types of Travel Insurance
Emergency Medical is required, but there are other types of travel insurance designed to safeguard against the unexpected. Trip Cancellation insurance protects your non-refundable deposits if you must cancel before departure. Trip Interruption insurance provides for covered disruptions during your travel (E.g.; missing scheduled activities if you catch a bad flu or twist an ankle). Other coverage exists for medical or dental treatment, lost or stolen baggage, missed or delayed air travel, and more.
We strongly recommend also securing Trip Cancellation travel insurance. Too often it’s been our guests without this coverage that have had to cancel – and have lost everything. Please consider that you are risking the full cost of your trip without it. Additionally, Trip Interruption insurance is also excellent coverage to have. It will reimburse you for the portion of the tour missed due to covered illness or injury during your travels.
Securing Travel Insurance
If you already have medical insurance, it is possible that overseas emergency medical travel insurance is included with your policy. Also, some credit cards may provide travel insurance for purchases charged on their account. We recommend first assessing the coverage you may already have.
If you don’t have sufficient coverage, you can purchase insurance for the the term of your travel with any company you choose. Prior to departure you will be asked to provide us with the policy number and carrier contact details for your overseas emergency medical insurance.
We prefer Generali Global Assistance / CSA Travel Protection as our travel insurance provider. In our experience their phone and online support is prompt and helpful, they are quick to issue payments on valid claims, and their rates are competitive.
Feel free to use any company you choose. Compare rates, shop around. However, to protect your investment, we cannot stress enough how strongly we recommend getting trip cancellation insurance as soon as you make a deposit.
Getting Started with CSA Travel Insurance
The best time to purchase travel insurance is whenever a non-refundable amount has been paid. You may increase the amount of coverage as the date of departure nears and additional non-refundable payments are made.
You may use the CSA quote builder to create a free, no obligation price quote for your travel insurance, and it only takes a few minutes. Simply provide your dates of travel, state of residence, age, and a total trip cost amount. The Blue Walk travel agency code is #05527620. You will immediately be provided with a price quote for two levels of coverage. Within the quote, links to explain each type of insurance are included. Also, coverage limits are clearly defined. It is very easy to see what your coverage, costs, and options are.
Full Coverage
Using the CSA cost builer, for a quote including Trip Cancellation Protection in “Total Trip Cost” enter the total of your prepaid non-refundable expenses (tours, flights, etc.) so everything is covered. A simple way to calculate a full coverage amount is think about how much you would lose if you had to cancel at the last minute.
Full coverage includes trip cancellation and trip interruption for covered reasons, emergency medical and dental, flights, lost or delayed baggage, etc. The quote has all the details. Call CSA/Generali at 800-348-9505 if you have any questions. (Let them know our agency code is #05527620.) Their phone support is very responsive and helpful. They can answer any questions and clarify policy coverages.
Basic Coverage
For a quote with emergency medical coverage only (without trip cancellation coverage) simply enter $0 (zero) in the “Total Trip Cost” field.
Depending upon your age, policies begin at $21 (plus a $6 service fee) and include:
- Travel Delay ($150/day) : $1,000
- Missed Connection : $500
- Baggage and Personal Effects : $1,000
- Baggage Delay : $200
- Medical or Dental Expense : $50,000
- Emergency Assistance : $250,000
- Rental Car Damage : $25,000
Rates are accurate at time of printing. Visit the CSA page for full details and prices.