Picking the best travel insurance to buy for your coming vacation can be a daunting task, said Stan Sandberg, the co-founder of the trip insurance comparison site TravelInsurance.com. “There are literally hundreds of plans out there, and they are all steeped in complex legal language that can be hard for even the savviest consumers to decipher,” he said.

A good travel insurance plan, he said, gives you peace of mind that the money you’re spending on your trip isn’t lost if you end up not going and costs, on average, from 4 to 10 percent per person of the total cost of the trip per person.

Here, he shares his top tips on buying a travel insurance plan.

Figure Out What You Want to Insure.

Are you looking to protect an investment in nonrefundable airfare, hotel or cruise costs? Or do you need travel medical protection? Mr. Sandberg said that many travel insurance plans bundle both types into a single plan, which may be unnecessary but definitely costs more.

Check Your Health Insurance Before Hitting the Road.

Many travelers assume that their health insurance will cover them for any medical services, Mr. Sandberg said, but that is not always the case. “Most health plans today are based around in-network-only coverage, which means that you’re not covered if you see a doctor out of network, unless it’s for emergency or urgent care,” he said.

By SHIVANI VORA

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