How to make sure your travel plans are always insured!

A friend of mine was saving up for this quick trip to Malaysia, she saved up for quite some time, but on March 14th, 2020, she realized that she would have to cancel all her tickets. It wasn't a pretty sight as she did end up paying way too much for things that she will never get to do.

I will urge you to stay at home and practice social distancing until the authorities say otherwise.

Events and things can spring up on anyone at any moment. I am sure due to this worldwide calamity, a lot of us would have to cancel our travel plans. Be it business, work, or leisure travel plans. There are always a few ways to "insure" your travel plans so that your money and investment is still protected in-case you need to shift or cancel them. After traveling worldwide for over a decade, here are a few pointers that I have learned to protect travelers financially,

1. Always have travel insurance. When you apply for visas or even have a visa on arrival, a lot of countries urge you to have travel and medical insurance. This is actually a very good practice in order to protect you if things go awry. Ask your trusted bank if they would insure your trip plus choose the insurance that also protects you against untimely cancellations. This will be super beneficial for you.
   
   
2. When you make online bookings for hotels or your travel accommodations, make sure you choose the option with a "zero cancellation fee" or "full refund." Sometimes these options cost a tad bit more but treat it as an insurance. If something like this happens and you can't make it, you will get your full booking money back. Trust me that this is better than nothing.
   
   
3. Do not travel on your savings. Travel for leisure is important but not essential. This can be tricky, but I would urge you not to travel on the money that you want to save up for a rainy day. Instead, have a different account or a separation, at least in your mind, where you can allocate a certain amount of money every month or week towards your trip, whatever is comfortable for you.
   
   
   
   
   
4. You don't need to book attractions in advance. Check online if the place you want to visit has too many bookings or heavy traffic and then only make bookings. If you wish to skip the lines or have VIP tickets, they are often available on a moment's notice.
   
   For example, I visited the Empire State Building and booked the tickets after landing in New York. I got the "skip the line VIP experience," which was beyond amazing and even gave access to a higher floor. The point is that if you know you want VIP or skip the line tickets, you can book them after you land (your first day) even for the most famous landmarks. This can also help you get better deals after talking to your hotel staff or locals.
   
   
5. Travel preparation, this one is something I am definitely guilty of but have surely learned with experience. Make a travel kit of essentials if you are frequently traveling. A ton of people (including me) go out for last-minute travel shopping, do not get exclusive things for traveling, get something that you use in your daily life, or dresses that you would wear otherwise as well. Things you would buy anyway, and that will help you save a ton of money.