Whatever way you planned your vacations you must put into mind that something might go wrong. Even the best planned vacations can be interrupted by problems, unforeseen circumstances and emergencies. You might lose your luggage. You slip, fall, or catch an infection, and need medical treatment. These will not only disrupt your itinerary, but can cost you a lot of money, physical and emotional burden.

Illness abroad happens more often than you think, but medical costs can be prohibitive if you have to pay out of pocket.

That's where travel insurance (also called travel protection) comes to play a savior role. This Travel Insurance is specially designed to address the situations and risks involved in travel; it provides coverage from the moment you leave, to the moment you return to your home. For example, travel insurance can reimburse you for any baggage or items that you may lose during your trip. This is particularly important if you plan to buy anything of high value, such as local antiques, souvenirs or are carrying very expensive jewellery electronic equipment and other merchandise. Your standard medical insurance (like Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue shield, United Healthcare, etc) also tends to be limited to a network area, so without travel insurance, you will have to pay for any hospitalization or medical treatments you receive while abroad. This can be very Expensive, not to mention stressful: imagine being sick and broke in an unfamiliar country without any access to money! If you are visiting a place where doctor's bills and other emergency procedures are expensive, or where there are very real health risks, travel insurance is an absolute must.

Travel insurance is also very important if you plan to take a driving vacation. Many automobile policies will not extend coverage outside the country you live even if you pay for your rental using American Express, Diners Club International, Visa, MasterCard or any other credit card. The last thing you want to worry about is how to pay for a rental vehicle that got smashed by another driver, or take over the costs of repairing a car who you may have hit (a risk anyone takes by traveling through unfamiliar roads with unfamiliar driving condition and rules).

Travel insurance can also provide protection against emergencies that are so specific to going abroad that they cannot be covered by your standard insurance policy. This includes trip interruption. Any fees or down payments that you may have made that would otherwise have been forfeited if you had suddenly cancelled your trip will be returned to you. This is especially valuable in Cruise Trips that can be cancelled or changed due to weather conditions particularly in the Caribbean.

Travel protection plans can also provide assistance services like an emergency hotline, live customer support and medical transportation services. This is very valuable when a crisis hits in a foreign country, where you may not speak the language or know your way around a city well enough to locate the nearest emergency facility. When you are distraught or distressed, or when time is of the essence and you need to get help right away, travel protection plans can be your safety resort. You may be a stranger in a strange land, but you are not alone.

You may ask, "Why should I get travel insurance when I have really good regular insurance?" Many people are under the impression that their automobile, homeowners' credit card and medical policies are so "extensive" that they would automatically provide protection anywhere in the world. That is not necessarily true. You need to read the fine print. If you don't, and fail to take the additional coverage given by travel protection, then you may find out your insurance policies' limitation the hard way: when you are caught in an emergency, and spending a large amount of money (on top of the deductibles and co-payments) with the hope of compensation very far off. Travel protection is a sure guarantee of security. Now you can take your vacation with complete peace of mind I always think that this is what vacations are about!

You've finally saved enough to go on that dream vacation you've been planning. Now you're wondering if you should buy travel insurance. Do I really need to go to the extra expense? All I can lose is my luggage, right? Guess again! Anything can go wrong while you are traveling, and I strongly favor buying a policy. You may find your policy won't cover pre-existing conditions that may cause a problem or that the medical coverage is only for an injury or an illness -- not both. For emergency aid, travel insurance polices are generally dependable and affordable, but there are still a myriad of gaps in the coverage provided. www.tripsetc.com polices designed for almost any type of trip you may be planning, such as a single trip for hunting, backpacking, cruises, house rentals, and a host of others. But, the specific types and amounts of coverage you get depend on the policy you choose. It's important to remember that you will only be covered for what is specifically stated in your policy and for nothing else.

The premiums for the policies are generally 5% to 7% the cost of your trip, but fees will vary depending on your medical history and passengers ages. Many companies offer policies that will include coverage for children at no extra charge.

It is best not to buy your travel insurance from your tour operator. I've listed a few reasons why it may be better to purchase through an insurance company separately.

Most travel insurance policies offered by the operator are:

1. Less flexible to your individual needs.
2. Provide a lower amount of coverage.
3. May only cover a portion of the trip.
4. May duplicate coverage you already have.
5. In the event the tour operator liquidates and goes bankrupt, you would lose not only your trip, but also your premium.
6. Many travel agents are not fully knowledgeable when it comes to understanding the details of various travel insurance policies and may overlook something that could be important to you or your family and few offer suggestions.
7. Buying travel insurance may be less expensive purchasing through your tour operator or cruise line, but for the reasons listed above, you should really check around.

Tripsetc Insurance providers are Access America, Allianz Insurance Group, BCS Insurance Company. AIG Travel Guard, Global Travel Shield, CSA Travel Protection, Global Alert, Stonebridge Insurance, HTH Worldwide UNICARE Life & Health Insurance, Well Point Health Networks, International Medical Group, Sirius International M.H. Ross, EDEX, Travel Safe,Travelex Insurance, Travel Insured International Seven Corners, Inc., RBC Insurance, On Call International, Multinational Underwriters, MedjetAssist, American Express and Lloyds of London.