Although insurance has been in existence, in one form or another, for the past two - three millennia, starting with the Babylonians in circa 1750 BC, Travel Insurance is a relatively new insurance, with respect to other insurances like Life Insurance, Property Insurance, Car Insurance, etc. In the past two centuries, travelling for business and leisure has been growing exponentially and providing a multitude of services for travellers has become a huge business. Due to the ever increasing number of travellers and the many problems encountered by travellers within their own country and abroad, insurance companies came out with comprehensive Travel Insurance Packages for intrepid travellers, businessmen who travel regularly, and for families and groups. Besides these comprehensive Travel Insurance Packages, insurance companies also came out with Cheap Travel Insurance Packages for budget travellers, backpackers, and those travelling alone or in a group, but on a shoe-string budget.

A comprehensive Travel Insurance Package covers almost all risks and includes all facilities and many services and assistance like medical assistance in case of accidents and injury, including air lifting to hospitals if required through an Air Ambulance, hospital expenses, compensation and assistance for lost or stolen baggage, lost documents, booking cancellations, etc. All these services and assistance come at a cost, which is the premium charged for the insurance package. But this does not mean that the Cheap Travel Insurance Packages are useless or should not even be considered. Cheap Travel Insurance means that the package covers the essential and most common risks like medical assistance required, accidents, etc, but some cheap packages may not include some risks covered in the comprehensive packages, and which may not be required or essential for the policy purchaser.

Many insurance companies may also charge a lower premium for comprehensive Travel Insurance packages, based on their assessment of the risks and calculations. This does not mean that these Cheap Travel Insurance packages are not as good as the ones that charge a higher premium for the same package. Offering cheaper travel insurance by an insurance company may be due to its own internal assessment of travel trends, risk factors, calculations, and experiences with previous policyholders and policies issued. Offering of Cheap Travel Insurance and charging a lower premium may also be due to the competition in the insurance industry to entice customers to purchase their Travel Insurance packages.

Whether you opt for comprehensive Travel Insurance or Cheap Travel Insurance, one should always enquire about the risks covered, services provided like online help and call facilities, and assistance provided in case of emergencies and problems. If you are travelling overseas to another country, you should also inquire about the assistance that is provided overseas in case of medical emergencies, cancelled flight and hotel bookings, etc.