Whether you plan to marvel at Christ the Redeemer atop Mount Corcovado or relax in the surf of Praia do Futuro, you’re bound to discover something new and different in the diverse and naturally beautiful country of Brazil.
As you start paying for pricey international airfare, hotels or resorts and other prepaid travel expenses, it’s a good time to think about travel insurance. The best travel insurance plans can protect your investment if certain aspects of your trip go awry.
Compare & Buy Travel Insurance For 2024
Compare Quotes With Over 22 Travel Insurers
Buying Travel Insurance for Brazil: Best Practices
While travel insurance is not a requirement to visit Brazil, you can gain considerable peace of mind when you buy a plan well before you depart. A solid travel insurance policy can help protect you from some of the added risks that come with a trip to South America.
The best travel insurance plans include:
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Trip interruption insurance
- Trip delay insurance
- Travel medical insurance
- Emergency medical evacuation coverage
- 24/7 assistance services
- Delayed or lost luggage protection
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance for Bad Weather in Brazil
While trips to the Caribbean are more likely to be affected by severe weather like hurricanes, northern and eastern countries of South America also experience tropical and subtropical cyclones that could affect travel, says Scott Adamski, vice president of AIG Travel Guard.
Travel insurance plans that include trip cancellation insurance and trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses if unexpected severe weather disrupts your trip.
Trip cancellation insurance
Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you 100% of prepaid expenses you lose if your travel plans change because of a reason listed in the policy, such as inclement weather that causes your airline to cease operations or a natural disaster at home or at your destination.
It also covers money you lose if you have to cancel your trip because you become sick or injured.
Trip cancellation can be purchased up to the day before you leave, but buying travel insurance earlier covers you over a longer period of time for the same price.
Trip interruption insurance
Trip interruption insurance generally reimburses up to 150% of your trip costs, depending on the travel insurance plan you choose.
This coverage compensates you for non-refundable portions of your trip you miss if you have to return home early due to a reason listed in the policy, such as falling ill. It also pays for a last-minute flight home if you have to cut a trip short.
Related: Advantages to buying travel insurance right after you book
Should You Buy “Cancel for Any Reason” Coverage?
It can also make sense to purchase “cancel any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance that can reimburse your prepaid travel expenses if you decide to cancel a trip for any reason at all.
CFAR coverage is a good option for people who aren’t entirely certain they will be able to travel on the trip they’ve planned, says Shannon Lofdahl, CEO of Travelex Insurance Services.
“This option allows travelers to cancel a trip for any reason, usually up to 48 hours before their scheduled departure date, and they can receive reimbursement for a significant portion of their insured trip costs so they’re not left with the full cost of a trip they can’t go on,” she says.
CFAR coverage usually reimburses 75% of your lost trip cost, as long as the entire value of the trip has been insured.
This type of coverage typically needs to be purchased within 14 days of making your first payment for your trip. It adds an average of 50% to the cost of travel insurance.
Travel Delay Insurance: Iguaçu Falls Will Have to Wait
Sometimes you start your trip with no issues, but get waylaid in a connecting airport. An unexpected delay on your travel route could cause you to arrive later than planned and lose money on non-refundable accommodations, pre-booked transportation or prepaid tours. Travel delay insurance can help you recoup those costs and get your Brazil vacation back on track.
Another benefit of trip delay insurance is that it can reimburse you for extra expenses caused by a travel delay. Say your connecting flight from Chicago to Rio de Janeiro is canceled and you have to spend the night in Houston. You can file a claim for money you spend on dinner, transportation and a night at a hotel while you wait for your new flight the next day.
Trip delay insurance kicks in after a certain delay period, such as six or 12 hours. Check the plan you purchase for rules on waiting periods. If your flight is only delayed an hour or two, don’t expect to file a successful claim.
Featured Travel Insurance Partners
1
AXA Assistance USA
Platinum
Yes
$250,000/$1 million
2
Cat 70
Travel
Yes
$500,000/$500,000
3
GoReady (formerly April)
Pandemic Plus
Yes
$50,000/$500,000
Travel Medical Insurance for Misadventures in the Amazon
Travel medical insurance is “imperative,” says Lofdahl, when you’re booking an international trip. In most cases Medicare is not accepted outside the U.S. and U.S. health plans sometimes do not have good coverage outside the U.S. In the event of illness or injury in Brazil, you would need to pay the medical costs out of your own pocket.
Imagine taking a boat tour into the heart of the Amazon and needing urgent medical care somewhere deep in the rainforest. Emergency medical evacuation insurance will pay for a medevac to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility.
Lofdahl says medical evacuations on their own can cost as much as $250,000, depending on the specific location.
“If a traveler has a medical emergency, gets sick or injured, or needs a hospital or evacuation, travel insurance can help them find a doctor and provide payment so they can focus on feeling better,” she says.
24/7 Assistance Services Can Save the Day
24/7 assistance services included with travel insurance plans can come in handy if you run into trouble in Brazil.
These services offer a range of help with:
- Emergency cash transfers
- Emergency translation
- Finding a local doctor
- Legal assistance
For even more help while traveling, buy a plan with travel insurance concierge service. This can help you with restaurant reservations, theater tickets and other services.
Baggage Insurance for Your Carnaval Costumes and Camera, Too
There are two types of baggage insurance to look for when buying a travel insurance plan: baggage and personal effects and baggage delay.
Baggage and personal effects
If your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged, you can file a baggage insurance claim to get reimbursement for the depreciated value of your belongings.
This is true even if the problem happens while you’re traveling in Brazil. So if your camera is stolen while you’re relaxing on Ipanema Beach, you can file a claim. Just be sure to report a theft as soon as it happens because your travel insurance company will request documentation.
It’s also wise to read your policy closely so you are aware of what baggage insurance covers and what it doesn’t—typically some exclusions apply.
Baggage delay insurance
Celebrating Rio’s pre-Lenten Carnaval won’t be as exciting if your suitcase full of partywear is delayed. If you need to buy some replacement festive apparel while you wait for your luggage to arrive in Brazil, baggage delay coverage can help.
Baggage delay insurance has a waiting period, which will depend on the policy. Your baggage might have to be delayed six, 12 or even 24 hours before your coverage kicks in.
How Much Does Travel Insurance for Trips to Brazil Cost?
The average cost of travel insurance for a Brazil trip is $184, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of plans purchased so far in 2022. The average trip cost for Brazil is $2,517.
Your cost of travel insurance will vary based on the age of the travelers, the length of the trip and the trip cost you’re insuring.
For example, here are quotes for a seven-night trip to Brazil from several of the best travel insurance companies. The quotes below are for a 42-year-old woman traveling in February 2023 with a total trip cost of $5,000. The quote range for each company reflects the range of coverage offered by various plans by each company.
| Company | Travel insurance cost range for a 7-night trip to Brazil |
|---|---|
|
$167 to $318
|
|
|
$199 to $349
|
|
|
$144 to $227
|
|
|
$197 to $280
|
|
|
$239 to $319
|
|
|
Source: Company websites. Data as of August 2022.
|
|
When you compare travel insurance quotes for Brazil, it’s important to do an “apples to apples” comparison. This means making sure the plans you’re considering have all the types of coverage you want and that the limits for each coverage protection are similar.
Compare & Buy Travel Insurance
Compare & Buy Travel Insurance
via squaremouth.com
