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Planning a trip to Spain might include mapping out visits to see the grandeur of Granada’s Alhambra Palace and the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona. You might be excited to experience the street life of La Rambla in Barcelona and Plaza Mayor in Madrid, followed by some downtime on sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches.
But no amount of planning can prevent complications from happening. That’s why it’s important to be prepared for travel delays, illness or injury, lost or stolen property and emergency medical care you may need. The best way to safeguard your trip is to purchase a travel insurance policy.
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Best Travel Insurance for Spain
Our top-rated travel insurance policies can compensate you when unforeseen events disrupt your trip. That way, you can have peace of mind during your siesta.
Source: Forbes Advisor Research. Average costs are based on various trip costs, ages and number of travelers.
Source: Forbes Advisor Research. Average costs are based on various trip costs, ages and number of travelers.
Cost of Travel Insurance for a Spain Trip
The average travel insurance cost is 4% to 5% of your trip cost, based on our evaluation of trips costing $1,000 to $50,000. Travel insurance cost is primarily based on your trip cost or the amount of nonrefundable expenses you’re insuring.
How Age Affects Travel Insurance Costs
Age also significantly affects the cost of travel insurance because your likelihood of filing a travel medical claim increases as you get older.
Travelers age 60 and older generally pay the most for coverage. A senior travel insurance policy costs 7% to 17% of the trip cost, on average, based on our analysis of senior travel rates.
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Types of Travel Insurance Coverage for a Trip to Spain
A comprehensive travel insurance plan can compensate you when things go wrong before and during your trip. Here are details on what travel insurance covers.
How To Choose the Best Travel Insurance for Spain
The best travel insurance policy for your Spain trip depends on your comfort level with risk, what you pack and what you plan to do when you arrive.
Travel Medical and Evacuation Limits
Travel medical expense limits vary significantly among plans, generally ranging from as low as $25,000 to $500,000. If you want the maximum amount of coverage, consider buying a policy with $250,000 or $500,000 in benefits.
Medical evacuation coverage can be as low as $100,000, but many policies provide $500,000 or $1 million. It’s worth considering a higher amount of medical evacuation coverage if you’re planning on exploring remote regions of Spain.
Adventure Sports
Adventure sports—such as hang gliding, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving below certain depths and biking on unmarked trails are usually excluded from standard travel insurance policies. If you plan on this kind of adrenaline-pumping fun, look for a policy that offers add-on coverage for an extra charge. Some examples include:
World Nomads specializes in adventure activities and includes coverage in its policies
Baggage Insurance
If you want the maximum amount of baggage insurance, look for a policy with $2,000 or $3,000 in coverage. If you’re not bringing a lot of valuable items on your trip, you can find policies with much lower limits. Note that some policies exclude watches, silver, gold and platinum. Some policies also don’t cover laptops, cameras and other electronic equipment. If these belongings are on your packing list, be sure to ask if your travel insurance policy covers them before you buy it.
Cruises
Typically, the only difference between “cruise insurance” and standard travel insurance is that travel insurance for cruises usually includes coverage for missed connections and cruise-related travel inconveniences. For example, if your ship arrives late at the next port of call. If you’re cruising to Spain, consider checking out the Cruise Insurance plan from Seven Corners and the Cruise Luxury plan from Nationwide.
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Delays
If you’re worried about paying extra money due to a delay, look for policies with high limits. Travel delay benefits usually range from as low as $500 to $3,000. Baggage delay benefits can range from $200 to $1,000. You’ll also want to find a policy with short required waiting periods for delay benefits, such as six hours.
Pet Coverage
Some policies pay for vet expenses for your pet traveling with you. Another pet-related benefit pays for extra kennel fees for a pet you leave at home if you return late from a trip. Some policies include pet-related problems in cancellation and interruption coverage. The Elevate plan from WorldTrips and the Ultimate plan from Travelex both offer pet-related benefits as add-on coverage. The IMG iTravelInsured LX plan’s trip cancellation and interruption benefits cover sickness, injury or death of a dog or cat and include $500 in kennel benefits.
Travel Inconvenience Coverage
Some policies pay a modest amount to reimburse you for minor travel hiccups, for example, if you have a tarmac delay or a ticketed event in your itinerary is canceled. The Ultimate Policy from Travelex is one.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Spain Trips (FAQs)
Can I use my American health insurance while traveling to Spain?
Ask your healthcare provider if your health insurance is applicable abroad. Your American health plan probably won’t provide coverage in other countries or may provide limited coverage for emergency care.
When should I buy travel insurance for a trip to Spain?
The ideal time to buy travel insurance is right after you make your first payment on your trip. That qualifies you for time-sensitive benefits, such as preexisting medical condition exclusion waivers and CFAR upgrades. Plus, you’ll get the maximum length of time for cancellation coverage.
Do I need a Schengen visa to visit Spain?
No, Americans don’t need a Schengen visa to visit Spain, which is in Europe’s Schengen Area, if the trip duration is less than 90 days.
Citigroup has launched the Strata Elite credit card, positioned as a premium travel rewards card for frequent travelers with a $595 annual fee. It sits strategically between the more expensive American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards, offering high-end perks at a lower cost than its direct competitors.
This card is specifically designed for affluent customers—a group with high spending power and strong credit profiles whom Citi aims to attract with hopes of cross-selling wealth management and other financial services.
Rather than overwhelming users with many niche benefits, Citi advocates for a streamlined rewards package. The offering delivers core high-value perks instead of what executives describe as “a coupon book” of benefits, a shift aligned with growing consumer preference for clarity
When cardholders book through the Citi Travel portal, they earn elevated multipliers—12× ThankYou points on hotels, car rentals and attractions; 6× points on airfare and CitiNights weekend dining; 3× points on other dining; and 1.5× points on all other spend.
If fully utilized, the card can deliver nearly $1,500 in annual value through statement credits and premium benefits. Highlights include a $300 annual hotel credit for qualifying stays, a $200 “splurge” credit redeemable with partners such as American Airlines, Best Buy, or Live Nation, $200 in Blacklane chauffeur credits, and a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years.
Additional perks include four Admirals Club lounge passes annually, complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, no foreign transaction fees, and extensive travel insurance coverage—including trip delay, baggage loss and rental car protection.
Citi extends fee relief to Citigold clients: Citigold Private Clients receive a full rebate the first year and pay $145 per year subsequently, while standard Citigold members get a $145 annual credit toward the fee.
Even at $595 per year, analysts consider the Strata Elite competitively priced compared with the Sapphire Reserve’s $795 fee and AmEx Platinum’s $695. MarketWatch reports that as premium card fees climb, Citi’s simpler value proposition aligns with customer bluntness toward overcomplicated perks.
In this commentary: Should I cancel my summer vacation?
in this commentary
Summer vacation plans are in jeopardy as travelers grapple with sticker shock, overwhelming crowds, and safety worries.
Are your reasons for canceling valid, or just excuses? This commentary separates the legitimate concerns from the lame ones.
Before you pull the plug on your trip, you need to know about the potential fallout—from disappointed family to steep financial penalties.
Is the thought of going on summer vacation too much for you? Too much money, too much hassle, too much everything?
Well, you’ve got company.
Americans are having second thoughts about their summer vacations, according to Stephen Day, director of Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Economic Education.
“People think their vacation dollars won’t take them very far,” he says.
A new survey finds that more than half of Americans are cutting back their summer travel plans, spurred by economic worries and price increases.
Should they? The answer is yes — and no. There’s no requirement to take a summer vacation. But there are also good — and not so good — reasons to cancel this year’s summer vacation.
You don’t have to take a vacation this summer
You may feel some pressure to go somewhere this summer, but experts say that’s nonsense.
“There’s nothing wrong with staying home,” says Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips. “I respect a client who says, ‘We just can’t afford a trip this year.’ I appreciate that kind of honesty. Financial stress can spoil a vacation.”
The best reason to postpone or cancel a summer vacation is your personal circumstances — health issues, job loss, or personal crises. Friends and family can put a lot of pressure on you to go somewhere. Maybe there’s that moment next to the water cooler after Labor Day where you’re comparing your vacation stories with your colleagues, and maybe it fills you with dread.
So I’ll let you off the hook. If someone gives you an eye-roll when you admit you stayed home this summer, show them this column. Read Sherren’s quote. Hold your head high, my friend.
Summer vacation is not mandatory.
Here’s why you should cancel your summer vacation
There are legitimate reasons to call off your summer vacation.
It’s too expensive
Face it, traveling this summer is far from affordable. Airfares and hotel rates are trending higher in many popular places. “It’s massively expensive,” says Sarah Davies, who works for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. She’s thinking of canceling her summer trip to Italy. “Is it a wise use of our finances?” she wonders. (Typically, if you have to ask that question, you already know the answer, which is to cancel.)
It’s too crowded
Crowds will probably be a serious problem this summer. Maria Szandrach has already canceled her summer vacation in Portugal. “I had everything planned — days wandering through Lisbon’s historic streets, exploring the stunning cliffs in the Algarve, and indulging in way too many pastéis de nata,” says Szandrach, who runs a technology company in San Francisco. “But after reading about how crowded things were going to be, I decided to cancel.” She says she didn’t want to spend her entire vacation “packed like a sardine at every major site.” And that’s a legitimate concern.
It’s too dangerous
Sebastian Garrido, a marketing manager for a tour operator based in Mexico City, says he’s canceled his summer vacation to visit his family in northern Mexico because he’s worried about security. “Northern Mexico is not the safest place,” he says. That may be an understatement. The U.S. State Department has warned of gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault along parts of the border with the U.S.. Better choose a safer summer vacation destination.
Bad reasons to cancel your summer vacation
But there are also reasons people are calling off their summer vacation that don’t really hold up. Those include:
“I can’t leave my pet alone”
Oh, for heaven’s sake! Get a friend to stop by your place to feed or walk your dog, or to house sit while you’re away, and enjoy a little time off. If you can’t bear to part with your furry friend, then find a pet-friendly summer vacation.
“I’m too busy for a vacation”
What nonsense! If you don’t take a little time off, you’re going to burn out. Everyone needs a little downtime away from the phone and laptop and spent with friends or family. You have to make the time.
“I’m not a good traveler”
Guess what? No one is a good traveler. Travel is uncomfortable, expensive and inconvenient — but once you get to your destination, it’s usually worth it. So don’t give me any excuses about being a bad traveler, please.
Your voice matters
🖐️ Your voice matters
Are you having second thoughts about your summer vacation this year? What are your biggest concerns—cost, crowds, or something else?
And what do you think is the best reason to cancel a trip?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Warning: If you cancel your vacation, you will have to deal with this
If you decide to cancel your summer vacation plans, be prepared for a few things. First, there will be fallout from the rest of your family or travel companions, who were really looking forward to seeing Rome or Lisbon this summer. You may have to promise them a do-over during the fall, when travel will be less expensive and crowded, so that’s a real win-win.
But second, and equally important, is that you could face some steep cancellation penalties. If you’ve already prepaid for airfare and hotels, you may lose some money. (That’s one reason I sometimes recommend travel insurance, especially “cancel for any reason” travel insurance. Because stuff happens.)
I’m having second thoughts about my summer travels, too. I’m currently in Germany and headed to Greece next week. I’m trying to avoid the popular places, and I’m staying flexible just in case things take a turn for the worse.
You never know.
The smart traveler’s guide to canceling a vacation
1
Review your policies first
Before you do anything, read the cancellation policies for your flights, hotels, and tours. Pay close attention to deadlines and non-refundable clauses.
2
Contact vendors immediately
The sooner you notify companies of your cancellation, the better your chances of a refund. Use email to create a written record of your request.
3
Understand your refund options
Companies may offer a cash refund, a future travel credit, or a voucher. Know the difference and the expiration dates for any credits offered.
4
File a travel insurance claim
If you have travel insurance and are canceling for a covered reason (like a medical issue), start the claims process right away. Be prepared to provide documentation.
There’s a moment just before every journey begins that feels suspended in time. You close the suitcase. You glance at your boarding pass. The world feels wide open—inviting, electric, full of possibility.
For many travelers, the promise of summer is just that: the sea’s shimmer, the deep blue stretch of sky, stars twinkling above a quiet beach, or the crisp air at the summit of a long-awaited mountain climb. This is the season for new landscapes, new languages, and unforgettable stories.
And yet, seasoned travelers know that while spontaneity adds magic to any adventure, preparation adds freedom. That’s where travel health insurance—and more specifically, Dunav Insurance Company’s policy—comes in.
“Travel health insurance provides protection against unforeseen medical expenses due to injury or health problems that may occur during a trip or stay abroad,” explains Ljubomir Zec, Director of Internal and External Sales at Dunav Insurance Company. “Our travel health insurance policy covers the costs of sudden and urgent medical interventions, outpatient and inpatient treatment, necessary medication, and transportation to the nearest medical facility.”
It’s a practical consideration, certainly. But it’s also a mindset. A traveler who is covered travels differently—more boldly, more fully. There’s a confidence in knowing you’re not navigating the unexpected alone.
Travel insurance. Photo credit: Shutterstock
What sets Dunav’s travel policy apart is its combination of ease, speed, and digital accessibility. In a few taps, on a smartphone or computer, the entire process is complete—no lines, no delays.
“Purchasing a travel health insurance policy online is quick and easy,” says Zec. “No matter where you are—at home on your computer, out on the street, or even in your car—you can complete this important policy in just a few minutes. Simply enter the details from your travel documents, along with your destination and trip duration, and you’ll not only be covered but also enjoy a 10% discount on your premium.”
For those who have experienced a sudden illness or injury while abroad, the importance of 24/7 access to reliable support cannot be overstated. Dunav’s dedicated Contact Center—reachable at +381 11 36 36 940—offers real-time assistance, day or night.
“Our friendly operators will provide all the necessary information and guidance to help ease your situation,” Zec says. He notes that coverage can reach up to €35,000 for a modest premium. “If you’re unable to get in touch with our center at a critical moment, be sure to keep all medical records and receipts. This way, upon your return, you can claim reimbursement for expenses covered under your travel health insurance policy.”
That blend of accessibility, financial protection, and customer care is the reason more and more travelers are making room in their itinerary for one essential extra: a Dunav travel health insurance policy.
Because while it can’t predict the unexpected, it ensures that when it happens—you’re ready.
To learn more or secure your policy before you travel, visit Dunav Insurance online or contact their dedicated team at +381 800 386 286 (toll-free in Serbia).
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