The Top Insurance Travel Tips
Summer is the time of year where everyone stuffs their suitcases to the brim in preparation for their upcoming trip.
Vacation plans are in sight, school is out, the weather is warm, and it is time to get out of the house. Whether you’re taking a plane to a foreign country, or a romantic little road trip down the coast, there are some insurance pieces to consider before you depart. Changing your current policy, updating it with additional coverage, or simply double checking to make sure you’re adequately covered can help give you peace of mind while you jetset. This short guide can help give you a sense of the coverage you may need as you are lounging on a white sand beach with crystal blue water.
Traveling is a great experience for the whole family! Regardless of the form of transportation you take, be prepared first. Road trips, RV adventures, and plane journeys all need some prep before you take off. Wherever the road ends up taking you, be safe! In order to prepare for your future adventure, you may want to eliminate some “what ifs” before your trip.
Here is our breakdown of some potential “what if” situations you may find yourself in:
What you need to know about Auto Insurance while traveling…
If you are renting a car:
If you are renting a car for a road trip, the liability limits on your auto insurance policy carry over. It is important to know if there are some gaps in your coverage. For example, if you totaled the rental car, the rental car company may want you to pay for the cost to replace the rental car with a brand new car. Meanwhile, your auto insurance policy only pays the actual cash value of the vehicle you crashed. In this situation, you would be responsible to pay out of pocket the difference between the brand new car and the depreciated value of the rental car.
On the other hand, if the rental car was able to be fixed, the rental car company may only charge you for the loss of earnings while the car was in the shop being repaired. Make sure that you don’t get caught in this scenario unprepared! This coverage is often offered by your auto insurance company, credit card companies, and may be purchased from the rental car company.
If you are worried about trip interruption:
Trip Interruption coverage applies to long road trips and generally is for issues that occur 100+ miles from home (though this can vary depending on the insurance company). If you have trip interruption coverage and you experience an accident or an incident, such as a broken windshield, that leaves your car is unsafe to drive, then the insurance company will cover all reasonable expenses associated. This could include hotel, food, and travel expenses to keep your trip moving. Do you currently have this coverage on your auto insurance? To be sure, call your agent and double check.
If you are traveling outside the United States:
When it comes to liability coverage on your auto insurance, it only applies when you are traveling within the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. So there is no coverage if you drive in Mexico or other countries. Depending on where your journey will take you this year, you may want to ask your agent if there are other things you can do to protect yourself outside your covered areas.
If you are taking your dog or cat on the road:
If you are planning on taking your furry friend on the road with you, there is coverage to help protect them in the event of an accident. Your auto insurance policy can help cover some of the veterinary fees if your pet is injured. In the ultimate worst case scenario, if you pet passes away due to an accident, insurance will help cover burial costs.
If you are worried about breaking down:
Be sure to have towing and labor coverage. This pays for towing and labor charges each time your car breaks down, even if no accident is involved. You would be covered for the on-site labor costs incurred to get your car up and running again. To inquire about whether you have this coverage on your auto insurance, call your agent to speak directly about your specific policy.
If you don’t own a car:
If you live in a city and don’t own a car, or if you drive a company car, you may not have your own auto insurance policy. If you decide you are going to rent a car or borrow a friend’s car for your upcoming travels, you will need a named non-owned policy. If you borrow a friend’s car, you would only be covered by the limits they have on their policy. If they have low limits, you can purchase the named non-owned policy to bump up the limits and help protect yourself in case you were involved in an accident. If you rent a car, you will need the non-owned policy liability coverage to carry over to the rental car.
Why high bodily injury limits are important:
Before you hit the road, you should make sure you have high bodily injury limits on your car insurance. This covers damages to other people who may be injured or killed by your car. More time on the open road means an increased chance for an auto accident.
Also be sure to have high limits for bodily injury caused by an underinsured or uninsured motorist. Sometimes the owner of a vehicle legally responsible for an accident is uninsured. This can be because their policy canceled, they are driving illegally, or their home state does not require auto insurance. This could also be a hit and run accident. This coverage also applies if you are injured by a motorist with liability limits less than the amount of the damages you are entitled to recover.
High bodily injury limits on your insurance helps protects you (the owner of the car), anyone you let drive your car, household members, and any guests in the car. As you pass state lines, there may be different rules for car insurance.Making sure you have enough auto insurance coverage is an easy way to help protect yourself and others on your trip.
What you need to know about Home Insurance while traveling:
If you are worried about your contents:
You may want to look into world-wide coverage for your contents. With this type of policy, no matter where you travel to, you will have coverage for your belongings if they are stolen or ruined. Keep in mind that there are limits on some items if stolen, including jewelry. So, if you have some high value items, you will want to talk to your agent to see if more coverage is necessary. You may also be able to get specialized insurance just for those particular items.
If you are worried about your liability coverage:
You should also consider world-wide liability coverage. This coverage helps protect your wherever your travels may take you. If you are 
held responsible for someone else’s bodily injury or for property damage, your liability from your homeowners insurance policy would kick in and help pay the damages. In a lawsuit, it would also pay for your defense costs. This does not apply if it involves your auto, as that would be covered under your liability coverage on your car insurance.
If you think you need umbrella insurance:
In a settlement, if someone’s injuries or property damage go above the limits you carry on your auto or homeowner’s insurance, then an umbrella policy will provide you with additional coverage for a relatively low charge. If you have, or are considering, an umbrella policy, just call and speak to our agents who can get you a quote, answer your questions, and more. A phone call is the least you can do to help protect yourself.
If you are worried about your things being stolen:
Leaving your home unoccupied while you are on vacation can increase the chance that your home is burglarized. Regardless if you are at your home or otherwise, you will want to have theft coverage to protect your belongings that are on your trip with you and those you left behind at your house. Your personal property coverage would pay for anything that is stolen. Keep in mind there are limits on some items that are stolen, including jewelry. So, if you have some high value items, you will want to talk to your agent to see if more coverage is necessary.
Also, make sure you have replacement cost on contents so that the insurance company replaces all stolen items with a brand new one, of the same like, kind and quality. Otherwise, you may get stuck with the depreciated value of that item. You can often add lock replacement coverage to your homeowners insurance policy so that if your home is burglarized, you can get all your locks replaced!
If you are worried about identity theft while away:
You may want to consider ID fraud coverage. If you happen to lose your wallet and/or ID while on vacation, your chance of becoming victim of ID Fraud is increased. This coverage would pay for costs related to clearing your credit history.
What you need to know about RV insurance while traveling:
If you aren’t sure about homeowners vs RV insurance coverage on your personal property:
If you carry a high deductible on your home insurance policy, you may not want to place a claim for any personal property that is damaged while in the RV. Instead, you can opt to add personal property coverage to the RV policy, which offers a lower deductible. Make sure you add replacement cost coverage if you choose this option.
If you’re worried about liability coverage…
When it comes to liability, make sure you carry high limits for bodily injury to others, as well as bodily injury caused by an underinsured or uninsured motorist. This is for motorhomes only. For a camper that you pull behind your vehicle, the liability comes from the vehicle that is towing it.
If you are worried about accidents…
Be sure you have collision and comprehensive coverage on your RV insurance policy. Collision can give you coverage for RV repairs in the event of an accident. Comprehensive coverage can make sure you can get RV repairs for everything other than a collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, hail, and more.
If you are worried about breaking down and other emergencies…
Be sure to have coverage for towing and labor that can help with costs incurred if the motorhome or trailer being towed is disabled. It also pays for labor performed at the place of disablement. Also ask your agent about emergency expenses coverage for temporary housing, travel expenses, and costs to return the motorhome to the insured’s home or storage place when a covered loss occurs while away from home.
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