Why Travel Insurance Is a Must-Have for Every Traveler
Before my own travel nightmare, I never gave much thought to travel insurance. I assumed it was just another unnecessary expense—something that only cautious travelers bothered with. After all, what were the odds that something serious would happen to me?
Then, reality hit.
My Personal Travel Emergency
While flying from Paris to Amsterdam with my daughter, I suddenly became very sick. A kidney stone had dislodged and completely blocked my kidney, causing hydronephrosis, a painful condition where the kidney swells due to trapped urine. The pain was unbearable, and I started vomiting uncontrollably. I was grounded in Amsterdam, unable to continue my trip.
Thankfully, I received free medical treatment at a hospital in the Netherlands, but it was only temporary relief. They managed my pain and stabilized me, but without surgery or a way to remove the stone, I was still in serious distress. I had no choice but to endure the discomfort until I could get home, where I eventually underwent lithotripsy (a procedure to break up kidney stones).
The experience was miserable. But what scared me the most was realizing what could have happened if I had needed emergency surgery or a medical evacuation back to the U.S. Without travel insurance, I would have been stuck with a massive medical bill—one that could have easily cost thousands of dollars.
What If the Worst Happens?
Many travelers don’t think about what could go wrong while traveling. But the truth is, unexpected medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, or even natural disasters can completely ruin a trip—and your bank account.
Here are just a few real-life situations where travel insurance can be a lifesaver:
Medical Emergencies – If you get injured or sick abroad, hospital visits, medications, and treatments can be extremely expensive. Some countries require payment upfront before treating foreigners.
Emergency Evacuations – If you need to be medically transported home, the cost can range from $25,000 to $250,000—and most health insurance plans don’t cover this.
Trip Cancellations & Interruptions – If you have to cancel your trip due to an illness, family emergency, or other unforeseen event, travel insurance can help you recover non-refundable costs.
Lost, Stolen, or Delayed Luggage – If your luggage is lost, damaged, or delayed, travel insurance can reimburse you for essential purchases.
Weather & Natural Disasters – If a hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster affects your destination, travel insurance can cover trip cancellations or delays.
Where to Get Travel Insurance
After my experience, I never travel without insurance, and I always recommend it to others. One of the best places to find affordable, comprehensive coverage is TravelInsurance.com. They offer:
✔ Affordable rates
✔ Over 115,000 5-star reviews
✔ $3.5 billion in trip costs protected
✔ A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
For just a small investment, you can have peace of mind knowing that you’re covered if the unexpected happens.
Extra Safety Tip: Sign Up for STEP
In addition to getting travel insurance, I highly recommend signing up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) through the U.S. State Department. This free program provides:
Travel alerts and safety updates about your destination
Emergency assistance from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
A way for your family to contact you in case of an emergency
It only takes a few minutes to enroll, and it’s one of the best things you can do to stay informed and protected while traveling.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Skip Travel Insurance!
If you’re serious about traveling smart and stress-free, don’t make the mistake of skipping travel insurance. Whether it’s a medical emergency, a canceled flight, or lost baggage, you never know when you’ll need coverage.
Take it from me—when the unexpected happens, you’ll be so glad you have it. Safe travels!
Travel Must-Haves from Amazon
It all begins with an idea.
Bougie-on-a-Budget Travel and Packing Must-Haves
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Optimize your packing, stay organized, and travel comfortably without sacrificing style. Each product has been carefully selected based on practicality, affordability, and quality—ensuring you get the best value while keeping your trip hassle-free. Check out my top travel essentials below!
My Go-to Backpack for Traveling Overseas
Although this backpack’s dimensions are larger than what I prefer to go by on British Airway’s description of 40cm x 30 cm x 15 cm or 16 in x 12 in x 6 in, I am able to “squish” this bag into their bag checker with ease and place beneath the seat in front of me on any airline. To me, this is the absolute best bag for travel with ample space for adding items to it if you need for the trip back home.
*** Download Bougie-on-a-Budget: The Complete Travel Pack and refer to the PDF titled Bougie-on-a-Budget Backpack Packing List for packing all of your essentials into this one bag that saves hundreds on your overseas flights!
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Leggings, Leggings, Leggings or JEGGINGS!
For women, I cannot stress how much room this saves in your bag! Pair them with tunics for comfortable, all-day wear. These rear-lifting leggings are amazing and lower than most of the brands you see advertised on social media!
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And these jeggings by GAP are just perfect! They wear like leggings but have the look of regular jeans!
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For cooler climates, this 3-Pack of fleece-lined leggings are the way to go for the ladies. Pair these with layer-able tops and a lightweight, waterproof jacket.
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Don’t forget Comfortable Walking Shoes!
These Skechers Women's Go Walk Flex Hands Free Slip-ins Grand Entry Shoes can’t be beat. They come in a variety of colors. Just step in and go exploring in comfort!
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For men, check out these Skechers Men's Hands Free Slip-ins Summits High Range Sneaker. Perfect for walking long distances in comfort. Just slip on and step out into adventure!
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Lightweight Waterproof Jacket: Men and Women
This is a must in the U.K. or any climate where you may face rain and/or cooler weather. For men, I recommend this jacket because it’s a soft shell, lightweight, waterproof option that you can easily throw over your clothes and wear or carry onto the plane. This jacket by Little Donkey is very reasonably priced. Variety of colors available.
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This MOERDENG Women's Waterproof Rain Jacket for women works wonderfully when layering for cooler weather and is very reasonably priced. Variety of colors available.
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Forget the Curler, Save Room Instead!
For women, opt for overnight curls instead of the curling iron for additional space in your backpack! I prefer the Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set
for overnight curls. It packs easily out of the box, taking up next to no room, it’s comfortable to sleep in, and it produces the most fabulous, long-lasting curls ever! Perfect for medium-long hair.
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One-and-Done Powder Foundation
Also for women, opt for a single powder foundation rather than liquid and powder. For travel, I like to pack Laura Geller’s Correcting Foundation Powder. It’s lightweight while covering imperfections and fine lines and wrinkles, and applies in seconds. The best part, less to pack! This, a kabuki brush, a blush brush, blush, a couple of single eye shadows, mascara, and lip gloss and you’re good to go!
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Multi-Charging Cable
For electronics that I pack into a single baggie, I opt for 2 Multi-Charging Port USB cables like the IDISON Multi Charging Cable. This is a 2-pack already, so that’s helpful and the price is right at only $6.99. I purchased a separate charger for my backpack to charge my phone on the go and these two are packed for the room or on-the-go charging for other devices with my battery pack.
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Portable Power Bank
It’s worth noting that if you are traveling with a portable power bank, TSA regulations state that if it contains a Lithium Ion Battery, it be packed ONLY in your carry-on. This is easy, since you only have a single backpack, correct?
Now, according to information I’ve gathered across the world regarding international flights, 100 watt hours seems to be the limit for portable power banks.
The Iniu Portable Charger charges multiple devices at once, is fast-charging, and has a long-lasting battery life. It also comes with a 3-year warranty. Reviewers rave about the battery life and value for this TSA-approved device. With 22.5 watts, it charges phones to 70+% in about 25 minutes.
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Solar Power Bank
You may also opt for a solar-charging portable power bank. This is a great idea considering much of your vacation may be outdoors. Simply attach the charger to your daypack and let it charge in the sun while you sightsee!
I use this one a lot when camping or traveling when I know I’ll be in the sun a lot. I even keep them at home for powering devices if we lose electricity.
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Collapsible Water Bottle
A collapsible water bottle is essential! I am BIG on drinking water and staying hydrated. Not only is it a must to stay hydrated while walking entire cities, a collapsable water bottle is a convenient and cheap way to have a drink with you at all times. Public fountains are found throughout Europe and the U.K. If you will be traveling in Mexico, Central, or South America, I recommend only drinking BOTTLED WATER.
My sister found this one below from Amazon and I love the way it collapses and has a stabilizing ring to keep it from collapsing as you’re trying to drink from it.
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Carabiners
Carabiners are an underestimated treasure while traveling, especially with a backpack! See Bougie-on-a-Budget Backpack Packing List. Now, when it comes to carabiners, all are not created equal. If you’re planning on throwing an extra towel, a neck pillow or blanket, or something that doesn't have a lot of value on the outside of your backpack, a regular-joe carabiner is just fine. But, if you plan on carrying keys to your Airbnb or something that you cannot risk being stolen or removed easily from your backpack, you definitely want a locking carabiner. This way, you don’t have to worry about a sly pick-pocket running off with your valuable. The BiceNoning carabiner combination lock is my favorite. I buy cheap carabiners for the cheap stuff I carry and at least one of these for my Airbnb keys, my solar power bank, or anything else I don’t want easily stolen from my pack.
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Space-Saver Bags
I prefer plastic, “roll-up” compression Space Saver Bags. I found these on Amazon and they work great! You can find larger, but honestly, if the items cannot fit into these bags, you might need to rethink what you’re packing.
Prasacco 6-pack Space-Saver Bags is really all you should need.
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Passport
I really like this Passport Wallet I purchased on Amazon because it boasts “one passport clip, one cash clip, three card slots, two SIM card slots, one boarding pass clip, and one pen slot. Passport holder women have powerful storage that can easily help you store your passport, vaccine card, air ticket and other personal belongings”. It can be a good idea to simply carry this around your neck in a RFID “neck wallet” (See Below) or in one of the inside pockets in your backpack.
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Neck Wallet
This neck wallet is basic and because it’s RFID, you’re protected from thieves who want to scan your Passport or Credit Card information. It’s hidden under your top, so thieves won’t be able to steal it from you.
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RFID Blocking Cards
For your wallet or passport holder, you can opt for these handy cards by Innovative Haus.
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Laundry time!
A Travel Clothesline is only a MUST-HAVE if you will not have a dryer available at any of your Airbnb or hotel. I like this one because the clips are built-in, it travels well and it stretches up to 12 feet.
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Pack these laundry sheets in a baggie in your bag!
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Universal UK and EU Travel Adapter
What I really like about the Tessan Universal Travel Adapter is its compact size. It’s perfect for packing and that always makes me happy!
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A Rechargeable Travel Safety Door Lock and Alarm
I recommend using these no matter if you choose an Airbnb or Hotel. I like this one from Security Man because of the rechargeable alarm option.
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Travel-sized Rice Water Shampoo and Conditioner Bars.
I like the Kitsch Sampler Size Rice Shampoo and Conditioner Bars from Amazon. They’re small and they don’t take up much space. I keep them in a small baggie and wrap them in parchment paper after they dry. These Rice Water Shampoo and Conditioner Bars leave your hair so smooth and healthy! They’re all the rage on social media platforms. The size is perfect for travel and will easily last 2 weeks.
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Anti-theft Crossbody Bags for Everyday Use
I love a good crossbody bags. They’re unisex, anti-theft bags you can store all of your essentials in and not worry about them being pick-pocketed off your person. This can be used in place of a neck wallet.
I love the locking features on the Kingsons Waterproof Crossbody Bag. It has a USB port for carrying your portable power bank and built-in charging cable as well as enough room for a 14” laptop, travel water bottle, and it’s RFID blocking!
While this is a little on the expensive side, if you have to travel with a large item like a 14” laptop, it’s worth the one-time purchase.
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Personally, I don’t need anything that big. For my personal needs, I would use a smaller bag like this one below made by ISDULA:
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