Even though more people are getting used to life during the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions are easing up gradually, there are many people simply not comfortable taking a flight or cruise. However, it is a human nature to seek a break from the routine and go on a vacation, even if only for a few days over a long weekend. Therefore, the number of people taking road trips has increased as the restrictions are loosened.

Purchasing travel insurance is a good idea for most trips. That includes travel insurance for road trips. Depending on your location, you could be looking for travel insurance for a domestic road trip, or for a trip that takes you across foreign borders. You may even be after travel insurance for RV travel. 

Road trip travel insurance can cover many types of financial losses, emergency medical coverage and a variety of travel related items.

Travel insurance plans are generally designed to primarily cover prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs. Road trip travel insurance may provide coverage for road trip related losses related to trip cancellation and trip interruption such as for hurricanes and other weather-related events.

Road Trip Travel Insurance Coverages

Road trip travel insurance can provide several coverages such as:

• Trip Cancellation

If you have rented a car, van, SUV or RV, and if you are unable to go on your trip due to covered reasons, travel insurance can provide trip cancellation benefits.

It can also cover payments or deposits towards your vacation rental, if you need to cancel your trip due to a covered reason.

Some travel insurance plans may provide trip cancellation and interruption coverage if the roads to your destination are closed for over 12 hours and you’re not able to reach it any other way.

• Trip Interruption

If you need to cut short your trip for a covered reason, trip interruption coverage can help cover your additional costs incurred. Also, under the trip interruption benefit, if your vehicle breaks down and your travel insurance may help you cover the accommodation costs, food and other travel expenses while you wait to get it repaired or make alternate arrangements.

• Emergency Medical Coverage

When traveling within their own country, many people may not seriously consider the emergency medical coverage benefit.

However, it is possible that your domestic health insurance does not provide any medical coverage out of state. Even if it does, there may not be any providers out of state that are within the network. Therefore, you may be subject to higher deductible, coinsurance and out of pocket maximums. Emergency medical coverage in travel insurance can help with medical bills in case of unexpected illness or injury while on road trip.

• Emergency Medical Evacuation

Whether you are taking a road trip to travel Pacific Coastal Highway on the west coast or Blue Ridge Highway on the east coast, many of these road trip locations can be remote where if you were to get seriously sick or injured, you may not have access to the healthcare facilities where adequate healthcare can be provided. You may be required to get evacuated to the nearest place where adequate care can be given. Also, once you are well enough to travel, but still in need of medical care, you may prefer to get subsequent treatment and rehabilitation near your home. Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation benefits are very useful in such cases.

• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)

If you were to pass away or get dismembered (lose a limb or two), such as in a car accident, road trip travel insurance can provide coverage to your family or you under the Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit.

Excluded Coverages

Even though travel insurance for road trips provide a lot of different coverages, most coronavirus-related concerns would not be covered such as:

• You are afraid to take trip
• You tested positive for Coronavirus but are not sick enough that you can’t travel
• Stay at home orders
• Border closures
• Beach closures

For the most amount of travel insurance coverage, you should consider purchasing cancel for any reason travel insurance.

Also, worth noting is that, unless specifically listed as a covered benefit such as car rental insurance, road trip travel insurance is not meant to cover your vehicle or your third-party liability arising from accident or damage to someone’s property. You should look at your own auto insurance that you have shop for specific insurance plans such as RV insurance.

Road Trip Specific Products

A few travel insurance companies are coming up with travel insurance products that are specifically for road trips. Even though they may be cheaper than the regular travel insurance plans, you should look for the benefits details which may be significantly reduced. Carefully review all the details before making a decision. Contact our professionals with any questions or for other help you might need.