(BPT) - Travel is always in season, but don't let the excitement of planning your next trip cause you to skip necessary safety precautions before you go away. Staying informed about where you're traveling and being well-prepared for your trip is one of the best ways to help you soak in the destination to the fullest, allowing you to be at ease and on full vacation mode.
Here are some top travel tips and considerations provided by leading travel insurance and assistance company Allianz Partners USA for staying safe and informed wherever you go.
Purchase travel insurance. Some travelers may not think they're spending enough money on their trip to warrant purchasing travel insurance. Beyond protecting the financial investment of pre-paid flights, hotels and tours, one of the primary reasons to purchase travel insurance is for emergency medical and emergency medical transportation benefits. An emergency hospital visit or medical evacuation, especially when traveling overseas, can be a significant expense. Since many foreign healthcare providers don't accept U.S. healthcare 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 with everything from making sure you're receiving the proper medical care to guaranteeing payment for a covered medical emergency. You'll never feel alone when you have a travel assistance team behind you.
Have a plan if you get canceled on or need to cancel. While an early morning trip to the airport isn't everyone's cup of tea, opting for one of the day's first departures can guard against missing a day of your vacation. Even if your early morning flight is canceled, it's possible you can still get 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 was the last option, and you may be stuck with finding a hotel room and starting your vacation a day late. Another scenario is you needing 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 receive a refund of your pre-paid, non-refundable travel deposits if you have to cancel for a reason covered by your policy (for example, your child unexpectedly takes a tumble on the trampoline and ends up with a broken bone, so you can no longer travel).
Medications aren't the same around the world. If you find yourself needing to purchase over-the-counter medication while on an international trip, the local pharmacy might not immediately recognize the product you request. The new Allyz® TravelSmart mobile app from Allianz Partners offers free travel services on download, has a medical dictionary to help you find your desired medication and identify the global pharmaceutical name to share with the pharmacist to secure a local equivalent. If you're not sure what medication would help best, the app also features a medical translator to source keywords to describe how you're feeling, from a headache, earache, fever and more, and can translate the word or phrase into the native language.
Know what to do in case of a medical or safety emergency. Thinking about what to do in case of an emergency abroad isn't fun, but it's important to consider. Not only does the Allyz® TravelSmart app include a hospital finder to quickly direct you to nearby healthcare facilities, but it also can deliver Geo-located Safety and Security Alerts to warn you of any danger in the area where you're traveling, major or minor, and an embassy finder that will point you to the closest U.S. embassy. It's security, in the palm of your hand. The app also has quick access to local emergency numbers. Simply choose the country you're traveling in, and the local fire department, emergency and police department numbers will appear for you to call if experiencing an emergency. Bonus tip: Parents, you'll sleep easier if your college kids have these features handy when they're taking a semester abroad. Whether traveling internationally or domestically, the travel insurance company also provides its customers access to a 24/7 travel assistance team, who can talk you through security and medical dilemmas over the phone.
Traveling is a great way to spend your vacation time any time of year, and making sure you're taking precautions to stay as safe as possible can set you up for a successful and worry-free trip. For more information, visit allianztravelinsurance.com, or download the Allyz® TravelSmart app for travel organization and information in the palm of your hand.
