The Importance of Travel Insurance for Every Trip

I know—travel insurance isn’t the most exciting part of planning a trip. It’s not a gorgeous hotel, a dreamy flight upgrade, or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But as a travel advisor, it’s one of the things I care most about for my clients, because I know how even the best planned trips can be affected unexpectedly.

Travel insurance can cover medical care, emergency transportation, and evacuation—things no one plans to need, but that can be incredibly expensive. Many domestic health plans don’t provide coverage abroad or reimburse at much lower rates. It also helps with the more common travel hiccups: delayed flights, missed connections, lost luggage, or unexpected overnight stays. These may not be dramatic emergencies, but they can add stress and out-of-pocket expenses quickly.

One thing that surprises many travelers is how different cancellation policies and timelines can be from one vendor to another. While flexibility used to be more common, vendors have largely tightened their policies. Very rarely do they make exceptions now—even in situations that feel understandable or unavoidable.

This is where travel insurance becomes so valuable. Coverage often begins before you even leave, protecting your investment if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason. I am writing this after recently handling trip cancellations due to various circumstances- unexpected winter storms, work scheduling conflicts, health concerns... whether these clients were reimbursed past the vendor's cancellation deadline depended on their insurance.

While we don’t sell insurance directly, Wanderlust partners with Faye Insurance, a provider known for clear coverage, a user-friendly app, and strong support while you’re traveling. I recommend them because they make the process straightforward and easy, without adding friction to your planning experience.

At the end of the day, travel insurance is about being prepared and having peace of mind when planning a trip. With vendor policies becoming stricter and trips representing a significant investment of both money and time, insurance provides a safety net that lets you travel with confidence.