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Traveling abroad is always a great experience. But can the excitement be similar if you or any of your family members falls sick or gets injured while traveling? Imagine what would happen if you discover that your general travel medical insurance does not cover international emergencies. Isn’t it horrifying?

Most travelers believe that their standard medical insurance offers adequate coverage even while they are overseas. But the fact is that only travel health insurance are designed for international travel. All insurance policies have exclusions and travel medical insurance is no different. However, it is imperative to be well informed in the clearest possible way about what you are and aren’t covered for.

Pre-existing medical conditions tops the list of exclusions. Pre-existing conditions include pregnancy or difficulties related to the same, any ongoing medical or dental condition, any condition for which you take medicines or any surgical conditions. Besides, mental disorder, anxiety or depression, traveling against the advice of the medical doctor is not covered by travel medical insurance in any circumstances.

Other exclusions include medical tourism. Your travel medical insurance may not cover expenses incurred while receiving a particular medical treatment overseas. Hence, travel medical insurance may not be helpful in case you plan to go abroad for cosmetic surgery or for the purpose of obtaining treatment suggested by the doctor.

There are some extreme events and situations which are excluded by travel insurance online policies when you are abroad. These include losses incurred due to war or war-like situations, biological attacks, nuclear terrorism, natural disasters or epidemics. These kinds of exclusions are commonly found in almost all travel medical insurance policies.

Additionally, even high risk sports do not qualify under travel medical insurance. Sports involving bodily contact such as mountaineering, skydiving, skiing, caving, riding in races, bungee jumping, parachuting, etc are excluded from the clauses of medical insurance for travelers. Some policies offer coverage for these hazardous sports, if an additional rider is bought by paying additional premium.

Other exclusions relate to loss of passport, fraud and deceit of your travel agent, any other losses arising due to irresponsibility of the insured person, attempt to suicide, alcohol/drug misuse, and the loss of checked in baggage or its valuables,.

Having travel medical insurance is always the best deal. However, travel medical insurance given by various travel insurance companies diverge in the additional cover offered. Thus, it is advisable to compare different travel medical insurance plans online and read the policy wording before choosing one for you. Remember, genuine claims, as well as new injuries and sickness are covered after an investigation by claims department.

When traveling on a budget, one of the most often questions is whether it is best to travel independently, making your own airfare, hotel and sightseeing reservations, or choose a package tour where everything is set up for you in advance. Go to Vacation Packages for further information.

There is unfortunately no easy answer to this question, as it is largely dependent on the location and the specific deals that are available.

For instance, travel to European destinations are often less costly to book on your own, especially when the airlines are running specials of European airfares in the off season.

On the other hand, travel to many exotic locations, like Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and India, are often much less costly when booked through a package company or travel agent.

That is because these tour operators often have special deals with the national airlines of these companies, and with very nice resort hotels, to provide considerable discounts in exchange for a steady flow of business.

For instance, last year I traveled solo to Egypt from New York for a grand total of $1,100, including airfare, an excellent hotel, daily breakfast, airport transfers, and daily sightseeing tours, including guided tours of the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

This is far less than I could have booked on my own, since airfare alone would have run me over $700. The key to this great deal was the relationship of the tour operator with Egyptair and the hotel at which we stayed.

Similar deals exist for other locations, notably India, China and Taiwan. So be sure to check on the availability of these package deals when shopping for a budget travel deal.

Of course, some great deals can be had on your own as well, and this is often a great way to go, especially if you are a solo traveler. Solo travelers often have difficulty getting those great deals on package deals, since the required single supplement can often ruin the deal. Go to Africa Safari Travel for more information.

It is also important to find out exactly what is, and what is not included, in any package you are considering. Many package deals have optional excursions built in, and these extras can add considerable cost.

Be sure to ask for a detailed daily itinerary to determine if you will be left on your own if you fail to take these optionals. Also ask for a detailed list of these optional excursions, including full descriptions and prices, then carefully compare the total price to what you could find on your own.

If you are traveling on your own, be sure to start shopping early, especially if you are traveling by air. The important thing to remember is that airlines allocate only so many seats for those advertised low fares, and if you fail to act quickly you may be out of luck.

It is important to book the airfare, and the hotel, as early as possible to ensure the lowest possible prices.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to choose a package deal or independent travel is up to each individual travelers. It is important to carefully compare package prices with those for independent travel to the same location.

It is also important to take your own personal travel style into account. Some people are more comfortable with a packaged tour, particularly to an unfamiliar location, while others relish the freedom from schedules that independent travel provides. Visit Travel Deals for further information.