(BPT) – Travel is always in season, but don't let the excitement of planning your next trip make you forget about the necessary safety precautions before you go. Staying informed about your destination and preparing for your trip is one of the best ways to help you enjoy your destination to the fullest, allowing you to be comfortable and in vacation mode.
Here are some top travel tips and considerations from a leading travel insurance and assistance company. Allianz Partners USA to stay safe and informed wherever you go.
Take out travel insurance. Some travelers may feel that they are not spending enough on their trip to justify purchasing travel insurance. Beyond protecting the financial investment of prepaid flights, hotels, and tours, one of the main reasons to purchase travel insurance is for emergency medical coverage and emergency medical transportation. An emergency hospital visit or medical evacuation, especially while traveling abroad, can be a significant expense. Since many foreign health care providers do not accept U.S. health insurance plans, a hospital bill can be significantly more than the cost of travel insurance coverage with post-departure benefits. Not only can travel insurance protect your wallet from covered medical emergencies, but a reliable travel insurance provider can also provide 24/7 travel assistance with a dedicated team to help you with everything from ensuring you receive appropriate medical care to ensuring that a covered medical emergency is paid. You'll never feel alone when you have a travel support team behind you.
Have a plan in place if your reservation is cancelled or you need to cancel. While an early morning flight to the airport may not be everyone's cup of tea, opting for one of the first departures of the day can save you from missing a day of your vacation. Even if your early morning flight is canceled, you may still be able to make it to your destination the same day if there is another flight or airline flying that afternoon or evening. If you book a late afternoon or evening flight, chances are that flight will be the last option, and you may have to find a hotel room and start your vacation a day late. Another scenario is that you may have to cancel your vacation yourself. If you purchase a travel insurance policy with cancellation benefits when you book your trip, you may be able to get a refund of your prepaid, non-refundable trip deposits if you have to cancel for a reason covered by your policy (for example, your child unexpectedly falls on the trampoline and ends up with a broken bone, so you can't travel).
Medicines are not the same everywhere in the world. If you need to purchase over-the-counter medications while traveling abroad, the local pharmacy may not immediately recognize the product you request. Allyz® TravelSmart mobile app The Allianz Partners app offers free travel services for download, has a medical dictionary to help you find the desired medication and identify the global pharmaceutical name to share with the pharmacist to get a local equivalent. If you are not sure which medication would be best for you, the app also offers a medical translator to search for keywords describing what you are feeling, whether it is a headache, ear infection, fever, etc., and can translate the word or phrase into the native language.
Know what to do in the event of a medical or safety emergency.in this. It’s not always easy to figure out what to do in the event of an emergency abroad, but it’s important to think about it. Not only does the Allyz® TravelSmart app include a hospital finder to quickly direct you to the nearest healthcare facilities, it can also provide you with geo-localized safety alerts to alert you of any hazards in the area you’re traveling in, big or small, and an embassy finder that will point you to the nearest U.S. embassy. It’s safety, in the palm of your hand. The app also offers quick access to local emergency numbers. Simply choose the country you’re traveling in and you’ll see the numbers for your local fire, emergency, and police departments so you can call them in the event of an emergency. Bonus tip: Parents, you’ll sleep easier if your students have these features at their fingertips when they’re spending a semester abroad. Whether you're traveling abroad or at home, the travel insurance company also offers its customers access to a 24/7 travel assistance team, who can help you resolve security and medical issues over the phone.
Traveling is a great way to spend your vacation any time of year, and taking the necessary precautions to stay as safe as possible can help ensure you have a successful and worry-free trip. For more information, visit travel insuranceallianz.comor download the Allyz® TravelSmart app to organize your trips and get information in the palm of your hand.
