Should I Purchase Comprehensive Travel Insurance?

Updated: March 7, 2025

When booking an Exploring Europe tour, we request a deposit to hold your seat. This deposit is refundable for a certain number of days (see your specific tour departure for details). 

Once signed up for an Exploring Europe tour, you will receive written communication from us confirming your departure. In rare cases, we may ask that you “hold” booking your flights until we’ve assessed the tour departure dates and availability. Once we have confirmed your tour departure, this is the time to consider purchasing a travel insurance policy to protect your travel investment.

Our passengers often insure travel investments in three distinct stages.  

• Step 1- Insure only your tour deposit.  Most of our Exploring Europe tours require a deposit of $400, so only insure that amount.  Your insurance premium is likely a small amount of $30 or so.
• Step 2 – Once we confirm your tour, you’ll likely look for and purchase airfare.  Purchase a second insurance policy to cover your flight costs.  Note: Do not buy the insurance from your airline website at checkout!
• Step 3 – When submitting your final payment (120 days before most of our EE tours), decide if you want to cover the remaining balance. Two types of travel insurance policies are usually available: “Cancel for a covered reason” (CFACR) or “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR).  

NOTE: Deposits, refund policies, and deadlines may differ on our Exploring *Beyond* Europe and specialty tours.

Before making any travel insurance decisions, speaking directly to a qualified insurance agent is a good idea. Consider contacting any of the resources mentioned below.

Exploring Europe does not provide travel insurance, and we can only offer a refund up to the terms specified in your tour agreement. A travel insurance (trip protection) policy is a good idea to cover your travel investment fully.

A comprehensive travel insurance package often includes canceling a tour before it begins, covering a pre-existing condition, and canceling your tour for any reason, along with flight delay, baggage loss, and other benefits.  

To take full advantage of the insurance and to cover pre-existing medical conditions, insurance providers require purchasing a policy within 10-20 days of making your deposit and receiving confirmation of the tour. This “window of opportunity” varies between insurance companies, so confirm with your insurance provider.

Many believe a Comprehensive Travel Insurance Policy (including trip cancellation coverage) becomes increasingly necessary with age.  If you are a 20-year-old with no medical problems, you may skip the comprehensive insurance and tour cancellation feature.  However, if you are getting older, or if you, a family member or a travel partner have medical problems, adding a little “peace of mind” to your travels might not be a bad idea by purchasing comprehensive insurance.

Comprehensive Travel Insurance (Trip Protection) includes at least six types of coverage:

1. Trip Cancellation – provides reimbursement if you, or a close family member, cannot travel for a covered reason.  Covered reasons vary from insurance company to company. Still, most include full reimbursement if you or a direct family member becomes seriously ill or injured, you lose your job, you or a family member dies, and many other reasons (read the fine print). Cancellation usually comes in two forms:
   1. CFACR – Cancel for a covered reason – Less expensive and more restrictive than CFAR.
   2. CFAR – Cancel for any reason – The most expensive option covering almost any reason for cancellation.
2. Trip interruption – Provides a limited amount (usually $1000) to pay for a flight home should your tour be interrupted by a catastrophic event affecting you personally or a close family member.
3. Emergency Medical Coverage – Provides reimbursement and/or medical evacuation should you or a close relative become seriously ill while traveling abroad.
4. Baggage Loss or Delay – Provides reimbursement should your luggage be lost or delayed.
5. Trip Delay – Provides reimbursement should you be delayed while traveling to or from your tour abroad.  This covers cases such as missed flight connections, weather delays, etc.
6. Travel Assistance – Provides 24/7 access to toll-free help and assistance agents dedicated to helping with travel emergencies, bookings, and advice.

A sliding scale determines the cost of Comprehensive Insurance (Trip Protection) based on the insured’s age, trip cost, and travel duration. It is about 10% -15% of the tour costs, but shop for the best deal to meet your needs.

Consider all the tour elements so you are fully covered, using the abovementioned steps, if desired.

1. David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe tour cost.
2. The cost of your airfare.
3. The duration of your trip from when you take off from home until your return.

REMEMBER: Comprehensive Travel Insurance (Trip Protection) plans must be purchased within 10-20 DAYS of paying a deposit and receiving confirmation from your travel provider for your tour to take advantage of all the policy benefits, especially for pre-existing conditions.  All the insurance companies have slightly different policies on this matter, so be sure to read the fine print.

If you have signed up for an Exploring Europe tour for which the departure is NOT CONFIRMED and we have asked you NOT TO BOOK AIRFARE, read here.

Consider Trip Insurance Consultants for tour and travel insurance trip protection. Their information is below.  

Trip Insurance Consultants – https://www.insuranceconsultantsintl.com/mcguffin

VISIT THE WEBSITE ABOVE, EMAIL – CALLIE AUNKO, or CALL Callie at  1-800-576-2674 Ext. 1.  Tell her you are on one of my tours. She will need the following information. callie@insuranceconsultantsintl.com

1. Your date of Birth,
2. The State in which you reside,
3. Your travel dates,
4. The total cost of your trip (adding all the elements mentioned above),
5. The date you made your initial payment for the tour.

Trip Insurance Consultants offers insurance plans from all of the companies mentioned below.  However, should you wish to contact them directly, here is the information.

If you want to do some insurance research, these are reputable organizations, too.

Travel Guard-  www.travelguard.com,  tel. 800-826-4919

Allianz Travel insurance-   www.allianztravelinsurance.com,  tel. 866-884-3556

Travel Insured International-  www.travelinsured.com,  tel. 800-243-3174.

Seven Corners Insurance – https://www.sevencorners.com/

Insuremytrip.com-  www.insuremytrip.com,  tel. 800-487-4722
Also allows you to compare insurance policies and costs among various providers.