8 types of travel insurance coverage you should consider

The Marble Promise

More info

At Marble, we're committed to guiding you towards better insurance choices. While our editorial content adheres to strict standards, we do occasionally mention products from partner companies. Find out how we keep the lights on.

More info
8 types of travel insurance coverage you should consider

Travel troubles come in many different forms, but in one way, they’re all the same — they’re a total headache to deal with. It doesn’t matter if it’s lost luggage, food poisoning, or a canceled flight: it’s all unwelcome, especially when you’d rather be enjoying your vacation time! 

To help mitigate the annoyance and related financial strain, there’s travel insurance. And because no two trips are exactly alike, there are travel protection plans that let you choose just the coverage you need. We’ve pulled together a list of some of the most common travel coverage options for you to consider ahead of your next trip:

Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage

Trip cancellation and trip interruption are the most common types of travel insurance coverage — the bread and butter of this sector, if you will. Trip cancellation protects you if your entire trip is canceled before you even head off, while trip interruption offers financial coverage owing to delays or cancellations that happen once you’re already traveling. 

Let’s say you’re skiing in Wyoming and break your arm on one of the slopes, for instance. You might choose to fly home early, thus cutting your trip short. With trip interruption coverage, some of your non-refundable or prepaid deposits can be reimbursed. 

These coverages are particularly helpful for travelers who book activities or outings with big deposits. They’re also great for anyone who’s traveling for a longer period of time or going to multiple destinations. But one thing to be aware of: if you book your ticket using frequent flier miles, you generally won’t be reimbursed if you need to change your ticket. 

Trip delay coverage

Blizzard in Buffalo? Did the captain just say something about “mechanical issues delaying takeoff” over the airplane intercom? Sadly, travel delays are all too common, and with them comes extra expenses. Luckily, there’s trip delay insurance, which can help to offset any financial burden you take on. 

This benefit can help cover the expenses you accrue owing to a trip delay, whether that’s covering another night in a hotel, extra transport, or even the meals you eat while you’re waiting. The name really does say it all, doesn’t it? 

Cancel for any reason coverage

Cancel for any reason coverage is an add-on to your travel insurance that can provide you with flexibility and peace of mind. Let’s say you had a couple’s safari package booked almost a year in advance (exciting!), but then you found out you were expecting (congrats!) and could no longer go. If you canceled your trip outright, you would probably lose your deposit — but with “cancel for any reason” coverage, you’ll be protected (purchase and claim requirements apply –
check the policy for full details). This type of coverage is great for dream vacations with big deposits, or just for anyone who reserves the right to change their mind!

Baggage delay coverage

Sometimes you’re headed for Paris, France, but your bags go to Paris, Texas. Sometimes your bag simply disappears! No matter the reason, arriving at your destination only to discover your luggage has been lost or damaged is nothing short of a huge pain. With baggage coverage, you’ll be reimbursed for lost, damaged, or delayed luggage.

Rental vehicle damage coverage

Driving a new car in a new place can be stressful enough (especially if you find yourself driving on the other side of the road!) — without having to also worry about damage to your vehicle. Whether you’re parking in tight quarters, cruising down quaint country lanes, or just driving a new car, cover your (proverbial) butt and (very real) bumper with rental vehicle damage coverage. You can purchase this for both foreign and domestic travel, depending on where you’ll be driving. 

Vacation rental damage coverage

Turns out a lot of vacation rental hosts are frustrated by the damage guests do to their properties. But even if you aren’t throwing a raging bachelorette party, accidents still happen. A dropped water glass here, a broken lamp there: that’s what we call life! To keep you from stressing, you could consider adding vacation rental damage coverage to your protection plan. This coverage is great for large groups, families with kids, the accident-prone, and the exhausted. 

Travel medical coverage

There’s nothing worse than getting sick or hurt far away from home. This is doubly true if you need to navigate a new healthcare system, maybe even in a foreign language. All of that can be agonizing, and while you’re trying to figure out a stressful situation, you shouldn’t also have to worry about medical bills piling up. You can protect yourself (and your wallet) with travel medical coverage. 

One important note when buying travel medical coverage: where you’re traveling will affect what kind of coverage you need, so be sure to share your locations with the insurance company when purchasing a policy. That said, anyone can benefit from travel medical insurance (unless, of course, you’re just someone who likes paying hefty medical bills).

Pet medical coverage

Just like you, your pets may need medical care while you’re traveling. No one wants to see Fido felled by a fractured leg while you’re out hiking the Dolomites. Pet medical coverage is crucial for any international traveler who likes to travel with an animal. For those with pet insurance, your furry friend may be protected throughout the United States, but you’ll want to double-check your coverage area just to be sure. 

Vacation is about relaxing, so if you want real peace of mind, you probably want to get travel protection. Instead of paying for expensive, one-size-fits-all trip protection, you can find affordable plans that cover just what you need. 

In fact, we recommend taking a look at battleface, which lets you customize your plan by adding and subtracting the coverage options we listed above. That way, you can really sit back and unwind — even at your in-laws. Shop for battleface plans in the Marble app or through the link here.* 

There’s a great big world out there waiting for you to explore it. At Marble, we want you to be protected and prepared for all life’s adventures, big and small. That’s why we built a digital wallet to help you keep track of all your insurance policies — and earn rewards while you’re at it! Sign up for Marble today, and feel confident when you travel.

*Availability of coverage depends on the details of each case and the terms, conditions, and exclusions of each individual policy.


battleface Travel Insurance plans are underwritten by Spinnaker Insurance Company (an IL Corporation, NAIC# 24376), with administrative office at One Pluckemin Way, Suite 102, Bedminister, NJ 07921. Plans are offered and administered by battleface Insurance Services LLC, 45 East Lincoln Street, Columbus, OH 43215, National Producer Number 18731960 (FL License number L107363/CA License number 0M75381). Travel Retailers offering this plan may not be licensed insurance producers and cannot answer technical questions about the terms, benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance or evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. Your Travel Retailer may be compensated for the purchase of a Plan and may provide general information about the Plans offered, including a description of the coverage and price.  The purchase of this Plan is not required in order to purchase other travel products or services offered by your Travel Retailer. This is a brief description of the coverage provided under policy series RIG-1000. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions. Please refer to the Policy for complete details. If there are conflicts between the information on this site and the Policy, the Policy will govern in all cases. Not all products or coverages may be available in all jurisdictions. 

Non-insurance services are provided by Robin Assist (in CA battleface Insurance Services LLC DBA Robin Assist).  

Conclusion