Compare cheap travel insurance quotes in Canada. 

What is travel insurance?

You’ve spent months planning for your big getaway vacation – everything from flight tickets to hotel stays have been booked. As soon as you land, however, you find that the airline lost your luggage. Losing valuable belongings and the hassle of getting new ones can put a damper on your much-awaited trip, and the loss that you incur may be a couple of hundred dollars. But you can rest assured that your insurance company will reimburse you for it if you’ve purchased a travel insurance policy.

However, the stakes could be higher. Not only does travel insurance cover you for lost or delayed baggage, but also prevents you from paying out-of-pocket for expensive health care in a foreign country. An accidental fall can lead to a dislocated shoulder or worse, a medical emergency like a stroke.

Travel insurance includes:

• Medical expenses: This includes emergencies that arise during your trip. The insurer will cover hospital bills, diagnostic tests, and medication for something as minor as a fractured ankle to an emergency evacuation. It also includes ambulance costs, being airlifted out of a remote location, or repatriation back to Canada.

• Baggage delay or loss of personal items: The insurance provider covers the cost of delayed baggage or damaged personal items.

• Trip cancellation or interruption: This coverage reimburses you for costs if you cancel your trip or cut it short. For instance, falling ill before your trip or death of a family member back home. This coverage is usually not offered in standard travel insurance policies and can be purchased as an add-on.

• Trip delay: If your flight has been delayed, this coverage reimburses you for accommodation and meal expenses. Depending on the terms of the policy, a minimum amount (six to 12 hours) of delay is required to be eligible for this coverage.

Travel insurance policies do not cover:

• Pre-existing health conditions.

• Routine dental or medical appointments.

• Cosmetic procedures.

• High-risk activities like adventure sports.

• Destinations that the Canadian travel advisory lists as “Avoid non-essential travel” and “Avoid all travel,” because of the risk involved.

As a prerequisite to entry or obtaining a visa, some countries – Bhutan, Qatar, and the Schengen visa required for Europe, for example – mandate purchasing travel insurance.

The Canadian government advises all travellers to purchase travel insurance. Not only for international trips, but even within Canada, as provincial healthcare may not be sufficient to cover gaps in coverage.

Whether you are travelling for work or pleasure, are a snowbird or a digital nomad, a frequent flyer or going on your first trip, consider travel insurance as an investment in your safety. While it may not seem necessary, it’s there to protect you and provide peace of mind while abroad.

You should ideally, purchase travel insurance ahead of your trip. However, don’t just opt for the first insurance provider that you stumble across. When shopping for travel insurance, be sure to determine the type of coverage you require, policy coverage limits, inclusions and exclusions, and the policy deductible.

At LowestRates.ca, all you have to do is enter a few details about yourself and your trip, and we will find the cheapest travel insurance rates from a wide range of insurance companies.

But don’t just take it from us.

Its worth taking some time to read through the terms of the policy to make sure you are getting the lowest travel insurance quote that is best suited to your needs.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance doesn’t have to be expensive.

We used our travel insurance quoter to find out the cost of travel insurance. The best rate per trip for:

• A single,

• non-smoking,

• 40-year-old male traveller

• on a 10-day trip to the United States

• with no pre-existing health conditions,

• $5 million in coverage,

• and a $0 deductible

is $28.

While travel insurance quotes will vary depending on the coverage one opts for, insurers use certain factors to calculate the rate. These include:

• Age

• The number of people the travel insurance policy will cover

• The duration of the trip

• The total cost of the trip

• Amount of coverage required

• Amount of deductible

When compared to the hefty bills that you would be paying out-of-pocket if something one runs into a medical emergency in the US, about 30 bucks is a small amount to pay.

One way to make sure you’re getting the lowest rate available for your coverage requirements is to compare travel insurance quotes across various providers. A quick three-minute exercise can save you hundreds of dollars that you would otherwise potentially shell out on travel insurance.

Travel Insurance checklist

Before purchasing travel insurance, it’s important to understand what coverage you will be receiving. Be sure to read the fine print or speak with your insurance provider to understand what may and may not be covered.

Here’s a quick checklist that can help you with the travel insurance purchase process.

• What does the travel insurance policy cover?

• What are the exclusions of the travel insurance policy?

• What are the limitations on the policy? For instance, if opting for multi-trip insurance, what are the number of days that you will be covered for on one particular trip?

• How much is the deductible on the travel insurance plan?

• What are the limits on medical emergencies?

• Can I extend my insurance coverage from abroad if I extend my trip?

• If travelling within Canada, what is covered under my provincial health plan? And what is not covered?

• Inquire about add-ons to your policy – can I get a rider or endorsement for adventure sports?

• What if I have a pre-existing health condition? Does that mean I am not eligible for travel insurance?

• What if someone covered under my policy has a pre-existing health issue?

• Do I have to fill out a health questionnaire?

• What if an epidemic breaks out in the destination? Will the plan provide coverage?

• What if the government of Canada issues a travel advisory while I am in the destination? Will my travel insurance plan provide coverage?

• Will the plan cover repatriation costs?

• Does the insurance company offer worldwide emergency assistance 24-hours and 7 days a week? How can I reach the company if there is a medical emergency? Who do I call? Are there translation services for providers in the country you are travelling to?

• How do I file a claim? Is the claims process easy and straightforward?

• Does the plan have direct billing, or do I have to pay for bills upfront?