Accident, robbery, luggage loss, dispute with the hotel: Nobody wants to think about these things when booking a trip. With travel insurance, you can protect yourself from all the unpredictability. We show which insurance you really need.
- Foreign health insurance should always be taken out by travelers.
- Travel cancellation insurance pays high cancellation fees if you have to cancel your trip due to illness.
- Active holidaymakers should get travel accident insurance.
It sounds unlikely for optimists, absurd for naive people, but definitely makes sense for realists: think of the incalculable risks of a trip abroad – from breaking into your hotel room to a traffic accident or sudden illness before starting your trip. When booking the vacation in the travel agency, customers are advised of travel insurance. However, if you take the organization of the holiday into your own hands, you should deal with it early on.
Different types of insurance are often offered as a complete package under the collective name of travel insurance – from international health insurance, travel cancellation and demolition insurance to luggage insurance, travel accident insurance, travel liability and travel legal protection. The "typical" travel insurance includes: international health insurance, travel cancellation insurance and luggage insurance. We show which insurance you really need for travel.
1. Health insurance abroad
Broken leg when climbing the Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico: If there is insurance that you cannot do without when traveling abroad, then it is the international health insurance. It is also called travel health insurance and is geared towards medical emergencies. Because statutory health insurance does not offer protection outside of Europe. It also makes sense for privately insured persons, since the costs of medical treatment or return transportation quickly soar to five-digit sums. What bears no relation to the low tariffs: Annual insurance is available from just 10 euros.
What should international health insurance include?
- outpatient and inpatient treatments including diagnosis and operations
- Pain-relieving dental treatments including simple fillings and repair of the dentures
- medically prescribed medicines, bandages, medicines and aids
- Transport to the nearest doctor or hospital
- medically required return transport to Germany
- in the event of death, transfer to the home country or burial abroad
2. Cancellation insurance
Sudden illness before the start of the trip: Cancellation insurance covers cancellation costs and protects against high fees. Because the closer the travel date is, the higher the cancellation costs will be.
What does travel cancellation insurance do?
- only for valid and unexpected reasons such as illness, accident, death of close relatives or travel partners, apartment or house fire
- sometimes losing a job or changing jobs, pregnancy, repeating important exams and arriving at the airport by public transport at least two hours late is also important
When is travel cancellation insurance worthwhile?
- for trips booked well in advance
- on very expensive trips
- for family vacations with children
Danger: Political unrest will only count as a reason for resignation if the Foreign Office has issued a travel warning.
3. Travel cancellation insurance
It covers costs if the trip cannot be ended as planned (early return or extended stay) and is an additional protection for travel cancellation insurance that ends when the trip begins.
What does travel cancellation insurance do?
- Rebooking fees
- additional accommodation and meals costs
- Transport costs to get back to the tour group like after a break in a tour or cruise
4. Luggage insurance
This insures the luggage against theft, robbery, burglary, deliberate damage by third parties or their negligent behavior, accidents and acts of nature. This applies to the policyholder and his accompanying family members.
When does luggage insurance apply?
- in the event of damage
- in case of loss
- in the event of destruction
What does luggage insurance replace?
- the current value of the luggage
- 50 percent of the agreed sum insured for jewelry, furs, cameras and other valuables
- 10 percent of the sum insured for gifts and souvenirs
- official fees for the procurement of new identification documents
Who needs luggage insurance?
- Travelers with valuable luggage
- who travels several times a year
Danger: In the event of force majeure such as civil wars or earthquakes, damage during confiscation by authorities, damage due to defects in luggage, or camping, there is usually no insurance cover.
5. Travel liability insurance
This ensures personal injury or property damage to third-party property abroad that was not caused intentionally.
When should travel liability insurance be taken out?
- if there is no private liability or if this does not apply in the country of travel
- if the sum insured for private liability is too low
- when activities such as skiing, snowboarding and other sports are excluded from insurance cover
- for family vacations with children
- for longer stays abroad
- Rental cars abroad
6. Travel accident insurance
Since most statutory accident insurance schemes do not provide benefits during leisure time, there is travel accident insurance for these risks.
When does travel accident insurance step in?
If damage to health are caused by events that suddenly and externally affect the body and lead to:
- disability
- Death
- Rescue costs
Who needs travel accident insurance?
- Travelers who do not have private accident insurance
- People who plan sporting activities such as surfing, skiing, mountaineering or rafting on vacation
- Self-employed and freelancers
Danger: Insurance cover is never valid when traveling to countries that were already known as crisis areas for civil wars on departure.
7. Travel law protection
Intervenes in legal disputes abroad:
- Offenses
- Claims in the area of damages
- Administrative offenses
- Offenses in traffic law
- Disputes with hotel or tour operator
What is taken over?
- Litigation costs
- deposit
- legal assistance