When you are booking your dream vacation, you probably aren't thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Rather, you are imagining yourself on the beach or your family enjoying visiting with Mickey Mouse. The reality is that many vacation plans have to be changed last minute for a variety of reasons such as illness or bad weather. Other trips are interrupted mid-vacation. Consider the following reasons to purchase travel insurance.

Cost

Although the travel insurance will add to the cost of the trip, it is only a small fraction of what you’ve already paid. If you need to use it because you get the flu the day before you are supposed to depart and are unable to board the airplane, you can save yourself a significant amount of money. The more expensive the vacation, the more worthwhile travel insurance will be if you need to use it.

Cancellation

Travel insurance covers a variety of reasons for which you may have to cancel your trip. If you or a family member becomes seriously ill and can't travel, if you can't make it to your travel destination because a snowstorm is halting travel or if a hurricane is heading to your destination, you can use your travel insurance to reschedule or be reimbursed for the cost of your trip.

Medical Emergency

While we all hope that everyone will be healthy for the entire trip, sometimes medical emergencies happen. It can be a broken bone, heart attack, flu or even a seemingly simple ear infection. You or a loved one may need medical help immediately but you’re miles away from your primary care doctor. Travel insurance can help you seek medical attention or even evacuate you to a hospital back home. For those going on an active vacation such as a biking, hiking or skiing trip, the risk of injury is even higher, and travel insurance should not be overlooked.

Lost Documentation

Occasionally, important documents are lost or even stolen. If your passport is one of those items, it will be difficult to get back home. Travel insurance can help!

Consider purchasing travel insurance for your next trip. If something unfortunate occurs, you will be happy you did. If you have a wonderful trip with no issues you will still be glad the insurance gave you peace of mind while you were traveling.