Ratgeber
Travel insurance and cancellation for the trip of a lifetime
For a trip of a lifetime, cancellation cover, repatriation and health insurance abroad are especially important. Check the terms, exclusions and deadlines carefully. Once in a Lifetime is a Swiss travel agency with video consultations and discusses with you which cover suits your trip.
Von Once in a Lifetime, Stand
Schritt für Schritt
- Assess travel costs and risks
- Check cancellation cover
- Clarify repatriation and health cover abroad
- Read terms and exclusions
- Take out insurance promptly after booking
- Carry documents digitally and on paper
Checkliste
- Cancellation cover checked
- Repatriation covered
- Health cover abroad confirmed
- Exclusions read
- Deadlines noted
- Emergency number saved
- Policies saved digitally
- Pre-existing conditions clarified
A trip of a lifetime ties up time, money and anticipation. If something gets in the way, not everything should be lost. Good cover therefore belongs in the planning, not as an afterthought.
Why cover matters on trips of a lifetime
The more expensive and one-off the trip, the greater the loss if it falls through. Illness, family events or weather conditions can upset plans. Especially for trips with high advance payments, cover is worthwhile. Compare offers by benefits, not just premium, because the difference only shows when a claim arises.
For destinations such as Antarctica or remote regions, medical care and the return journey are also complex. A suitable insurance policy takes pressure off the trip. Delays and luggage loss can also play a role. Ask about the amount of the sum insured and check whether it covers your entire travel costs.
Check not only the price of the policy but its scope. Note the excesses that you bear in the event of a claim and which can reduce the benefit.
Understanding cancellation cover
It generally covers costs if you cannot start the trip for insured reasons. Which reasons are insured is set out in the terms. Disputes often revolve around deadlines, so pay attention to them. Some providers exclude trips to areas with travel warnings, so check this rule before booking.
Pay attention to deadlines. Many policies must be taken out shortly after booking in order to apply.
Read which events are excluded. That protects you from surprises in a real emergency. Ask about exclusions for known illnesses and for travel warnings. Keep the insurer's contact details available offline too, so that in an emergency you do not depend on the internet.
Repatriation and illness abroad
Health cover abroad and repatriation are central for long-haul trips. They cover treatment and, where necessary, transport to Switzerland. Benefits for evacuation from remote places are especially relevant. Keep receipts for replacement purchases or additional costs, as they are the basis for reimbursement.
Check whether your basic insurance pays benefits abroad and where gaps exist. Especially for remote destinations, additional cover is worthwhile. Discuss with your travel companions who informs whom in an emergency and which documents are where.
Clarify how you would make contact in an emergency. A 24-hour number belongs in your phone and on paper. Check whether family members are co-insured.
Pre-existing conditions and special activities
Pre-existing conditions can restrict benefits. Talk openly with the insurer and clarify what is covered. Insurance does not replace an experience, but it removes the worry that a single event wipes out everything.
Activities such as trekking at altitude, diving or expeditions are sometimes insured only with an add-on. Check this before booking. Check whether your credit cards include travel benefits and which, and add only what is missing.
For medical questions, ask your doctor. Ask your insurer whether credit cards include additional benefits. For questions about pre-existing conditions, a conversation with the insurer helps more than assumptions.
Deadlines, documents and typical mistakes
A common mistake is taking out insurance too late. Many policies apply only if they are signed shortly after the first deposit. Note the deadline immediately after booking. If in doubt, ask in writing so that you have an answer in hand.
It is equally important to report quickly in an emergency. Anyone who waits too long risks having benefits reduced. Keep receipts, medical certificates and booking confirmations carefully.
Really do read the terms. If anything is unclear, ask the insurer and record the answers in writing. Luggage and valuables can also be insured, so pay attention to maximum limits per item.
Cover and advice
Check the current position with the FDFA (EDA) and the FOPH (BAG) on travel advice and health. Find out about the terms of your providers. If you plan several big trips, consider annual insurance as a possible alternative.
We do not give insurance advice in the legal sense, but we help you ask the right questions. Small contracts are seldom better than good advice, and questions are welcome at any time.
In the [planning call](/m/once-in-a-lifetime/planen) by video call, we discuss your trip and the deadlines. That way you keep an overview.
