Stiftung Warentest - Just in case: which travel cancellation insurance really covers you on vacation
Sudden illness, unexpected death or an unplanned pregnancy - there are many reasons for canceling a planned trip at short notice. In many cases, the costs are then covered by travel cancellation insurance, provided you have taken out the right policy. This is because there are sometimes big differences in the price-performance ratio, as Stiftung Warentest shows in a recent comparison.
Accordingly, it is particularly worthwhile combining travel cancellation insurance directly with travel interruption insurance. Since the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, we know that it can also happen at your destination that you have to leave early for personal reasons. In this case, tour operators rarely cover the costs. If you have cancellation insurance, at least you won't be stuck with the costs despite the negative end to your vacation.
What travel insurance covers
In general, you should find out exactly what conditions apply before taking out travel insurance. If you book a package tour, the tour operator will often already have covered a number of cancellation cases. These mainly include natural disasters and crises that lead to a travel warning from the Foreign Office or affect the feasibility of the booked trip.
In all other cases, you must rely on the goodwill of the travel provider in case of doubt. Unless you have taken out travel insurance in advance. Then you are also covered in the event of job loss, pregnancy, illness or the death of a relative. Incidentally, the experts from Stiftung Warentest recommend taking out insurance regardless of the trip booked, as this is often cheaper. The test result also shows that it is worth reading the small print.
Keep your eyes open when choosing insurance
Of the 54 combined tariffs without excess that were tested, only two providers scored very well. The travel cancellation insurance policies from TravelSecure and Europ Assistance are particularly recommendable. Most tariffs were in the middle of the field with a test rating of good. The biggest differences were in the processing of claims and the comprehensibility of the insurance policy. By the way: If it only rains at the vacation destination, not a single insurance company reimburses the travel costs - only the right clothing helps in bad weather.
You can read the entire test for a fee here
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In light of the coronavirus pandemic, it's crucial to note that tour operators typically do not cover the costs if you have to leave your destination early due to personal reasons. However, having travel cancellation insurance can help mitigate these costs. (Stiftung Warentest recommends providers like TravelSecure and Europ Assistance, whose policies offer good coverage in such scenarios.) Unfortunately, tragedy can strike, as a tour participant discovered when their relative passed away during the vacation, leaving them to cover the costs. (Without cancellation insurance, they would have been financially responsible for the trip.)
Source: www.stern.de
