Train travel offers Canadians a comfortable, affordable, and environmentally friendly way to see the country, and its more popular than ever. If you are planning to travel between provinces by rail, securing travel insurance is an important step in the planning process.
With long lead-ups to what might be your ‘once in a lifetime trip’, protecting you and your investment from unexpected events and circumstances is vital.
Be prepared for medical emergencies
Did you know your government health insurance plan provides limited coverage for emergency medical care outside of your home province? What would happen if you had an unexpected illness or accident while you are on your adventure?
When you travel out-of-province by train, Emergency Medical Travel Insurance helps protect you against the cost of unexpected emergencies that may occur during your trip – costs only marginally covered by your provincial health insurance plan. This simple, low-cost protection for travel within Canada covers many emergency medical costs for
- Hospital and physician services not covered under your province’s health plan
- Paramedical services
- Emergency dental treatment
- Ambulance services for land and air
- Emergency medical return home
- Visit to bedside if travelling alone
- Return home of children in care of insured or travel companion
Your coverage will also cover hospital expenses, and eligible meal or hotel costs.
For most plans you can apply at any age if you are a Canadian resident covered by a Canadian provincial or territorial health insurance plan and there are no medical questions if you are under age 60.
Consider trip cancellation and interruption coverage too
Trip cancellation insurance helps protect you, financially, if you need to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances. The reasons for a cancellation can be personal ones, like illness or injury, a legal obligation, or sudden unemployment that leaves you unable to travel. When an unexpected event prevents you from travelling, trip cancellation and trip Interruption plans reimburse travel costs if your trip is cancelled before you leave or disrupted after it has begun.
Your VIA rail ticket’s cancellation and change policy will depend on the type of fare you selected when booking your trip. If you cancel within 24 hours of purchase, you will receive a full refund. If your plans change, your ticket must be changed or canceled before the train departs; unused tickets are forfeited and cannot be refunded or exchanged after the scheduled departure time. If you must cancel you may qualify full refund. If you change your plans, there will likely be a change fee, and if you are changing your ticket to a different itinerary with a higher price, the difference in fare will need to be paid.
Did you book for excursions or hotels, or even air fare too as part of your travel plans? Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for:
- Non-refundable, prepaid travel arrangements that can’t be recovered from another source
- Cancellation penalties that a carrier or tour guide may charge.
You can purchase a Single or Multi-Trip policy. Stand-alone plans are available, or you may include it as part of a package with your emergency medical travel insurance. Don’t forget you can also add on car rental protection if your rented or leased vehicle is damaged, and/or add on coverage if your personal effects are damaged or stolen while you are on your trip.
Here are some more tips for your train trip adventure
- Book on Tuesday for the best VIA rates
- Watch for VIA Rail discount promotions
- Pack light because there won’t be much room for extra luggage
- Don’t be surprised by train travel delays, so leave time for any other hotel, rental, or air travel connections
The most important tip? Let SBIS help you to put your travel insurance protection in place. Go online here or call us today at 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. eastern time.
