Planning every detail of your upcoming trip may not prevent an unexpected mishap. The best way to combat a ruined vacation is to secure adequate foreign country travel insurance.

Travel insurance, by design, covers most situations you may face while traveling.

Situations to Consider
• A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.
• Your flight is cancelled or delayed more than 12 hours.
• Your baggage is lost with your medication and you need to have an emergency prescription filled.
• Your passport is stolen and you need an emergency replacement passport.
• Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt.
• You need medical attention in a foreign country.

Preparing to Buy
• Always get quotes from several companies.
• Ask if the plan is pre-packaged or if you can create your own.
• Ask if you are covered for cancellation due illness or natural disaster.
• Don’t assume the company will provide you any information.

Lost Luggage
Travel insurance can reimburse you for lost luggage, including the contents of the baggage. Airlines will only reimburse the contents of lost luggage if you present proof of purchase for the items listed.

According to the Air Transport Users Council (AUC), airlines mishandled 42 million bags in 2007, up from 30 million in 2005. The numbers are not in the travelers favor, without travel insurance. The AUC says travelers are often inadequately compensated for lost luggage. You must report the lost luggage or personal items to local authorities and the airline within 12 hours.

Medical Coverage
If there is a medical emergency, you do not have to worry about whether the doctor you see is in-network. Travel insurance provides coverage for doctor visits, emergency services and hospitalization. Travel insurance also provides services such as an emergency hotline and medical transportation. You can call an emergency number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while overseas, and speak with a professional.

Accident Coverage
If an accident were to occur in a foreign country, travel insurance will cover the cost. The insurance will cover medical expenses related to injury sustained. Travel insurance will also take care of reasonable legal liability as a result of the accident.

Cancellation, Delay or Interruption
Cancellation, delay or interruption of your vacation will be compensated. Circumstances for this coverage include, but are not limited to: transportation provider interruptions, natural disasters, illness and situations out of your control.

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~St. Augustine

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” ~Anatole France

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” ~Seneca

“The soul of the journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases.”
~ William Hazlitt

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”
~ Lao Tzu

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” ~ Moorish proverb

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they’re going.”
~Paul Theroux

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” ~ James Michener

“I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.” ~James Baldwin

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~ Miriam Beard

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” ~ Rosalia de Castro

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” ~Caskie Stinnett

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” ~ Susan Heller

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” ~ Antoine de St. Exupery

I have been using this wallet for several years now and it has held up very well. It is made of durable ripstop, and has enough pockets to hold all of the essentials and little more. It has a clear window for holding your I.D. card. It has a velcro closure. Unlike most wallets the cash pocket is on the back and it requires you to fold your money in fours.

The slim wallet is small, durable, and stylish. It comes in a black with a variety of Silverfoots custom designed trim.

For more info check out Silverfoot.com