---
title: "Why a Good Travel Insurance is the Most Important Thing You Pack"
description: "Insurance: you’ve booked the flights. The hotel is confirmed. Your suitcase is neatly organized with your favorite packing cubes, passports are ready and the…"
featured_image: "https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/insurance.jpeg"
url: "https://www.travel-icious.com/why-a-good-travel-insurance-is-the-most-important-thing-you-pack-2/"
date_modified: "2026-09-20T20:00:28+00:00"
---

![Insurance](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/insurance.jpeg)

You’ve booked the flights.
The hotel is confirmed.
The kids are already asking how many sleeps until you leave, and somewhere in the house there is probably a suitcase that has been opened far too early.
You start thinking about what to pack. Clothes, swimwear, chargers, passports, sunscreen…
And then there’s the one thing you might not actually put in your suitcase at all:

## travel insurance.

It might not be the most exciting part of preparing for a holiday, but after travelling with our family to destinations all over the world, it is something we simply don’t leave home without.
From road trips through the USA to tropical islands in the Caribbean, adventures in Asia and winter trips to Lapland, we’ve learned that travel insurance is one of those things you hope you’ll never need.
But if you do need it, you’ll be very glad you have it.

## Travel insurance is part of our packing list

When we created our [Travelicious Sunny Holiday Packing List](https://www.travel-icious.com/2025/06/26/%E2%98%80%EF%B8%8F-travelicious-packing-list-for-a-sunny-holiday/), travel and cancellation insurance was one of the essentials on it.
And honestly, that’s exactly where we think it belongs.
Because packing for a holiday isn’t only about what goes *into* your suitcase.
It’s also about making sure you’re prepared for the things you can’t control.
A suitcase can be replaced.
A forgotten pair of flip-flops can be replaced.
But an unexpected medical bill, cancelled trip or emergency abroad can be a very different story.

## Travel is unpredictable — especially with kids

Anyone travelling with children knows that plans can change quickly.
One minute everyone is happily eating ice cream by the pool.
The next, someone has a fever.
Or a stomach bug.
Or a sprained ankle.
Or you suddenly realise that your flight has been cancelled and your carefully planned itinerary is no longer going to work.
We’ve been lucky. We haven’t had a major medical emergency during our travels.
But we have had enough little travel surprises to know that being prepared makes a difference.
And when you’re travelling as a family, that peace of mind is worth a lot.

## Medical costs abroad can be very different

This is probably the biggest reason we take travel insurance seriously.
Your Dutch health insurance does not necessarily mean that every medical cost abroad is fully covered.
And depending on where you travel, medical treatment can become extremely expensive.
Think about breaking an arm while skiing, needing treatment after an accident, being admitted to hospital with severe food poisoning or needing emergency transportation.
This is particularly important when travelling to destinations such as the United States, Canada or Japan, where medical treatment can become very expensive.
A good travel insurance policy can cover eligible medical expenses according to the conditions of the policy.
That last part is important.

## Always check what your policy actually covers before you travel.

## Your holiday doesn’t always go according to plan

We all love a perfectly planned itinerary.
Flights booked.
Hotels reserved.
Rental car sorted.
Excursions paid for.
Then life happens.
A family member gets sick before departure. A flight is cancelled. Your plans have to change unexpectedly.
That’s where cancellation and travel disruption coverage can become important.
When comparing policies, check carefully what situations qualify for reimbursement and what the maximum amounts are.
Don’t simply look at the cheapest premium.
Look at what you are actually getting for it.

## Lost luggage is nobody’s idea of a holiday

Imagine arriving somewhere warm and sunny…
…and your suitcase decides to take a completely different holiday.
It happens.
Lost, delayed or damaged luggage can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re travelling with children.
You suddenly need clothes, toiletries, medication or other essentials.
Travel insurance may provide compensation or reimbursement for certain baggage-related costs, depending on your policy.
And while no insurance policy can make a missing suitcase less annoying, it can make dealing with the situation a little easier.
This is also one of the reasons we love travelling organised.
Our **Travelicious**** compression packing cubes** make it much easier to keep everyone’s clothes together and organised. We give each family member their own colour, which means that even when we’re moving between hotels, we know exactly where everything is.
You can find our [Travelicious Travel Storage & Packing Cubes here](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/), https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/

## And then there are the adventures…

This is one people sometimes forget about.
Travel insurance doesn’t automatically mean that every activity you do on holiday is covered.
Planning to ski?
Go snorkelling?
Scuba dive?
Zipline through the jungle?
Rent a scooter?
Go on safari?
Before you go, check your policy.
For example, when we went skiing in Italy, insurance with appropriate winter sports coverage was something we specifically considered. We wrote about this in our [Bardonecchia ski guide](https://www.travel-icious.com/bardonecchia-ski-resort-italy-the-hidden-italian-ski-gem-we-fell-in-love-with/), because skiing brings a completely different set of considerations.
The same applies to more adventurous family trips.
Read the small print before you book the activity, not afterwards.

## Family travel means thinking about everyone

When you travel alone, an unexpected problem affects one person.
When you travel with children, suddenly four people can be affected by one little change.
That’s why, when we compare travel insurance, we look at things such as:

- Medical expenses
- Cancellation cover
- Luggage cover
- Emergency assistance
- Repatriation
- Rental car excess
- Winter sports
- Adventure activities
- Worldwide coverage
- Family conditions

Exactly what you need will depend on your trip and your circumstances.
A two-week beach holiday is obviously different from a three-week road trip through the USA or a winter adventure in Finnish Lapland.
For our [Lapland family packing list](https://www.travel-icious.com/complete-lapland-packing-list-everything-you-need-for-a-winter-adventure-in-finnish-lapland/), for example, travel insurance is included alongside the other documents we recommend taking with you.

## Annual or single-trip insurance?

This is another one worth looking at.
If you travel several times a year, an annual policy can be worth comparing with taking out separate insurance for every trip.
For families who travel frequently, this can make life a little easier.
Weekend away?
Covered.
Summer holiday?
Covered, depending on the policy.
Winter sports trip?
Check whether the relevant coverage is included.
Long-haul family adventure?
Again, check the conditions.
If you only travel once a year, a single-trip policy may make more sense.
There isn’t one option that works for every family, so compare based on how **you** actually travel.

## Don’t forget the less glamorous travel essentials

Travel insurance is one part of being prepared.
Another is staying connected.
We used to think about a local SIM card once we arrived somewhere. These days, we usually arrange an eSIM before we leave.
It means we can land, switch on our phone and start using maps, messages and travel apps without immediately hunting for a SIM card.
If you haven’t used an eSIM before, we’ve put together a simple guide explaining [how to install an eSIM on your iPhone](https://www.travel-icious.com/how-to-install-an-esim-on-your-iphone-%F0%9F%93%B1%E2%9C%88%EF%B8%8F/).
It only takes a few minutes to set up before your trip, and doing it at home is definitely easier than trying to figure it out after a long flight.

## So, what do we actually do before we travel?

We keep it simple.
Before leaving home, we make sure we have:
✔ Passports and important documents
✔ Travel insurance details
✔ Flight and accommodation confirmations
✔ Any necessary medical information
✔ Driving licence if we’re renting a car
✔ Our phones and chargers
✔ An eSIM where needed
✔ A sensible amount of cash and payment cards
And, of course, the packing list.
Because being prepared doesn’t mean expecting something to go wrong.
It simply means that if something *does* go wrong, you have one less thing to worry about.

## Our Travelicious tip

Think of travel insurance like a seatbelt.
You don’t put on your seatbelt because you expect to have an accident.
You wear it because you know that unexpected things can happen.
Travel insurance is similar.
We hope we never have to use it.
But after travelling with our children to so many different places, it has become one of those boring-but-important things we arrange before every trip.
Because we’d much rather spend our holiday worrying about which beach we’re going to visit next than worrying about what happens if something goes wrong.

## Compare before you book

Every family travels differently.
Some families spend two weeks beside a pool.
Others are road-tripping through America, island hopping around Thailand, exploring Japan for three weeks or heading into the snow in Lapland.
Your insurance should fit **your trip**.
So before you book, take a few minutes to compare policies and read the conditions carefully.
Check the destinations you’re visiting, the activities you’re planning and the level of medical, cancellation and baggage cover you actually need.
It might not be the most exciting part of planning a family adventure.
But it is one of those small preparations that can make a very big difference if you ever need it.
And then?
Pack the suitcases.
Give everyone their own packing cube.
Download your eSIM.
Check the passports one more time.
And go make some memories. ❤️

## Safe travels,

**The ****Travelicious**** Team**

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[![Insurance2](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/insurance2.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Medical Costs Abroad Can Be Shocking
**Many travelers assume their regular health insurance covers everything abroad.
Unfortunately, that’s often not the case.

Imagine:

- A broken arm while skiing.
- Food poisoning requiring hospitalization.
- An emergency operation.
- Being flown home after an accident.

In countries like the United States, Canada or Japan, medical bills can easily reach tens of thousands of euros.

Good travel insurance covers these unexpected expenses so you can focus on getting better—not worrying about the bill.

---

[![Lostluggage](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/lostluggage.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Lost Luggage Happens More Than You Think
**We’ve all seen the images: Mountains of suitcases waiting at airports.
Sometimes yours is one of them.

Travel insurance can help cover:

- Clothing and toiletries
- Delayed baggage expenses
- Lost luggage
- Damaged luggage

Especially when traveling with children, replacing essentials quickly can make a huge difference.

---

[![Cancelled](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/cancelled.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Flight Delays and Cancellations**

- Weather.
- Technical issues.
- Airport strikes.

Unfortunately, delays happen. Depending on your policy, travel insurance may reimburse costs for:

- Hotel stays
- Meals
- Extra transportation
- Missed connections

That can save hundreds—or even thousands—of euros.

---

[![Activity](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/activity.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Adventure Activities? Check Your Coverage
**Planning to:

- Ski?
- Snorkel?
- Scuba dive?
- Zipline?
- Go on a safari?
- Rent a scooter?

Not every insurer automatically covers adventure sports. Always check the policy before you travel.

---

[![Personal](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/personal.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Family Travel Means Extra Protection**

Traveling with children adds a little unpredictability. Kids become ill unexpectedly. Someone falls at the playground.

A holiday suddenly needs to be cancelled because a family member gets sick. Family travel insurance often includes coverage for:

- Cancellation
- Medical emergencies
- Personal belongings
- Emergency assistance
- Repatriation

Exactly the kind of backup every parent hopes they’ll never need.

---

[![Annual](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/annual.jpeg)](https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/)

**Annual or Single Trip Insurance?
**If you travel more than once a year, an annual travel insurance policy is often the smartest option.
Perfect if you love:

- Weekend city breaks
- Disney trips
- Summer holidays
- Winter sports
- Road trips

If you’re only taking one holiday this year, a single-trip policy may be more economical.

---

![Rental](https://www.travel-icious.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/rental.jpeg)

**What We Always Look For
**Before taking out travel insurance, we always compare:

✔ Worldwide coverage
✔ Medical expenses
✔ Cancellation insurance
✔ Luggage cover
✔ Rental car excess cover
✔ Winter sports option
✔ Adventure sports
✔ 24/7 emergency assistance
✔ Family-friendly conditions

The cheapest policy isn’t always the best one.
We’d rather pay a little extra and know we’re fully protected.

---

**Travelicious Tip**

Think of travel insurance like wearing a seatbelt. You hope you’ll never need it.
But you’ll be incredibly grateful it’s there if something unexpected happens.

**Compare Before You Book
**Every family travels differently.
Some people backpack through Asia. Others visit Disneyland. Some spend weeks driving through America. That’s why there’s no single “best” travel insurance. Take a few minutes to compare policies carefully and choose one that matches your destination and travel style. A little preparation today could save you thousands tomorrow.

Safe travels—and enjoy every adventure!

❤️ The Travelicious Team