To insure or not to insure...

There is always a battle with whether or not to get travel insurance for your time away. You've already spent a lot of money on flights, accommodation, activities etc and this purchase just sometimes does not seem as important as the rest. But I've always lived by this quote "if you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel".

It's one of those almost intangible purchases; a love/hate thing. It seems like a waste of money if you don't use it but a god-send in those times when you do. Either way, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Having worked in the travel industry I've heard too many horror stories of travelers getting caught up with having to deal with lost documents or luggage, or unexpected medical bills. For me, I'd rather travel stress free.

Either way, there are options where you can still get covered but not spend too much on something like this. You can either look at getting a full cover (health, luggage, delayed flights, threats, civil unrest to name a few) or there are some companies that allow you to just cover the basics such as luggage and some health benefits. So just really think about what you would like to be insured for and shop around to see what company suits what you need.

Here are a few that I've worked with and looked into. They range from "budget" to full cover policies. (These may be best for those living in New Zealand and Australia, sorry for those readers who are not from here but definitely shop around in your area). 

I recommend these companies because of their reliability, reputation and process speed. 

*QBE: QBE Insurance Group Limited is one of the top 25 Insurers and reinsurers worldwide with operations in all key global insurance markets.

*Travelsure / Covermore (AU): Great value travel insurance for your next holiday.

*Southern Cross: Best known for it's budget travel insurance with reliability.

*1Cover: For the budget-minded travelers. 

Happy hunting and safe traveling!