Although some nay-sayers may call it a fatalistic way to go about planning your vacation, the truth is: you can never be too careful when traveling. Even when you're heading only one state away from where you live, the unexpected can happen at any moment - that's why it's unexpected! How can you protect yourself from these potentially harmful incidents? The most secure way to do this, wherever you travel, is through the purchase of travel insurance.

Unexpected emergencies can and do happen, and when they do, often the results can be very expensive and financially draining. Medical emergencies in a foreign country can see you paying thousands of dollars for hospital treatment, while missed or canceled flights can cost hundreds for replacement ticket. While credit cards can sometimes cover the expense, the fact is that you'll still be paying out of your own pocket when it's all said and done.

Medical emergencies can happen at any time, from a sprained ankle, to heat stroke, to food poisoning ' and often, these kinds of emergencies are unpreventable. Should you be taken to another country's hospital or medical clinic, consider this: you'll have to pay for emergency vehicle transportation to that hospital, you'll lose whatever money you put forth for your vacation, you may have to pay for emergency transportation to another location ' whether it's elsewhere in the country or home ' and you'll be paying for whatever medical services you received. If you did not have travel insurance, you could be looking at bankruptcy or severe debt when the trip is over ' but with travel insurance, all those expenses could have been covered.

There is also the possibility of trip cancellation or interruption. If you have paid for a package trip to Florida that includes theme park passes, a hotel, and return flights ' and one of your family members is hospitalized several days before you were supposed to leave ' a good travel insurance plan can help cover the cancellation charges, ensuring that you don't lose money due to an unforeseen emergency.

Trip interruption can occur if, for some reason, your flight is delayed and you miss your connection or a departing cruise ship. Instead of paying out of your own pocket to get the trip back on track, the travel insurance plan will cover those expenses. Hotel arrangements will also be taken care of, and in many cases, the cost of vacation time that you missed due to the interruption will also be reimbursed!

Whether it's a medical emergency at home or away, or an incident due to surrounding factors that you couldn't control, a travel insurance plan will ensure that you don't lose the hard-earned money you paid for that vacation. After all, you'll probably want to travel again to make up for lost time ' and if the insurance plan pays for those unforeseen expenses, you'll still be able to have that vacation you always dreamed of!