Before I give you these tips, I want to know that the best insurance for any trip is to prepare your heart.

While traveling with or without your baby, you’re going to have delayed planes and buses, rainy weather, sickness, lost bags, and many, many diaper blowouts. You can prepare all you want, but at the end of the day babies will be babies.

But if your heart is light and ready for adventure, you can weather any storm.

It’s also important to remember a very scientific fact.  That is this: everywhere you travel there are other babies.

This means that anywhere you go, you will find amenities, entertainment, and medical professionals suitable to just about anything that can happen to you and your little one.

But if you want to step up that peace of mind while traveling, get travel insurance.

Travel insurance is nearly a $2 billion industry. There are a ton of reasons you need it.

For instance, what if you’re heading to Cancun for the holidays but your mom gets sick? What about hurricanes? Virus outbreaks?  Political upheavals? Or maybe you don’t want to fly at your designated time because your child has a fever or thrush? Perhaps your luggage is lost or stolen? (Like this one time in Costa Rica…)

Travel insurance is pretty costly, though. The Insurance Information Institute estimates it at roughly 5% – 7% the cost of your trip. If you’re on a shoestring budget, this is astronomical. If you have to cancel the trip, it’s a steal!

But here’s the good news; your homeowners, auto, life, or health insurance policy may cover your travel insurance.

In addition, some credit card benefits and consumer-protection laws may apply. Remember, somebody is getting a commission to sell you travel insurance so be absolutely sure you aren’t already covered through one of the above policies.

Insurances you want to have overseas include:

• Auto insurance: we discuss this at *length* in my book here.
• Trip insurance: retain your frequent flier miles and the full value of your cruise or plane ticket if your trip has to be canceled.
• Health insurance: if you need to see a doctor overseas. Beware that most Medicare and Medigap participants will not be insured abroad.
• Life insurance: in case of your untimely death during travel; get this months before you leave.

Go online and shop for multiple quotes as opposed to allowing a tour-line operator or a travel agent sell you the policy that provides them the highest commissions. Browse Insuremytrip.com or TravelInsurance.com and ask an agent to explain the fine print on any policy you’re considering.

Better yet, if you have an insurance broker at home who deals with your health, home, auto, and/or life insurances; he or she will be able to help you read policies that aren’t always written for the average person, but more for a lawyer or insurance broker!

Above all, remember that insurances always seem like a waste of money but it is never feels that way if you need to use it!