Tampa is the perfect destination for someone who likes adventure. It provides a wonderful backdrop for nature walks, culture, fascinating history, Cuban cuisine, never-ending festivals, and literal roller-coasters. It is an attractive combination of vintage and modern-day Florida.

Whether you are planning to interact with nature, gaze at sunsets and blue skies, or dance the night away at Ybor City, this guide will help you plan a hassle-free vacation. The first step is to buy visitors insurance or travel insurance so you're prepared for anything unexpected you may encounter on your trip.

Tampa's Most Popular Places for Travel

Tampa Riverwalk

If watching the sun go down by the Hillsborough River sounds relaxing, then this 2.6-mile-long route is the right place for you. You can rent a bike and enjoy public art, check out some cool stores, dine at restaurants, or enjoy the playgrounds and parks.

Florida Aquarium

Looking for a great place to take your family? The Florida Aquarium offers over 14,000 marine species to experience and learn about. The jellyfish exhibit is beautiful, and children will love the Splash Pad area.

Glazer Children's Museum

Kids under the age of 12 will love it here. They can choose from various interactive exhibits about science, math, the human body, and art. It can teach them how to make the perfect paper airplane, design a Tampa train route, or build a skyscraper using giant Legos.

Armature Works

This industrial-looking market used to house Tampa's electric streetcars. Today, it's a unique market area with a chic, urban aesthetic. If you're interested in trying different food and have a taste for architecture, this place is for you.

Big Cat Rescue

Don't miss this chance to learn about bobcats, lynx, snow leopards, cougars, and even house cats. Big Cat Rescue is an animal preserve with over 100 animals from 14 different species.

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens houses roller coasters, games, shops, restaurants, live shows, and more than 12,000 animals. It's less expensive than Disney World, and a great spot to spend an entire day. Don't forget to check out themed lands like the Edge of Africa, and the animal exhibits.

Tampa Bay History Center

These three floors of educational and interactive exhibits, films, and displays walk you through Florida's fascinating history. You can learn about Florida's native people, the first European explorers, the cigar industry, immigrant communities in Ybor city, and so much more.

Ybor City

With lively bars and pubs, authentic Cuban food, aromatic coffee, and a huge selection of hand-rolled cigars, Ybor City offers a perfect blend of elements from the city's past and present. No visit to Tampa is complete without spending some time exploring what Ybor City has to offer.

Key Guidelines for Travelers in Tampa

It's always festival season

The festival season never ends in Tampa. Whether you are into cultural festivals or music festivals (like the Sunset Music Festival), Tampa has you covered. If you get a chance, do check out the Tampa Bay Margarita Festival.

Drive to Hyaleah Road around Christmas

This neighborhood is known for their annual Christmas lights display. If you're visiting during the holidays, this is a top local attraction that should not be missed.

Where to eat?

You must try the Cuban cuisine at Ybor City, handmade pizza at Hyde Park Cafe, steak at Charley's Steakhouse and Berns Steakhouse, and tacos at Taco Bus.

Staying safe

Tampa is a fairly safe city, but be cautious and keep your valuables secured. This includes when parking your vehicle if you're renting a car. Valuables left in cars can invite theft, so make sure to take them with you.

Gameday traffic

The National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers play eight home games each fall and winter, drawing tens of thousands of fans from across the region. If you aren't planning to attend a game, it's best to avoid Dale Mabry Highway and surrounding areas on those days, as traffic can be at a standstill.

Visitors Insurance for Travelers in Tampa - FAQs

An injury or illness abroad can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't have the right insurance coverage. Healthcare is extremely expensive in the USA, and your domestic insurance likely won't provide adequate coverage, if it's even accepted at all. Don't let necessary medical treatment leave you with a bill that costs more than your entire trip. Instead, protect your budget with visitors insurance.

Why buy visitors insurance before traveling to Tampa?

You can get sick or hurt yourself anywhere, but the risks can increase when you're on vacation. The excitement of being somewhere new can cloud your judgement, and in an instant, you could require a trip to the hospital. Visitors insurance is designed to provide needed financial coverage for medical treatment outside your home country. It can allow you to take advantage of the best care available with less worry about the resulting bill.

What should I look for in my Tampa visitors insurance?

• Look for a plan that covers new incidents for the entire duration of your trip
• If you have a preexisting medical condition, consider coverage for acute onset of preexisting conditions
• Coverage for emergency medical evacuation
• Options to extend coverage or cancel coverage
• If you're an exchange visitor on a J visa, coverage that meets all requirements

Trip Cancellation Insurance for Travelers in Tampa - FAQs

You may think there's little chance your trip could be canceled after you've booked it, but certain situations are outside of your control. Travel restrictions or bad weather can halt flights, and illnesses or family emergencies can make travel impossible. If you do have to cancel your trip, you'll want a way to refunded for your prepaid travel expenses. Trip cancellation insurance can help you with this.

Why should I get trip cancellation insurance for my Tampa travel?

Many of your travel expenses will have to be paid for ahead of time when you book an international trip. These expenses can include things like hotel rooms, airfare, and tickets to events. It's important to remember that many of these prepaid bookings will not be refundable, or they'll charge fees for cancellation. If you're unable to take your trip, you could find that you're out all the money you've spent with no way to get it back.

Trip cancellation insurance can relieve you of this stress. It can allow you to receive full or partial reimbursement for your nonrefundable, prepaid travel expenses when your trip has to be canceled for a reason covered by the policy. No one wants to cancel a trip. However, if you have no choice, at least give yourself the opportunity to get your money back for it.

What should I look for in my Tampa trip cancellation insurance?

• Trip cancellation coverage
• Coverage for delayed or lost baggage
• Coverage for flight delays
• Flight insurance
• Trip interruption coverage

Travel insurance plans can offer different benefits depending on the plan you choose. For instance, some plans can even offer you the opportunity to cancel for any reason. Be sure to read through the plans available to you carefully, so you can choose one with coverage that meets your needs.

Before You Travel to Tampa - Do This

• Don't plan too much. Give yourself time to breath in your itinerary. Remember, it's a vacation, not a race.
• Pack a small first-aid kit. It can come in handy in case you suffer a minor injury.
• Be a smart traveler. Get visitors insurance or travel insurance to protect your savings while traveling internationally.

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.