Hi. Does anybody have suggestions on insurance? I have an expensive trip to Italy coming up but I think that the $1400 each I was quoted is outrageous! We already have medical but that is usually tied in. Looking for cancellation and interruption primarily. Thoughts / Suggestions Thanks!

Get a high end Visa card and book your trip with that, and you will be covered by the credit card for most things.

If you have a credit card, check with them. I have found them to be cheaper. We were able to get medical/travel from Mastercard for $124/yr.

Who quoted you that? You can get insurance through your credit card company or AMA. I've only ever paid 50$ for travel insurance to top off my health benefits.

If your employer has a benefits plan at work check your policy. most of them will cover you from $1 to $5 million for a 60 day trip

Hmmmm sounds like the thing to do is check with Visa which is who I purchased it with. As far as I know AMA only covers travel booked through AMA.

We have medical through employment, it's the interruption and cancellation that I am concerned with

Some good benefits plan will cover that as well doublecheck their first

My husband and I buy AMA travel insurance every year but never book our travel with them. It is no hassle to make a claim either

Even speaking with my work health benefits rep at work, he said it's always a good idea to get another form to top off what it doesn't cover. EI, ours doesn't cover air ambulance, so if you get a different plan that does cover, then you will have everything in the event anything were to happen.

Call any insurance brokerage and get quoted for insurance. Should be cheap. manulife through brokers has a great product

Hmmmmm interesting Anne. Their website is deceiving apparently. I will give them and visa a call.

Yup I've never booked travel through AMA but always get their travel insurance. It was like 50$ last time I traveled to the states for a week.

Brilliant!! Thanks!

Claire Loberg..we are close to an AMA office and just drop in..never had any problems

Most insurance companies have someone who can sell travel insurance as well. We have 2 at my agency.

The AMA travel insurance is medical only, they only do cancellation/interruption of the trip is booked through them. I've struggled to find affordable cancellation cover, if you find anywhere I'll use them too!

True

Check with your credit card company.

manulife!!

If you don't have extended benefits through work or a credit card, try TravelGuard.

If you have a Gold or Platinum card you pay fees to each year you are likely fully covered. Our royal bank visa cover all cancellation and 5 million for medical. Just call your card they will fill you in.

I think I may have to get a new credit card! This thread is really helpful, thanks for all the advice and thanks for asking the question, Claire Loberg!

look up Travelguard.ca. That's what most insurance companies use. Just do it yourself. That's what we always do - pretty straight forward and user friendly.

These are the people that travel!!

Check out TIC. I got medical and interruption/cancellation coverage through them for my three month trip to Europe last fall and it was pretty reasonable.

aslo Claire Loberg you can call Travelguard and they will walk you through it. You probably don't need deluxe just the basic coverage. Have a great trip:)

If you have a master card with BMO you can add cancellation insurance etc for ~100 per year to anything bought with the card. Also gies extended warranties too.

Tracy DesLaurier at DesLaurier Financial Services is great. Extremely good prices and outstanding service. You can google him. He's in Edmonton.

We have relied on our Mastercard for travel insurance for years...to buy annually is around $100 and then you don't have to worry if you make a quick weekend trip unexpectedly. Only catch is that it is usually for a max of 30 days. I use The Simpson Group here in town for extended travel. Jeff is awesome to deal with.

Just bought the annual MC plan for my eldest who is on his own for $49 for a single, which is usually the cost for a 1 week vacation through a travel agent

I sell travel insurance, if you want to message me I can help you out for sure.

Columbus Direct based out of UK for travel insurance

Scotiabank's Gold American Express and Gold Passport Visa both have travel interruption cancellation insurance and lost luggage, hotel/motel burglary insurance all at no cost. Plus they have travel air miles

FYI AND GOOD TO KNOW:
Checked with CIBC, I have an Infinite Aventura. I had an excellent person that explained all of the fine print in English!
Medical coverage is $5 million, included with card. Cancellation is only $1000 per person. If your trip is $5000 and you cancel, you are out $4000!! Interruption is $2000 max.
Interruption and cancellation is tied to the cost of the trip, if they are not asking you the price of the trip you are probably only getting medical coverage. CIBC quoted me $128 for an annual medical plan that would cover both of us.
Our trip to Italy, flights, tours, hotels etc. will cost me $400 each in extra Cancellation/Interruption insurance. Still the most reasonable I have found.
Those $100 quotes are most likely medical only!!!!!!!!

Always have my trips booked on credit card that covers that - for next time - avion Visa. Check your card info and your home insurance agent

Hate to say it Hollis although Avion is better, cancellation is still only $1500 per person, page 22 of the agreement. It is not a 100% coverage clause. I have yet to see one on a credit card.
Kimberley, AMA only offers cancellation and interruption on trips booked through AMA.

Claire, no one mentioned the COSTCO Capital One Mastercard - the best coverage I know of. Check it out.

Neil, although extensive still no complete interruption or cancellation. Thy are definitely trying to make friends though. Their Travel Assistance Services look really good. Glad I have a card!

Always make sure you have repatriation insurance, that means if you have an accident and need medical transportation home it is paid. My niece's husband had an accident in Japan (fell down a flight of stairs - head trauma) and without it they would have had to pay $35,000 to get him home. It also covers the cost of shipping remains home if they die while away.

Purchase trip using aspire capital one card and insurance included

Definitely the Aspire interruption is better, $5000 to help you get home but the Cancellation is still only $1000 per person.

I will always use American Express travel insurance. My husband and I went to Playa del Carmen in November..unfortunately, he spent the entire week plus three extra days in hospital. American Express just said "don't worry, you are covered for everything" and we were, including our $4800.00 return flight home. They were in communication the whole time...even called after we got back they called to see how Leigh was doing. Just amazing service. I think we paid around $500 for the year for the family plan which covers our two grown boys as well.