back to articles | May 16, 2024 | Taylor McKnight

Categories: Lifestyle

Why You Should Get Travel Insurance For Your Vehicle

Purchase of travel insurance minimizes stress for unexpected events that could arise on your trip.

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Taking a road trip allows you to experience sights and sounds that can enrich your vacation and create memories to cherish for a lifetime. Whether you travel in an RV, tow a camper or decide to stay in hotels along your route, planning ahead for unexpected events with the purchase of travel insurance minimizes stress and financial loss in numerous situations. With numerous coverage types available, vehicular travel insurance gives you enhanced peace of mind as you explore new areas on your next road trip.

What Is Vehicular Travel Insurance?

Vehicular travel insurance covers losses that you may incur on road trips, including those related to natural disasters, illness, vehicle theft and numerous other events. These events can prevent you from proceeding with your vacation as planned, and they can arise before your trip starts or in the middle of the trip. As a result of these unexpected events, you may experience loss from concerts, amusement parks and other special destinations or events where tickets were purchased in advance. You may also have paid non-refundable deposits for hotels, excursions and tours. Travel insurance provides partial or full reimbursement for these situations, and it also covers various expenses for rental cars and other expenses related to air travel prior to embarking on a road trip. For example, rental car damage and delayed baggage arrival may be covered up to the insurance plan's limits. Everything from musical instruments, golf clubs and medical expenses to lost passports, pet travel medical expenses and auto insurance deductibles may be covered by your vehicle travel insurance plan as well.

Why Should You Get Travel Insurance for Your Vehicle?

Life happens fast at times, and various circumstances can arise seemingly out of the blue to interfere with your vacation plans. Auto accidents, in your own vehicle or in a rental vehicle, are possible. These events incur expensive insurance deductibles, repair costs and medical expenses. Breakdowns and other repair issues can leave you stuck at an auto shop and without transportation for days on end. In addition to the vehicle's repair costs, these events can delay your vacation or prevent your vacation from continuing altogether. Even if you have a serious collision or another major event before your vacation starts, you will incur financial loss. Vehicle travel insurance covers you for these losses up to the terms of your coverage for both trip interruptions and cancellations.

Vehicle travel insurance benefits extend to numerous other situations that prevent you from enjoying your trip as planned. These include health and dental issues that take you off the road, natural disasters, emergency evacuations, closed attractions and more. Even if it rains on your vacation or a beach is closed, your vehicle travel insurance policy may cover related losses up to a predetermined amount.

What Should Be in Your Travel Insurance Vehicle Plan?

The included coverage types for travel insurance vehicle plans vary, so understanding the options is a beneficial step to take before embarking on your trip. Generally, an insurance plan reimburses you for some or all of your non-refundable or prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel or delay your trip. In addition to prepaid and non-refundable expenses, your travel insurance plan may cover various types of unexpected expenses. Medical emergency and medical evacuation coverage are commonly included. Trip cancellation and interruption protection provides coverage if you need to cancel your trip before you leave or end the trip early. Some travel insurance vehicle plans also include an accidental death or dismemberment benefit.

Travel insurance vehicle coverage may pay for expenses related to an emergency medical evacuation, such as if you become stranded on a hike because of an injury. Travel assistance is a beneficial coverage as it provides roadside assistance for both personal and rental vehicles. If you plan to fly to your destination before exploring the area in a rental car, lost and delayed baggage expenses are covered by some travel insurance vehicle plans. When setting up your plan, consider the advantages of driveway-to-driveway protection as its coverage is in force through all legs of your trip. Select plans offer inconvenience benefits related to weather conditions and closures. Pets and service animals may also be covered for medical expenses and emergency travel to return home.

While the many coverage types available require review, the coverage amounts are also important. These amounts vary by plan and may play a significant role in your ability to recoup funds from unexpected situations that disrupt your travel plans. Plans also vary in terms of who is covered. Some plans, for example, provide coverage for up to 10 people.

Learn More Today

Vehicle travel insurance benefits may not be used for your next trip. However, it provides peace of mind and dramatically minimizes financial loss in many situations. Learn more about travel insurance vehicle benefits and coverages today.