You’ve planned the trip, booked the romantic hideaway, plotted your tour through the wine country and even arranged for a moonlit serenade. You’re all set, right? Wrong.

What if something goes awry? What if you miss your plane? Lose your wallet? Or find yourself in a fender bender? Well, if you have travel insurance, you have nothing to worry about.

Travel insurance is just that – insurance for when you’re traveling. From lost baggage to a missed connection to a cancelled trip to accidental death, travel insurance provides you with the coverage necessary to cope. Plain and simple.

Who do I buy from?

It’s recommended to buy your travel insurance through an insurance company or agent. True, you can also get coverage through cruise lines, airlines and tour operators, but if they go out of business, you’re out of coverage. Here are a few recommended providers:

• Access America
• Travel Insurance Agency
• World Travel Center

What do I buy?

Comprehensive Policy – It’s not hard to figure out that this kind of policy covers you soup to nuts. That comes in quite handy if you’re traveling abroad. Trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, default and medical emergencies all fall under this umbrella. One note of caution, those with pre-existing conditions should check with their insurance provider to see if, and how well, they’re covered.

Default Insurance – Planning on taking a cruise, tour or flight on your trip? If any of these operators go out of business, default insurance covers your loss.

Trip Delay – Bad weather and mechanical delays. Two things you can’t control. You can, however, cover your unforeseen expenses as a result of these two things with Trip Delay insurance.

Supplemental Health Insurance – If you’re traveling overseas, you definitely want to be sure you have supplemental health insurance. If you get sick (remember that appendicitis?) or injured, the insurance will take care of the medical bills.

Your current health insurance may already cover your medical expenses while traveling, so be sure to find out before purchasing anything extra. If you have Medicare, you are NOT covered for health-care costs outside of the United States, so make sure you supplement your coverage before taking your trip.

Happy – and healthy – traveling!