3 Family Vacation Tips to Protect Your Summer Holidays
May 30, 2023
Summer travel with your family is a great way to make lasting memories. Visiting new places exposes your family to different experiences while escaping the hectic schedule of school and the workday world. Even more important are the shared experiences that can strengthen the family bond and open your minds to new cultures and diversity while having some good old fashioned family fun. Summer vacation with the family can be as diverse as your family’s interests. When planning your trip, take into account your family’s favorite activities. Are you into history, music, cooking, art, outdoor adventures? No matter what your family enjoys doing, you can plan a memorable vacation centered on your interests.
Nobody expects things to go wrong, but if they do, it’s good to have a solid plan in place, just in case. Before you pack your bags and bundle the family off to a new adventure, take some time to consider these three tips, including adding travel protection to ensure the memories you make aren’t the kind that make you shudder.
1. Travel Insurance for Family Safety
Budgeting is an important part of making travel plans. Remember, you’ll eat out more often, and need to cover lodging expenses as well as transportation costs and souvenirs. Consider using budgeting apps or creating a budget plan to help you keep track of your expenses and avoid overspending. Whether you’re touring U.S. National Parks, city hopping or just relaxing on the beach, enjoy all the beauty, adventure and inspiration you encounter, knowing your costs are covered if your trip must be cancelled or delayed. Record your memories with photos of the destination and experiences with your loved ones and the people you meet. At the same time, don’t let down your guard. Pay attention to your surroundings and the people you encounter.
It’s wise to include travel medical insurance and protection plans in your budget. Find plans that help protect your wallets, as well as your health and safety. Tailor your plan to fit your vacation activities. Do you need travel insurance that includes trip cancellation coverage, rental car damage or baggage loss and delay? If your family is setting off on an international adventure, check out our plans that specifically address medical emergencies overseas. Avoid the drama of trying to cover the cost of medical services for illness, injury or dental emergencies. Many of these travel medical plans and carriers include emergency assistance services that offer support by phone or email to help direct you to the appropriate care. You’ll even find plans that combine travel medical insurance and travel protection.
Travel insurance coverage can ensure that if your family vacation must be cancelled, you can claim up to 100% of your prepaid non-refundable expenses, such as flights and hotels. This extra layer of support lets you fully embrace and enjoy your holiday adventure. Knowing that you’re covered if something happens, gives you the breathing room to enjoy your family vacation, worry-free.
2. Find the Right Travel Insurance for Your Summer Holiday
The travel insurance you get will largely depend on where you’re going and what you’ll do there. Before you go, get the lay of the land and what to expect. For instance, if you plan to travel to another country, learn some of the language to be able to communicate with the natives and understand the local customs. Figure out how to read signs and transportation options to help make your trip more enjoyable.
Most domestic health plans don’t cover emergency medical care overseas. For an overseas vacation, look for a travel plan that covers medical emergencies. In order to be prepared for the possibility that a trip may be interrupted or canceled due to health, emergency or other reasons, get coverage that includes medical care and travel protection. If you’re traveling abroad with young children, have a plan that includes international travel medical coverage. Plans offered through SafeTrip, include Virtual Visits, giving you access to speaking directly with a doctor from the comfort of your hotel if a child gets a stomach bug or other minor medical conditions.
If you plan to stay in the United States, take the time to research your destination. For instance, if you’re heading for a hiking vacation, make sure you have the right gear. Study the hiking trails and take into account every family members’ stamina and ability. Maybe museums are your thing. Locate the museums that your whole family can enjoy. Plan travel between the different sites and consider mass transportation or cabbing it and the best times to travel. Along with snacks and water, pack a medical kit. Injuries, bug bites, sprains, cuts all can happen no matter where you go. But, having a medical kit can treat them quickly, before they get out of hand. What should a medical kit include? The best medical kits are simple, containing a variety of dressings, equipment and some medicines to deal with the basics:
- Bandages
- Pain reliever
- Gauze
- Antiseptic wipes
- Tweezers
- Medical tape
- Antibacterial cream
- Allergy medication
Some families enjoy extreme sports as part of their vacation. Maybe you plan to go bouldering or mountain climbing. Or does your family get an adrenaline rush from parasailing, ziplining or scuba diving? No matter what extreme adventure you favor, look for insurance add-ons that consider the potential for injury while engaged in your activity.
3. Emergency Assistance: Where to Turn if Things Go Wrong
Even the best laid travel plans can get a monkey wrench thrown at them if someone in your family is injured. No one ever expects an accident to happen, especially overseas. But if it does occur, having travel insurance that provides emergency medical assistance will ease your mind. UnitedHealthcare Global offers 24/7 emergency assistance services, accessible by phone call or email. You’ll always find someone who knows where to go for help. They can provide support for:
- A referral to a preapproved doctor, hospital or dentist so you can access quality care
- Hospital admission and relay of your insurance information to a local treating physician
- Updating authorized family, employer or home physician with critical information around your condition
- Replacing lost or stolen passports, tickets or other travel documentation
In rare instances, you may not be able to get the necessary medical care locally. Making arrangements for getting appropriate care in those cases is faster and easier with medical evacuation. Medical evacuation costs can exceed tens of thousands of dollars, and most standard domestic health plans don’t cover medical evacuation. When reviewing plans for your summer family vacation abroad, look for plans that include medical evacuation coverage and 24/7 to help coordinate transportation and evacuation. Our SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus plan will cover your family for a worry-free summer holiday.
Sources:
https://www.uhcsafetrip.com/tips/virtual-visits/
https://www.uhcsafetrip.com/tips/what-is-medical-assistance/
https://www.uhcsafetrip.com/international-travel-medical-plus/
https://www.uhcsafetrip.com/tips/why-travelers-may-need-a-medical-evacuation/
https://littlefamilyadventure.com/tips-travel-safety-family/
https://www.familiesgotravel.com/2020/03/tips-safe-healthy-family-travel/