If you are woman who travels, especially if you plan to travel overseas or in Africa, having travel insurance can make a great deal of sense. Without it you might find yourself clobbered by huge medical bills and/or be unable to get back home.

And make sure that you look at your travel insurance for a woman's point of view. The insurance list of things covered may be long, but does it cover everything that you - as a women - may need to have covered?

When we plan a holiday or set off on a business trip, often the last thing on our minds is the fact that something might go horribly wrong and so, many people forego taking out travel insurance, in the interests of having more spending money.

However, things can go wrong and, when you are in a country you don’t know, it is often difficult to get the treatment or services you need in the event of unforeseen circumstance. This is why travel insurance is a must for anyone going out of their normal comfort zone.

What is covered by travel insurance?

Coverage of costs by travel insurance depends on the options you choose and can vary from merely covering the costs of cancelling a flight to covering the cost of accidents or illness, lost luggage and cancelled prepaid activities.

So, depending on the purpose of your trip, and your destination, you might decide that you need protection from accidents, for example if you go skiing, or from loss of money and important documents.

You may think you only need travel insurance if you are going somewhere dangerous, or places with health hazards, or places known for theft and crime, but things CAN go wrong in ANY place at ANY time.

Free travel insurance?

Travel insurance is available in many different options from basic to fully comprehensive and it is up to you which travel insurance suits your needs. Most banks offer free travel insurance on their credit cards so, if you purchase your travel tickets on your credit card, you are entitled to the basic travel insurance cover offered by that bank or credit card company.

So determine which credit card offers the best travel insurance, before paying for your air fares. And make sure you pay in a way that includes your insurance. For example an EFT (electronic funds transfer), or cheque payment, for your tickets MAY deprive you of a whole lot of free travel insurance.

Additional travel insurance

In addition to your free travel insurance, you may choose from a selection of additional travel insurance options which you think you may need on your trip, for an extra premium. Travel insurance is also offered by many short term insurance companies and travel agents, so have a good look round to decide which option suits you best.