I ask everyone who joins one of my retreats to carry travel insurance. International travel involves uncertainty none of us can fully control, and insurance protects both your financial investment and your access to emergency medical care.
This guide answers the questions I get most often. I’ve written it mainly for travelers from the United States, since insurance options and healthcare systems differ elsewhere.
Disclosures: This is not a recommendation for a particular insurance policy or company. Policies vary, so read the terms before you buy. I earn a commission if you buy through my InsureMyTrip link or apply for a Chase Sapphire card through my referral link, at no extra cost to you.
Why I Recommend Travel Insurance
Travel insurance can feel like one more thing to research. But I’ve seen how an unexpected injury or change in circumstances can make insurance worth it.
- Two days before I led my first retreat in Guatemala, I broke my foot. Guatemala has basic universal healthcare, so I paid nothing at the hospital. But my travel insurance covered follow-up care in a private clinic and an earlier flight home.
- When my stepdad was terminally ill, I had to cancel a trip to Argentina. My policy reimbursed my expenses. It was a huge relief during a difficult time.
- A guest had to cancel two weeks before a retreat when her cat sitter fell through. She had bought CFAR coverage, which reimbursed a significant portion of her trip costs.
- Ten days before our last Italy retreat, a guest had to cancel for medical reasons. She had bought travel insurance, and we were both grateful she had.
What Travel Insurance Covers + How Much Coverage You Need
A policy bundles several protections, and not every policy includes all of them. Look for policies that include the following (per person):
Trip Cancellation
Reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you have to cancel for a reason covered by the policy. Policies specify which circumstances qualify, such as certain illnesses, injuries, deaths, job losses, or severe weather events.
100% of your (prepaid, non-refundable) costs.
Trip Interruption
Applies after your trip has started, if you must return home early due to a covered emergency. It may reimburse the unused part of your trip and any added cost of getting home.
Up to 150% of your insured trip cost.
Emergency Medical
Covers medically necessary care outside the U.S. You may have to pay upfront and claim reimbursement later. Check deductibles and exclusions, especially for pre-existing conditions.
At least $50,000, preferably $100,000 or more.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
Pays to move you to an appropriate facility when the care you need isn’t available where you are. Medical evacuation can cost anywhere from $25,000 within North America to $250,000 or more for distant or remote locations, according to the CDC.
For international travel, look for at least $250,000, up to $1 million.
Travel Delay
If your trip is delayed for a covered reason or certain amount of time, your plan may help pay for extra costs like meals, a hotel, or transportation.
Baggage Delay / Baggage Loss
Most comprehensive plans provide coverage for lost, delayed, stolen, or damaged luggage. Baggage delay helps cover essentials if your luggage is delayed overnight. For baggage loss, theft, or damage, choose a policy with enough coverage to replace your belongings.
Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR)
You may want to consider a CFAR upgrade if your circumstances could change in ways a standard policy wouldn’t cover. More on that below.
Smaller Benefits Travel Insurance May Offer
Comprehensive policies may include smaller benefits. You’ll find these under “Included Benefits” for each policy on InsureMyTrip. This list is not exhaustive, but check for those that fit your trip.
- Missed connection: extra costs to reach your destination after a delay.
- Change fees: airline fees or new ticket, when change is for a covered reason.
- Missed event or tour: when missed because of a covered delay.
- Pet boarding: extra costs if you’re delayed for a covered reason.
- Companion bedside benefit: covers expenses for companion to stay with you in the hospital.
- Return of a travel companion: covers getting a companion or minor child home if you can’t travel.
- Repatriation of remains: transport home after a death.
- Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D): a fixed payout.
- Rental car damage: collision or theft coverage that may replace the rental company’s waiver.
- Lost passport or document help: assistance replacing lost documents.
- Vacation rental deposits: reimbursement of lost deposits for a covered reason.
- Evacuation for security events: after political unrest, terrorist incident, or natural disaster.
- Sports equipment: coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged gear like golf clubs or skis.
Covered Activities
Many policies exclude or limit higher-risk activities like hiking at altitude, surfing, snorkeling, skiing, and climbing, while others cover them. Check the policy’s “Covered Activities” and make sure it covers your retreat activities!
Check What You Already Have
Your Health Insurance
Some plans may offer limited international coverage, but restrictions, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs vary widely. Medicare generally doesn’t cover care outside the United States, except in a few limited situations, and it doesn’t cover medical evacuation. Some Medigap plans offer limited emergency coverage, but find out exactly what yours includes.
Even a plan that covers treatment abroad may not cover evacuation, so emergency medical and evacuation coverage is worth having.
Your Credit Card
Some credit cards have substantial travel protections, so check yours before buying coverage. Here’s a comparison chart although specific details may not be updated.
I carry the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which has some of the strongest protections available on a credit card. But it still has gaps. As of October 2026, its benefits include:
- Trip cancellation / interruption: Up to $10,000 per covered traveler for covered prepaid, nonrefundable expenses
- Emergency medical and dental: Up to $2,500, with a $50 deductible
- Emergency evacuation: Up to $100,000.
- Travel delay (up to $500), baggage delay ($100/day) & baggage loss (up to $3,000)
While these benefits may be enough for some travel, there are details worth noting:
- The medical benefit is very low when compared to comprehensive travel policies.
- The emergency evacuation is on the lower side.
- Most protections require the expense to be paid for with the card or eligible points. If you pay for your retreat by check or ACH, don’t assume the retreat itself is covered.
- Credit cards don’t offer Cancel for Any Reason.
Most credit cards have fewer or limited protections. Be sure to read your benefits. Then look at what’s missing, usually emergency medical, evacuation, and non-credit card payments.
Check out the Sapphire Reserve. (The annual fee is hefty, but the benefits more than offset the cost for me. The primary auto rental coverage has also saved me a lot and did cover $2,800 in damage a few years ago.)
Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR)
CFAR is an optional upgrade on some policies. With standard trip cancellation, you must cancel for a reason listed in the policy. CFAR gives you partial reimbursement when your reason isn’t covered, including simply changing your mind.
Terms vary, so read the policy you’re considering. CFAR usually comes with these conditions:
- It reimburses 50-75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs, not 100%.
- Most policies require purchase of CFAR within 10-21 days of your initial trip payment. For a retreat, that will often be your initial retreat deposit.
- You must insure 100% of your prepaid, nonrefundable costs.
- You must cancel within a set time frame before departure (usually 48 hours).
- It may raise the cost of the premium by about 40 to 50 percent.
CFAR is a good fit if you have uncertainty about a work schedule, family situation, or you’re simply nervous about travel.
When to Buy Travel Insurance
The exact deadlines depend on each policy, but this is the simplest way to think about it:
- Want CFAR or a pre-existing condition waiver? Ideally, buy within 14 days of your initial trip payment. The sooner the better—you’ll have more options.
- Want comprehensive coverage? You can often buy it later, but you’ll get the best coverage if you buy within the first 14 days of your initial trip payment.
- Want medical and evacuation coverage only? You generally have more flexibility and can buy closer to departure, as long as it’s before you leave.
Policies often exclude pre-existing medical conditions. Many companies will waive the exclusion if you buy within 14 days of your first payment and you’re medically stable for travel at that time.
How Much of Your Trip Should You Insure?
Insure the prepaid, nonrefundable expenses you want protected. This may include your retreat payments, as well as non-refundable airfare, lodging, rental cars, tours, or other travel expenses.
Don’t include expenses that are refundable or that you haven’t paid yet. If you’ve only paid a retreat deposit, insure only that amount for a small premium. You can then increase the insured amount as you make additional payments, subject to your policy’s rules and deadlines.
A Few Other Things to Consider
- Assistance: Save the emergency number and contact your insurer as soon as possible.
- How claims work: You may need to pay upfront and contact the insurer before treatment.
- Documentation: Keep all receipts and records related to a claim.
- Exclusions. Many policies exclude higher-risk activities.
- Primary or secondary. Does the policy pay first, or only after your other insurance?
Where Can You Compare Policies?
You don’t have to buy the first travel insurance policy you’re offered when you book a flight. I use InsureMyTrip because it allows me to compare policies from multiple providers in one place. Wherever you buy, compare the medical, evacuation, cancellation, and CFAR coverage, along with exclusions and eligibility requirements.
Sources & Further Reading:
- Travel Health Insurance & Medical Evacuation Insurance – CDC Yellow Book
- Guide to Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance – Chase Credit Card Basics
- Travel Insurance FAQs – InsureMyTrip Travel Protection 101
- Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Expert Guide – InsureMyTrip Travel Protection 101
- Credit Card Travel Insurance vs. Comprehensive Travel Insurance – InsureMyTrip Comparison Guide
- How to Compare Travel Insurance Plans (2026): Pricing, Coverage, and What Matters Most – InsureMyTrip Travel Protection 101
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