Travel insurance for trips to Portugal

Key points

• Travel insurance for Portugal costs an average of $274, but how much you pay will depend on several factors, including the length and value of your trip.
• Travel insurance plans package together several types of coverage, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, travel medical, emergency medical evacuation and baggage insurance.
• U.S. health insurance provides limited or no coverage abroad, making travel medical benefits an important reason to consider buying travel insurance for international trips.

Buying travel insurance for Portugal can provide you with comprehensive financial protection for an average cost of $274. This average is based on Squaremouth data for policies purchased this year for trips to Portugal, with an average insured value of $3,833 for 17 days of travel. How much you pay will depend on several factors, including the value and length of your trip. 

Another factor in the cost of travel insurance for Portugal is the coverage types (and their limits) included in the plan you buy. A comprehensive travel insurance policy will bundle together coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, travel medical, emergency medical evacuation and baggage loss or delay. 

Trip cancellation and trip interruption travel insurance

Trip cancellation insurance and trip interruption coverage can reimburse you for prepaid travel expenses when your trip is canceled or interrupted for a reason listed in your policy. For example, a death in the family or an unforeseen natural disaster. 

Trip cancellation insurance is important for trips to Portugal where you may suddenly be unable to travel for reasons you could not have known ahead of time, such as a sudden illness or medical condition that makes you unfit to travel after you have already booked your trip. 

Trip interruption insurance compensates you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if your trip is unexpectedly cut short. For instance, you can recoup airfare, hotel stays and excursion expenses. Trip interruption coverage can also pay for a last-minute flight home. 

‘Cancel for any reason’ travel insurance

Some travel insurance companies let you purchase “cancel for any reason” travel insurance, or CFAR, as an add-on to a comprehensive travel insurance policy. This upgraded coverage reimburses you for a percentage of your prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses when you decide to cancel your trip for any reason.

CFAR typically adds about 50% to the cost of your policy. But with this coverage, you have the option to cancel your trip and get some of your money back — generally 50% or 75% of prepaid travel expenses — if you change your mind and decide not to travel. 

Note that you usually have to cancel no less than 48 hours before your departure to be eligible to make a CFAR claim.

While adding this coverage makes travel insurance more expensive, you may find CFAR worth it for the extra peace of mind it can provide. 

Travel delay insurance

Travel delay insurance can kick in to pay for expenses if your flight to or from Portugal is delayed due to unforeseen events and you have to stay overnight in a hotel. It may also help if your flight is delayed and you wind up spending money on food and other essentials while you wait.

Note that trip delay coverage usually kicks in after a specific length of time listed in your policy, such as six or 12 hours from your originally scheduled time of departure.

‘Interruption for any reason’ travel insurance

“Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) travel insurance allows you to make a trip interruption claim for reasons beyond what’s listed in your travel insurance plan. This coverage could come into play if you want to cut a trip short because your travel companions aren’t getting along, or there’s rainy weather at your destination.

Like CFAR coverage, IFAR insurance is typically purchased as an upgrade to a traditional travel insurance plan. While plans vary, most IFAR plans reimburse you for up to 75% of your insured trip cost if you decide to end your trip early.

Travel medical insurance

According to Daniel Durazo, spokesperson for Allianz, buying travel insurance with medical coverage and emergency medical transportation is a smart move to protect yourself financially if any unexpected injuries or illnesses happen during the trip.

Travel medical insurance is important whenever you’re traveling somewhere your own health insurance doesn’t apply. For trips to Portugal, you’ll want to purchase a travel insurance plan with adequate limits of travel medical and dental insurance, in case you become sick or injured on your vacation.

While travel medical insurance is always a good idea, it’s especially important for travelers who plan to participate in adventurous activities in Portugal.

“World Nomads travel insurance policies cover more than 150 adventure sports and activities, including canoeing, hiking, surfing and swimming, which are all popular in Portugal,” said Christina Tunnah, spokesperson for World Nomads.

Emergency medical evacuation 

Carol Mueller of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) agrees that travelers interested in Portugal should consider “protecting themselves against their own sense of adventure when visiting.”

Mueller adds that a travel insurance plan like BHTP’s AdrenalineCare plan can provide adequate limits for emergency medical and evacuation. This kind of coverage can pay for a flight, a helicopter ride or other emergency transportation if you’re hurt and unable to get to a hospital. 

Since emergency medical evacuation can cost $15,000 to $225,000 depending on where you are in the world when you need it, having this kind of insurance with high limits is a good idea for your Portugal trip.

“Travelers can’t predict what could go wrong, so a comprehensive travel insurance plan from BHTP can help protect against the unplanned what-ifs when traveling,” said Mueller.

Baggage insurance

Several European airports have experienced significant delays this year, so it’s best to be prepared if your bag doesn’t arrive in Portugal when you do, advised Tunnah of World Nomads. 

“If you can go with carry-on only, great. If you need to check a bag, make sure you bring your essentials, including medication and a change of clothes, in your carry-on,” she said. “Either way, travel insurance can help if your bags are delayed or lost.”

Make sure you have a travel insurance plan that provides some coverage for lost or delayed baggage. 

• Baggage delay coverage can help you pay for travel incidentals to get you by, such as clothing and toiletries, while you wait for your bags to arrive. Coverage usually kicks in after a specific length of delay, such as six or 12 hours. 
• Lost baggage insurance can reimburse you for your luggage and its contents when your luggage is lost or damaged by a common carrier, such as your airline.

Note that baggage insurance has limits that vary by insurer and travel insurance plan. For example, it’s common to see reimbursement caps for lost or damaged baggage set at $2,500 or $3,000 per traveler. Per-bag limits can also apply. 

Travel insurance also typically only reimburses for the depreciated value of your items, so it’s best to leave valuables that could be lost or stolen at home.