While taking trips should be a pleasurable experience, it is best to be prepared in case anything goes wrong while you are away from home. Travel insurance offers peace of mind to travelers, especially in foreign countries. If you or someone in your party becomes ill, looses their luggage, is involved in an automobile accident or inclement weather causes a change in travel plans, there will be someone to help you through these problems if you have purchased travel insurance.

If you travel several times a year, you will want to consider a travel insurance policy that covers you for a year so that you will be protected on every trip you take during that period. If you only plan one trip, you can purchase single trip travel insurance that will cover you only on that trip. Each type of travel insurance has benefits and drawbacks that need to be considered. The pros and cons of annual versus single trip insurance are enumerated below.

In annual travel insurance, you pay the fee only once and it is covered for all the trips you make in that year. But the fee for annual travel insurance is higher than that of single travel insurance. Before you buy the insurance policy, you must have a clear idea in your mind whether you need annual travel insurance or single travel insurance policy.

So this would be a good type of policy for a variety of people who find themselves traveling a lot. Some examples are business persons, those with family living in other countries, owners of weekend or holiday homes, or even students who want to take the trip home as often as possible.

If you know that you will only travel once or twice during a given year, single trip insurance will be the most economical option. Even if you make travel plans at the last minute, single trip insurance can be bought right before you leave on your trip and the cost is minimal, costing only around four to seven percent of the price for the trip. If you are a person who is inclined to make a lot of spur of the moment trips, annual travel insurance may be the best option for you because purchasing single trip insurance each time you travel will probably cost you more than an annual policy would.

Be careful though, because if you make a lot of spontaneous trips, in the long run the costs might add up unexpectedly. If you make those drop-of-the-hat trips too often you might find yourself spending a lot more than anticipated on travel insurance. So both types of travel insurance, annual and single trip cover the same emergency situations for your travel. The big difference between the two is cost. So really think about your situation and your plans over the next year and choose the policy that fits you intentions and lifestyle. A travel agent is a great resource for information on coverages, prices and other options. They can help you make sure you are never caught off guard or unprepared for travel emergencies by always traveling insured.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance provider who specialises in Travel Insurance.