Travel to Germany

IN WESTERN EUROPE

INSURANCE

Travel insurance generally covers four basic areas: medical problems, property loss, trip cancellation/interruption, and emergency evacuation. Although your regular insurance policies may well extend to travel-related accidents, you should consider purchasing travel insurance if the cost of potential trip cancella tion/interruption or emergency medical evacuation is greater than you can absorb. Prices for travel insurance purchased separately generally run about US$50 per week for full coverage, while trip cancellation/interruption may be purchased separately at a rate of about US$5.50 per US$100 of coverage.

Medical insurance (especially university policies) often covers costs incurred abroad; check with your provider. US Medicare does not cover foreign travel. Canadians are protected by their home province’s health insurance plan for up to 90 days after leaving the country; check with the provincial Ministry of Health or Health Plan Headquarters for details. Australians traveling in Fin land, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, or the UK are entitled to many of the ser vices that they would receive at home as part of the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. Homeowners’ Insurance (or your family’s coverage) often covers theft during travel and loss of travel documents (passport, plane ticket, rail- pass, etc.) up to US$500.

ISIC and ITIC (12) provide basic insurance benefits, including US$100 per day of in-hospital sickness for up to 60 days, US$3000 of accident-related med ical reimbursement, and US$50,000 for emergency evacuation. Cardholders have access to atoll-free 24hr. helpline (run by insurance provider TravelGuard) for medical, legal, and financial emergencies overseas (US and Canada® 877- 370-4742, elsewhere call US collect ® 715-342-4104). American Express (US s 800-338-1670) grants most cardholders automatic car rental insurance (colli sion and theft, but not liability) and ground travel accident coverage of US$100,000 on flight purchases made with the card.

INSURANCE PROVIDERS. STA (43) offers a range of plans that can supplement your basic coverage. Other US and Canadian providers include Access America (®866-807-3982; www.accessamerica.com), Travel Guard (®800-826-4919; www.travelguard.com), and International Student Insurance (ISI; ® 877-328-1565). The UK has Columbus Direct (® 084 5330 8518; www.columbusdirect.net), and Aus tralia has AFTA (®02 9264 3299; www.afta.com.au).