Yay, you’re going to Colombia! While the plan is to go on a worry-free vacation to get away from it all, if there is an unexpected event that prevents you from traveling or affects your trip, be sure you are prepared for any potential financial ramifications. Do the auto, health, &/or renters/home owner’s insurance policies you already have cover any events that might occur during your travels? Does your credit card offer travel insurance if used for bookings/purchases? Even if you are covered in some areas, are there other areas to consider covering via travel insurance?

Various levels of travel insurance can be considered that can include among the following general categories:

Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay
Useful if for example you need to cancel due to things such as illness, death in the family, or natural disaster; or if your trip is delayed due to weather and you need to overnight unexpectedly en route.

Baggage and Personal Belongings
In case your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged (beyond what may be offered by the airline).

Emergency Medical Assistance, Evacuation and Repatriation
Will your health insurance already cover you internationally (Medicare will not)? Additional insurance could be useful if not if there is a serious medical emergency (note: if planning to do “adventure sports” while travelings such as scuba diving, mountain biking, & kitesurfing, make sure you are covered) and if you need to fly back home for care.

“Cancel for any reason” add-on
This is what you want to consider to get the coverage for the broadest reasons, such as a pandemic. Normally you do not receive reimbursement for 100% of your costs, however.

Sites such as InsureMyTrip* and Squaremouth* allow US residents to compare different policies from a number of providers; options are there for Canadian travelers as well. No matter what insurance you consider, be sure to read the fine print carefully so you know what it covered and what is not, as well as any limits imposed on the maximum amounts that may be covered.

*A purchase made through this link may provide me with a small commission at no additional cost to you.