Travel Insurance For Croatia Trips

A trip to Croatia is an experience you’ve likely been saving and planning for several months if not years. Whether you’re daydreaming about a stay at the Split for an island-hopping adventure, a visit to the sun-dappled shores of the Dalmatian Coast or planning an excursion in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, it’s likely you’ve had to put down expensive deposits. These may include costs for hotel accommodations, water and land activities, excursions, tours, transportation, and even dining plans.

Even with thorough planning, unexpected events can crash your Croatian dreams and leave you trying to recoup trip expenditures. Purchasing a robust travel insurance plan for your trip to Croatia can provide peace of mind and protect your outlays as well as your belongings and well-being.

The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your trip costs, a Forbes Advisor analysis of travel insurance rates found. For a trip to Croatia, the average travel insurance cost is $328, based on our analysis.

Here’s what to look for in a travel insurance policy for a trip to Croatia.

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Trip Cancellation Insurance for Putting the Kibosh on Croatia

You are probably anticipating your trip to Croatia with unbounded enthusiasm, researching all there is to offer and planning and booking flights, stays and must-have experiences.

“Croatia has become a popular tourist destination because of its beauty, sailing, island exploration and historical sites,” says Megan Moncrief, spokesperson with Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site. “Typically, booking tour guides, boat captains, and other guides is non-refundable. Trip cancellation coverage can help recover the costs of these non-refundable tickets if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason.”

Trip cancellation insurance allows you to recoup pre-paid expenses and deposits as long as you cancel for a problem included in your policy. These vary by policy but typically include:

• Death, injury or illness to you, a travel companion or immediate family member
• Severe weather or strikes that prevent you from utilizing planned travel services
• Unexpected natural disasters at your destination or at home
• Military deployment
• Jury duty or a court summons

Here’s an example:  if three days before your trip to Croatia your traveling companion develops a serious gout flare-up and can’t walk, you could turn to your trip cancellation benefits to recoup your costs.

Not all reasons are covered by standard travel insurance plans, however.

For instance, if your housing contractor has to reschedule your kitchen remodel start date and it won’t coincide with your trip to Croatia, your policy won’t cover you if you cancel.

If you want the highest level of flexibility regarding your travel plans, consider adding “cancel for any reason” travel insurance (CFAR) coverage to your standard travel insurance policy.

This add-on will increase your travel insurance cost by an average of 50%, and you typically must buy it within 14 days or so of making your first trip payment. But you have the latitude to cancel your trip for any reason, as long as you do so at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure. CFAR coverage generally reimburses 75% of your forfeited, non-refundable trip costs.

Travel Delay Insurance: Awaiting Croatia’s Adriatic Paradise

Flight delays are increasingly common, and for international travelers relying on connecting flights, these delays can lead to more than a few extra hours in an airport lounge.

According to Lisa Conway, chief underwriting officer with travel carrier Battleface, travel from the U.S. to most major cities in Croatia will require two or more flights, so purchasing a policy with travel delay insurance is highly recommended.

Let’s say you’re traveling from New York to Croatia with connecting flights in Frankfurt and Dubrovnik. A flight delay in Frankfurt can lead to a missed flight in Dubrovnik, causing you to miss part of your Croatian experience. Trip delay insurance can offer some financial relief and cover a hotel stay, meal or two, and some essentials you may need until your itinerary is back on track.

As long as the trip delay reason is covered by your policy, you can file a claim for reimbursement. Generally, acceptable reasons include common carrier mechanical issues, severe weather, a natural disaster or a transportation strike.

There are limits to what trip delay insurance can cover, however. For example, if you missed your alarm on departure day, trip delay insurance won’t cover a missed outbound flight.

In addition, most travel insurance plans have a waiting period before your benefits kick in, for example six or 12 hours. Check your policy language for exclusions and waiting times.

Trip Interruption Insurance for Saying Dovidenja to Dalmatia

Unfortunately, sudden events can happen during a trip and require you to cut your vacation short. Trip interruption insurance can help you recoup the cost of non-refundable, pre-paid stays and activities that you’d miss if you have to make a hasty return trip home.

For example, if an immediate family member passes away while you are abroad, your policy’s trip interruption coverage can pay for your last-minute flight home and also reimburse any non-refundable outlays you will forfeit due to your early departure.

So if you prepaid a “Games of Thrones Croatia On-Location Filming Tour” which you will miss, you can file a claim to be reimbursed. It can also help you cover the cost of associated travel expenses for your unexpected return home.

Not all reasons to interrupt your trip will be covered. For example, if you realize your college friend isn’t a compatible travel companion after you’ve arrived, you can’t rely on your travel insurance policy to provide relief.

If you want the freedom to cut a trip short no matter the cause, consider adding “interruption for any reason” travel insurance (IFAR)  to your policy. You can return home early from a trip for reasons beyond those listed in your policy.

IFAR benefits provide up to 75% reimbursement of your trip costs. Buying this upgrade will typically add 3% to 10% to the cost of your travel insurance, and usually must be purchased within 15 to 20 days of booking your trip. Not all companies offer it.

Medical Expense Travel Insurance for Makarska Mishaps

Your U.S.-based health plan may not be accepted internationally, or have limited coverage. That means it’s vital to plan ahead and purchase a travel insurance policy with travel medical insurance. Senior travelers in particular should consider travel medical coverage—Medicare isn’t accepted in foreign countries either.

Travel medical insurance can help with associated costs if after strolling the seafront promenade of the Makarska Riviera you injure yourself hiking the nearby Biokovo mountain range.

Travel medical insurance helps pay for X-rays, medicine, lab work and hospital and doctor visits if you’re injured during your trip.

The most generous travel medical benefits provide $500,000 per person for emergency medical expenses, but you can find plans with lower amounts if you think less coverage will suffice.

It’s also smart to look for travel insurance plans that cover Covid-related medical issues.

Related: Best Covid-19 travel insurance plans

Emergency Evacuation Travel Insurance for Plitvice Pitfalls

If you suffer a back injury while hiking a steep trail in Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is a typical day trip from Zagreb, you may not be in close proximity to a trauma center, so your travel insurance plan can be a saving grace.

“Emergency evacuation coverage is a good idea to have in the event you need to be moved to a location with higher levels of care—these types of transportations can cost up to $100,000 in some cases,” says Conway.

Without medical evacuation insurance, which pays up to your policy limits for emergency medical transportation to the nearest adequate facility, you would be personally responsible for these costs.

Baggage Insurance for Botched Delivery to Brac Island

A travel insurance plan with baggage insurance can compensate you for the depreciated value of your personal items if your baggage is lost or damaged, up to your policy limits.

Baggage protection doesn’t offer complete protection in all scenarios, however. Cash is not reimbursable, and most policies include maximum reimbursement limits and exclusions for certain items like very expensive watches, art and rare coins. Be sure to read your policy details to see what is covered and what isn’t. And, note that coverage can be secondary, which means you must first file a claim with your airline or homeowners insurance or renters insurance.

Baggage delay insurance can help pay for necessities to tide you over until your luggage arrives, after a specified waiting time, for instance, 12 hours.

Baggage benefits also extend to protect your personal belongings if they are stolen. Should your cell phone get stolen while in a restaurant, or a gold bracelet gets ripped off your wrist while shopping at an outdoor venue, you should file a report with your tour leader, hotel manager or local police. You will need to submit this documentation when you file a claim with your travel insurance company. You can be compensated for the depreciated value of your stolen personal possession, up to the limits in your policy.

Many tourist destinations throughout Europe, including Croatia, are prime locations for pickpocketing and other crimes and can occur in crowded spots. Be aware of your surroundings in the city centers of Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb.

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