I checked the two links that Rick provided in his article on travel insurance and I was getting figures of $450-550 for insurance at those companies. On the other hand, at LonelyPlanet the insurance was $150-225. Has anyone had experience with LP? Thats quite a difference.
Posted by
Tampa, FL
545 posts
No experience with Lonely Planet, however you can search online for various companies. I've used Allianz twice and think their prices are quite reasonable. Luckily, I haven't had to file any claims. The price depends mostly on your age, the amount of coverage you want and how long you'll be traveling.
Posted by
Chattanooga, TN USA
562 posts
I usually start with the InsureMyTrip website. You can compare coverage and prices across many companies.
http://www.insuremytrip.com
Posted by
Houston
3517 posts
The main thing to be concerned about is what coverage you get for the price paid. Is the Lonely Planet more restrictive than the other policies?
Posted by
Central Indiana, USA
357 posts
Also compare policies at www.squaremouth.com
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
I do not know what kind of information you are inputting to Travel Guard to get a price of $450 to $550 but we are taking a one month trip to Europe beginning next month and during that month we are taking two RS tours and flying out of Seattle and our price for TG is less than half of what you got and we upgraded to an umbrella add-on coverage. We also signed up for their policy as soon as we made our first deposit on our trip (the RS tour deposit) so that our pre-existing conditions are covered. We have used TG for the last 7 years and have never made a claim so I can not comment on their payoffs. I might guess that you are not taking a RS tour whose costs are insured by the RS company. We only have to cover the airline flights and some hotel rooms.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23235 posts
With the wide of a price spread, you are not buying the same coverage. Read the fine print - several times. Be sure you understand what is covered exactly and docs you might need to collect. Travel insurance premiums (not medical) should run about 5% of your insurable expenses.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10203 posts
I always use insuremytrip.com to compare companies and policies. I then choose the plan that best fits my needs for the trip.
Posted by
New York, NY
3992 posts
One thing about using insuremytrip that to me is a negative -- it doesn't reveal how difficult or how easy the insurance company is regarding filing claims and getting reimbursed from those claims vs getting your claims rejected.
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles, CA
515 posts
Thank you. I went to square mouth and got dozens of quotes ranging from $250-$750. (insuremytrip did not yield much) So it seems Lonely Planet insurance is cheapest, but to really compare these, one must dig into the details of coverage.
Posted by
New York, NY
3992 posts
but to really compare these, one must dig into the details of
coverage.
Big time digging. The cheapest insurance quote could be quite expensive if the insurance company you choose based solely on price has a nasty track record of rejecting claims.
Don't spend money on a FALSE AND PHONY peace of mind. Then it's not peace of mind at all.