If you’re planning a trip to the Netherlands to experience the allure of Amsterdam, the country’s enchanting tulips and windmills and the region’s cultural and artistic treasures, buying a travel insurance plan to shield your trip investment is essential.
The best travel insurance plans will package coverage for trip cancellation, trip delay and interruption, medical and evacuation expenses and baggage protection. If emergency situations arise before or during your trip, having a comprehensive plan can provide peace of mind that Van Gogh could only dream of.
To get the most from your plan, purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial deposit, says Scott Adamski, spokesperson for AIG Travel. That way you can get additional coverage that’s only sold or applicable when you buy travel insurance soon after your first outlays.
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For example, you usually have a window of 14 to 21 days from your first trip payment to be eligible for pre-existing medical condition coverage and “cancel for any reason” coverage. If you aren’t ready to buy travel insurance when you book your trip, that’s OK—you can buy a plan up to 24 hours before your departure date.
Trip Cancellation Insurance for Reneging on Rijksmuseum
Having to call off a great vacation can be devastating, but trip cancellation insurance can help ease the financial blow if an emergency arises before you leave and you can’t travel. Trip cancellation benefits reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable costs if you can’t go on your trip due to unexpected circumstances listed in the policy.
“The cost of attractions in Amsterdam is an important consideration: The city is famous for great museums like the Van Gogh, Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum—these can be fairly costly, and a lot of them need to be prepaid especially during peak seasons, and some may be sold out weeks in advance,” says Adamski.
Costs for these activities can be recouped if, for example, you have to stay home because your child has an emergency appendectomy a few days before your departure. In this case, you can file a trip cancellation claim. Acceptable reasons for canceling vary by insurance company, so review your policy for details.
You’ll find that not all reasons to cancel are covered. For example, standard trip cancellation insurance won’t provide benefits if you want to back out of your trip because it’s going to be raining in Rotterdam the week you’re there for tulip tours, or you find out that bars and restaurants are going to be closed due to Covid.
If you want the greatest level of flexibility to change your plans, it’s a good idea to buy a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance upgrade to your base policy. With this add-on coverage, you can cancel a trip regardless of the reason why.
This typically adds an average of about 50% to the cost of your plan, and you must cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure. You will generally be reimbursed for 75% of your lost prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.
Travel Insurance With Cancel For Any Reason Cover
1
AIG Travel
Preferred & Deluxe
50% or 75%
$75,000 or $112,500
2
C&F Travel Insured
Worldwide Trip Protector Plus
75%
$75,000
3
TravelSafe
Classic
75%
$75,000
Trip Delay Insurance for When the Windmills Have to Wait
There’s always a chance for your itinerary to be derailed, whether traveling to Anaheim or Amsterdam. Comprehensive travel insurance plans typically include trip delay insurance, which can reimburse you if you arrive at your destinations later than planned due to unforeseen events.
For example, let’s say you’re flying from Philadelphia to Frankfurt and then on to Amsterdam. But you’re stranded overnight in Frankfurt because the flight was canceled due to mechanical issues or a bad storm. You can file a claim to help cover the cost of a hotel room, meals and some personal necessities until you catch up to your travel itinerary.
Many travel insurance plans specify a time period, such as six or 12 hours, before travel delay benefits go into effect, so be sure you read your policy for the rules.
Travel delay insurance can also pay for prepaid, non-refundable outlays for activities you miss due to hiccups in your travel timetable. If you arrive a day late and miss your visit to see the Kröller-Müller Museum and your tour of preserved 18th-century windmills in Kinderdijk, you can file a claim to recover the cost for tickets and guides.
Trip Interruption Insurance: Vaarwel, Van Gogh
Emergencies are always stressful, particularly if you’re far from home. Consider this scenario: you’re on a private boat tour of the canals in Amsterdam and your sister calls to tell you that your father had a heart attack and is hospitalized. After hearing this unsettling news, you would likely cut your trip short and want to return home as quickly as possible. This is where your travel insurance policy can provide the help you need.
Your travel insurance carrier’s 24/7 emergency assistance hotline can help book your last-minute return flight home. And your trip interruption insurance can cover the cost. Trip interruption benefits are generally part of the package of a comprehensive travel insurance plan.
Additionally, if you forfeit prepaid hotel rooms and a curated Dutch food tour you paid for in advance, you can file a claim to be reimbursed for those costs.
Not all reasons to cut your trip short will be covered by a policy. For example, if you miss your children who are back home staying with relatives while you are traveling with college friends and want to return home early, you would not be covered under trip interruption benefits.
Medical Expense Travel Insurance
When you leave the U.S. for a trip, your domestic health insurance might not travel with you. It’s wise to call your health insurance company to find out if you have any coverage abroad. Also, Medicare isn’t accepted outside the U.S.
The best way to be prepared for medical emergencies during a trip is to purchase a comprehensive plan with travel medical insurance. If you become ill or injured while on a trip in the Netherlands or any foreign nation, your medical expenses can be covered up to your policy limits.
“Many tourists want to experience Amsterdam on bike, like the locals. However, not knowing the mechanics of the rental bike, the city directions, cobblestone streets and the sheer number of bikes may be a recipe for a serious accident,” says Adamski with AIG.
If you need medical attention, your travel medical insurance can help pay for a doctor’s visit, X-rays, medicine and even hospitalization. “The medical expense coverage that comes with your travel insurance policy is an immensely important topic, and definitely one where we see the need for more education,” says Adamski.
You can find travel insurance plans that provide $500,000 per person for emergency medical expenses, while other decent plans have ample medical coverage of $250,000 or $100,000 per person. And some have less, which might be adequate for your needs.
Emergency Evacuation Insurance
If your bike accident results in a head injury and you require trauma care, a travel insurance plan’s emergency evacuation insurance can help. These benefits pay for the cost to get you to the nearest hospital with adequate services for your condition—up to the limits in your policy.
Adamski says while hospitals and clinics are modern and readily available in the Netherlands, certain medical needs may require specialized care. Without a travel insurance plan that includes medical evacuation insurance, you are on the hook for medevac expenses, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more, depending on your condition and location. Generous emergency evacuation plans provide $1 million in coverage, but you can find plans with lower limits.
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Baggage Insurance Benefits
If your baggage is delayed or lost on your way to the Netherlands, baggage insurance can provide reimbursement for your belongings. And, if you have a trip to Germany planned afterward and your luggage never shows, that is covered, too.
Baggage that’s lost, damaged or stolen is covered under baggage loss insurance, which can reimburse you for the actual cash value of your belongings. Note, however, that not all items are covered. For instance, electronics or watches may be excluded. And baggage loss coverage is typically used only after you first make a claim with the airline or your own homeowners insurance.
Generous travel plans provide $2,500 or higher for baggage protection.
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for expenses for necessary personal items you buy when your suitcases don’t show up on time.
Your baggage insurance can also compensate you for other possessions if lost, damaged or stolen.
“One of the top considerations for travelers visiting the Netherlands is… other travelers,” says Adamski. “Tulip season, in particular, draws very large crowds to various locales throughout the country each spring.”
Crowds at popular attractions may make you vulnerable to petty theft and pickpockets.
“You could be a victim of a snatch and grab—and may want to file a claim for your stolen items,” says Lisa Cheng, spokesperson with World Nomads, a travel insurance company. “Just remember that baggage insurance has exclusions—including cash, credit cards and glassware, so you may want to think twice about purchasing a set of Delftware.”
Be sure to file a report with the local authorities, your tour leader or a hotel manager. You will need to present this documentation if you file a claim.
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