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3 times travel insurance is worth it

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If you've paid for a nonrefundable excursion, travel insurance may be worth getting. Thomas M Barwick INC/Getty Images

Memorial Day is just days away and, with it, the unofficial start to the summer traveling season. As a result, many people are preparing for their long-awaited vacations. While an organized itinerary can help make things run smoothly, it won't offer much of a buffer in case things go wrong. This is where travel insurance can help. By insuring their trip, travelers can get protected against a wide variety of issues and emergencies. And it doesn't need to be expensive - it generally costs just 4% to 8% of your total trip costs.

That said, like all financial products and services, there are better times to get travel insurance than others. We will explore three of the best times to get a plan below. If you're considering insuring your next trip, start by comparing travel insurance quotes here now.

3 times travel insurance is worth it

While travel insurance can be valuable in multiple scenarios, it's particularly helpful to have during the following three instances.

When traveling internationally

Your health insurance may be robust at home, but it could offer little to no protection if something goes wrong on an overseas trip. For this reason and others, travel insurance can be essential when heading outside of the country. 

"Most primary health insurance policies either don't offer overseas coverage or if they do, the coverage is limited. Travel insurance policies, on the other hand, can provide coverage in multiple destinations worldwide," says SquareMouth, an online travel insurance marketplace.

It's worth noting that travel insurance doesn't just cover hotel and flight expenses. Depending on the policy, it can also protect you from medical expenses you otherwise would have gotten stuck paying out of pocket while overseas. No one wants to think about how to pay for care if they sick while on vacation. Fortunately, travel insurance removes these concerns from the equation by protecting you in case you get sick or hurt outside the U.S.

Check your travel insurance options with SquareMouth now to learn more.

When traveling during certain times of the year

No one can know for certain how your trip will play out. So, you should be sure to complete your due diligence. If you're planning on traveling to an island during the hurricane season, for example, travel insurance is a smart protection to have. While you can't control the weather, you can control your planned response to any adverse conditions. 

Familiarize yourself with any potential problematic weather for your destination before you get there. Then, make sure to insure yourself against these conditions in advance. That way, you don't get stuck paying for a trip you had to spend indoors most of the time.

When you have nonrefundable elements to your trip

While some portions of your trip may be refundable, others may not. In this case, travel insurance is a valuable protection to have in case the nonrefundable portions of your trip aren't completed as planned. These, in general, are expenses you wouldn't be able to get reimbursed for if you had to make an eleventh-hour change to your trip. They include prepaid tours, excursions or other expenses you may have secured a good deal on by accepting they were nonrefundable (like airfare).

If you've already paid for these items, or know you will upon arrival, travel insurance is smart to have to protect you should something should go wrong. Check travel insurance quotes and options here now to find the best plan for you.

The bottom line

Travel insurance is a smart way to protect yourself against any adverse conditions that could affect parts of your trip - or the trip in full.

While it's a valuable protection to have in multiple instances, it's especially worth it when traveling internationally or traveling during certain times of the year when weather conditions could severely affect your plans. It's also a good idea to secure a travel insurance policy if you have one or more nonrefundable portions of your trip. Should something go wrong and you can't complete those portions, a travel insurance policy could help pay you back.

Learn more about your travel insurance options here now.

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