Travel Insurance for USA

At some point or the other, everyone around the world wants to visit the United States of America. Apart from being home to Hollywood and the city of dreams, the U.S makes for a great travel experience across its diverse states and cities. Right from popular cities like New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco to distinctive places such as Seattle, Hawaii, Arizona, North Carolina and Alaska- from where you can even see the Northern Lights! Here we tell you just a few of the many many things you can add to your American travel diaries. 

1. Explore the city of dreams - Explore the hustle bustle of Times Square in Manhattan, marvel at the Statue of Liberty and the view up the Empire State Building, get lost in the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, watch a Broadway show, attend some quintessential art events or visit the Metropolitan Musuem of Art itself. Pamper yourself with great food, feed your mind to the famous Strand Bookstore (one of the oldest bookstores!) and relax and unwind at the Central Park. The city of dreams and rightly so, the list of things to do in NYC is endless! 

2. Revisit your childhood at Disney World - If you’re visiting with family or a bunch of friends, this one’s a must (especially if you have kids!). Reminisce your good old childhood days at the many Walt Disney Parks and Universal Studios in Orlando. 

3. Take youe holiday to Hollywood - Travel through the city of Los Angeles in California and take a tour through the famous Beverley Hills! Based on the time you plan to visit, there are always a host of art and film festivals, car shows and red-carpet events, so make sure you plan your trip there accordingly. 🙂 

4. Driving through the West Coast - If you’re going all the way to Hollywood, driving along the west coast should be on your list! One of the most beautiful driving routes in the U.S, you could easily rent a car and travel your way through the Pacific Coast Highway, where you can stop by San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Malibu, and LA.  

5. Take a trip up to San Franciso - On the north of California lies the quaint and hilly town of San Francisco. Hop on a bus or cruise to take a complete tour around the city and don’t forget to visit the famous Golden Gate and Muir Woods. They’re hyped for a reason! 😉 

6. Visit one of America’s oldest cities - Boston, often also known as the Cradle of Liberty is famous for its prestigious universities and historic significances, dating back to the American revolution. An amalgamation of European quirks and the mainstream American lifestyle, Boston would make for a delightful visit! 

7. See Seatle - Known to be one of the coolest cities in the U.S, make yourself feel home at a quirky airbnb (trust us, they’re plenty there!) and spend one to two days just strolling across this charming city. 

8. Fall in love with Niagara Falls - Only a couple of hours drive from New York, if you haven’t been to Canada yet, you can still visit the American side of the marvellous Niagara Falls.  

9. Go on an amazing adventure to Arizona - Famous for the magnificent Grand Canyon, Arizona makes for an adventurous visit for all that it has to offer. From Hiking, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting to Hot Air Ballooning, Sky Diving and even floating on salt water! Arizona should be on the list of every adventurer traveller! (plus we have you covered for all adventure sports!)  

10. Vegas for the Vagabonds - A lot of tourists come in to the States just for the Vegas experience! Although not suited for everyone, Las Vegas has tons to offer! From glamourous casinos, exciting shows and concerts to exquisite dining experiences and zip lining adventures! 

Once you buy a travel insurance for your trip to the USA., it will cover and benefit you in situations such as; flight delays, loss of passport, baggage loss, medical emergencies, adventure sports, political unrests and other such mishaps. Moreover, given the high costs of just average healthcare facilities in the USA, it’s safer to buy an insurance that will cover and protect you for less than Rs 1000! 

No, a travel insurance isn’t mandatory for tourists traveling to USA yet. However, given the high medical costs and just the fact that a trip to the USA is probably going to be a long one, the least you want is to be secured and safeguarded through it all. 

Indian tourists traveling to the USA are required to apply for the B-2 visa, the visa that is specified for people visiting the USA for recreational purposes, meeting family/friends, etc. It is often also clubbed with and as B1/B2 visa. The same can be applied for by filling in the DS-160 Visa application form on the US Consular Electronic Application Center. 

Here are the basic steps to obtaining a Tourist visa for Indians traveling to USA:

a. Visit the US Consular Electronic Application Center website and fill in the DS-160 form. Make sure you leave no required fields empty. 

b. After filling in the form, make sure you sign it electronically and upload your photograph and other required documents.  

c. Pay the visa fees within 48 hours online (Rs 10,880) and keep a printed copy of your confirmed DS-160 form with you.  

d. After the visa, you’ll need to book your two interview dates, wherein you’ll be required to take all your necessary documents and valid passport with you. 

e. At the end of the second interview, the immigration offer will accept/decline your visa accordingly.  

Whilst comparing travel quotes from different travel insurances for the U.S.A, make sure you are aware of the following: 

a. The medical benefits available and the limit of the Sum Insured for each. For example, on a minimum you could be spending up to 3000$ for basic hospitalization and at least 10,000-20,000$ for critical illnesses. Check if the sum insured even covers minimum medical costs or not. 

b. Terms of claims. A lot of times, the terms can be tricky and very rare- that despite the benefit, you’ll never really be able to claim it. 

c. The claims process by checking the company’s previous claim records. After all, that’s the whole point of an insurance, right? 

· International Travel Insurance for the U.S can be bought by anyone going for the trip. 

· Everything from buying your cheap travel insurance for the U.S to making claims is digital, simple and hassle free with zero paperwork involved. 

· Travel Insurance for visitors to the U.S, from India should be bought before your travel departure date.

· You will need to carry the International Travel Schedule as a document during the travel. You can also keep our travel summary and policy wording handy for any other details.

Do inform us immediately if there is any unfortunate incident before or during your travel that may cause you to make a claim. 

A lot of people who are visiting the States for the first time, or haven’t really lived there for long need to be cautious of some common health issues such as pollen allergies in the Spring, the common pink eye and some insects and bugs you may not be aware of! Here are a few tips to keep you safe: 

· Seasonal pollen allergies are pretty common in the States, especially in places such as Texas, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Oklahoma. Generally, common allergy tablets should work in case you’re infected with one. In serious cases, you may want to consult the emergency care available at all local pharmacies and clinics.

· Sometimes, a lot of people also happen to catch the pink eye while in the States, a contiguous viral infection. Unfortunately, the only way to cure this is to wait till the virus runs its course. However, eye drops may help ease the situation. In case it doesn’t get better in 3 days, you may want to consult a doctor or the emergency care available in local pharmacies and clinics.

Be wary of ticks and kissing bugs. Ticks are mostly found in humid weather conditions and especially in areas where you may find deer, while kissing bugs could be found anywhere in the States (most likely in the countryside and towns) and could cause intense rashes (usually bite around the eyes or mouth). In case of an infestation, immediately consult an emergency care at a pharmacy or clinic.  

Out of all the places you’ll visit, it is usually the busiest and most tourist heavy cities that are likely to face petty crimes. Here are some tips that will keep you safe while you tour around cities like NYC, Boston, LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC and Dallas amongst many others:

· Be alert and avoid walking around lonely areas and neighborhoods that seem fishy. That “I think this area seems fishy” vibe always holds some weightage 🙂 

· Be wary of pickpockets at subway stations and tourist areas like the Staten Island, Grand Central Station, and Times Square amongst many others.

Avoid buying tickets to the Broadway, Comedy Shows and Concerts from any random person. It’s best to make your purchase from the official counters/websites or licensed ticket partners. 

· Don’t accept any random girl/guy offering a music album of theirs. Likely to happen in Las Vegas or New York City, they’re just people looking to make a few bucks.

· You will probably see a bunch of famous movie character mascots in and around Times Square, if you’re looking at taking a picture together, be prepared to pay a fee and tip or don’t encourage it at all!

· Stay away from the three-card monte scam. The game involves shuffling three cards and guessing the odd car out. Except here the dealer purposely tricks you. This usually takes place in places like Las Vegas and Times Square. Usually by a group of people, one who deals and two usually pretending to be onlookers to incite curiosity. No matter what they say, it’s impossible to win the game and it’s only a way to get some bucks out of you!

· Avoid buying Metro Cards from anyone, even if they’re “discounted”. Only the official Metro authorities can sell Metro cards and tickets. Anyone else, is probably just tricking you!

The Staten Island Ferry is free for everyone so in case anyone approaches you to buy a ticket or pay for it, you know what to do.

A lot of people ultimately decide to experience the American dream via long road trips, given the vast country, large and easy to navigate roads and many scenic routes. If you’re one of them, here are few tips that will protect you along the way.

· Please make sure you have a valid International Driving License in place before getting to the states. 

· While renting your car, it is likely your rental company will try and sell you additional insurance to protect your car damages in case the need arises. However, apart from the mandatory liabilities' insurance, if you have a travel insurance- you will already be covered under Personal Liability and Bail Bond. So, all you need with the rented car is the mandatory insurance while your travel insurance will cover you for the rest.

· Stay alert of all signs, including that STOP sign. Additionally, you will also come across signs highlighting animal crossings and schools. It is important to follow them diligently. 

· As a standard rule, all vehicles usually stop each time there is a school bus picking or dropping students off. 

Go through some basic travel guides and road trip itineraries online to have a heads-up on what to experience.

In case you misplace your passport or are faced with any kind of emergency- apart from us, the contact number of the Indian embassy (Washington DC) can be handy in some situations! 
 
Contact No: (202) 939 9864