Why I'm still buying travel insurance for international vacations — even if it isn't required
Before the pandemic, I never gave travel insurance a second thought. To me, it was always an extra expense that I didn’t see the need for, and I always figured it was worth the risk to save the cash. Oh how the times have changed.
Last month, I visited Costa Rica, my first trip to Central America since the start of the pandemic. Prior to August 2021, visitors to the tropical country were required to purchase and show proof of travel insurance as one of the country’s entry requirements. However, the insurance requirement was lifted on Aug. 1, just a few weeks before I was set to arrive.
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Even though it wasn’t necessary for me to purchase traveler’s insurance to enter Costa Rica, I decided to buy it anyways, and here’s why.
In case I need to cancel
I always get tested before traveling on a flight, even if it’s not required to enter the country (Costa Rica currently does not require a negative Covid-19 test result as an entry requirement for visitors). If I had tested positive for COVID-19 before I even left the United States, I wanted to make sure that I had “cancel for any reason” or coronavirus-specific coverage to make sure my flights and any other cancellation fees would be covered by the policy.
Related: 5 things to know about at-home COVID-19 tests for travel
The pandemic isn’t over
Even with protection from the COVID-19 vaccine, traveling during the pandemic is still much riskier than it was two years ago. There are thousands of new cases a day, including breakthrough cases and reinfection cases that are rare, but still possible. With the amount of COVID-related variables that could cause disruption to my trip, I wanted to make sure that if anything did go wrong, I would be covered for the brunt of the costs.
Related: 5 things travelers need to know about the mu COVID-19 variant
COVID-19 is not the only consideration
While a majority of my trip was filled with days lounging at the beach, massages and spa treatments and yoga, I also went on a few hikes that could have resulted in a bad injury if I had slipped or pushed myself too hard. My policy would have covered this type of injury, so I was less stressed about the possibility of being injured in a foreign country and not being able to get the help I needed.
I am happy to say that my trip to Costa Rica went off without a hitch. I did not need to activate my travel insurance, but I’m still glad that I bought it. Having the insurance made me less anxious about all the things that could have gone wrong, and I was able to relax my mind and just enjoy my vacation. I may not purchase travel insurance forever, but for the foreseeable future, it will be part of my planning budget for all international trips.
Photo b7 Kryssia Campos/Getty Images
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Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023