Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5 Health & Insurance
STAYING HEALTHY
As a rule, no health documents or vaccinations are required to enter
Ireland from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Aus-
tralia, New Zealand, or most other countries. If, however, you have
visited areas in the previous 14 days where a contagious disease is
prevalent, proof of immunization may be required.
If you have a condition that could require emergency care but
might not be readily recognizable, consider joining
MedicAlert
(
&
800/432-5378;
www.medicalert.org). It provides ID tags, cards,
and a 24-hour emergency information hot line. If you are diabetic,
the
American Diabetes Association
(
&
800/342-2383;
www.
diabetes.org) offers plenty of good advice for traveling with diabetes.
If you require the services of a physician, dentist, or other health
professional during your stay in Dublin, your accommodations host
may be in the best position to recommend someone local. Other-
wise, contact the
consulate
of your home country (see “Fast Facts:
Dublin” in chapter 2) or the
Irish Medical Council,
Lynn House,
Portabello Court, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6 (
&
01/496-
5588
), for a referral.
INSURANCE
TRAVEL INSURANCE AT A GLANCE
Check your existing insurance policies before you buy travel insur-
ance to cover trip cancellation, lost luggage, medical expenses, or car-
rental insurance. You're likely to have partial or complete coverage.
But if you need some, ask your travel agent about a comprehensive
package. The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the
cost and length of your trip, your age and overall health, and the type
of trip you're taking.
Keep in mind that in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks, a number of airlines, cruise lines, and tour opera-
tors are no longer covered by insurers.
The bottom line:
Always,
always check the fine print before you sign on; more and more poli-
cies have built-in exclusions and restrictions that may leave you out
in the cold if something does go awry.
For information, contact one of the following popular insurers:
•
Access America
(
&
866/807-3982;
www.accessamerica.com)
•
Travel Guard International
(
&
800/826-4919;
www.travel
guard.com)
