7 ways our travel app can help you travel smarter and safer

"Love all the destination info provided in the app! It was so helpful in planning my trip and while I was traveling! Will definitely take app on my next trip!"

-Travel On app review from Apple App Store

Have you ever been caught up in an emergency while traveling overseas? Do you know someone who has?

Perhaps your scheduled flight out of Bali was canceled because an unexpected volcanic eruption created an ash cloud that grounded all flights. Or, maybe, you found yourself needing to reorganize transportation between two U.S. cities because of a blizzard.

“Travel plans do sometimes have a way of unraveling at a moment’s notice — often because of situations completely out of our control — and the reality is that no matter how well you plan your trip, or how many contingency plans you have in place, sometimes things still go wrong,” said Will Nihan, President and CEO at Travelex Insurance Services.

"In the unfortunate event of the unthinkable happening, it’s handy to have access to a reliable resource to help you get your vacation back on track or, if needed, get back home or back to a safe area as soon as possible.

“Our travel app does just that. It’s an ‘always-on safety monitor’ (as long as you turn on location services) that fits in your pocket or bag, with features designed to help you understand the potential risks at your destination and travel smarter and safer while you’re there.

“When our policyholders download our travel app, they get instant access to expert destination travel advice and their all-important travel insurance policy details, and they can tap a button to call our 24/7 travel assistance provider whenever, wherever — all while they’re on the go.”

Want to know whether our app is worth adding to your list of best travel apps for your next trip? Keep reading to discover how our travel app could come in handy on your next travel adventure.

Jump ahead to learn how our Travel On app can help by:

1. Providing you with expert advice about your destination and any potential risks before you travel

2. Giving you easy access to your confirmation number, should you need it

3. Allowing you to access 24/7 travel assistance quickly and easily with its tap-to-call feature

4. Storing all your policy details and coverage terms and limits so they’re easy to locate

5. Sending you notifications about critical travel incidents at your destination while you travel

6. Giving you access to 24/7 global monitoring capabilities so our assistance provider can help you during a crisis

7. Allowing you to focus on having fun, knowing assistance and advice are just an “app tap” away

How our travel app can help travelers living in the U.S. stay safer on vacation

Benefit #1: Expert advice about your destination and any potential risks before you travel

When planning a trip, many of us may tend to focus on the joyful and exciting experiences our future travel adventures have in store for us. But how often do we think about what could go wrong or the simple things we could do to prevent our plans from going awry?

Planning for all contingencies when traveling is next to impossible, but thankfully, some of the best travel apps can help U.S. residents travel smarter. Travelex's travel app can help you gain an understanding of your destination and its potential risks before you’ve even left the U.S.

After you enter your destination and travel dates into our Travel On app, you’ll be able to access a wealth of up-to-date information about your destination and its risks — right in the palm of your hand. It comes in handy no matter where you're going, because even if a destination seems relatively safe, that doesn’t mean an accident or incident is impossible.

Our travel safety app provides you with the following information about your destination and more:

• Its overall risk level
• Its security risk level
• Its COVID-19 risk level
• Vaccines you may want or need to consider before travel
• Documentation, visa, and insurance requirements for entry
• Current advice around terrorism, conflict, civil unrest, crime, natural and environmental risks, and health and medical risks
• Active alerts that may affect your travels
• How to contact local emergency services

Awareness of this information before you depart can help you travel smarter and plan a smoother trip, leave for your trip prepared with your destination’s entry requirements, and understand risks you may realistically face once you reach your destination.

Benefit #2: Easy access to your policy confirmation number, should you need it

With our travel planning app, gone are the days of having to remember to print your Travelex description of coverage before you depart — plus worrying about always keeping it on you while you travel. You’ll no longer have to waste time searching through your emails for your description of coverage to find your confirmation number, either.

That’s right — one of the biggest perks of our travel safety app is that it gives you instant access to your confirmation number, right on the home screen. This means you’ll quickly be able to find the exact confirmation number if you need it when making a claim or speaking to our travel assistance team.

Benefit #3: Quick and easy access to 24/7 travel assistance with its tap-to-call feature

If you’re experiencing an emergency during your trip, the last thing you'll want to do is have to scroll through emails or search through printed documents or websites for the right number to call. When time is of the essence, you’ll likely want to reach those who can assist as quickly as possible.

Thanks to our travel safety app’s tap-to-call feature, locating the right number to call is a thing of the past.

That’s right, you can reach our emergency assistance provider any time of day, wherever you are in the world, simply by pressing the assistance button in our app. Plus, they can even help with a variety of non-emergency situations, too. Importantly, you’ll need access to an active phone plan, local SIM, or international roaming to get travel assistance.

When you press the assistance button, you’ll automatically be directed to the correct number to call. Then, you can select “Call now” to speak to our 24/7 travel assistance provider, Zurich Travel Assist.

Zurich Travel Assist team members are based globally, working around the clock to help our travelers in their times of need. So, you can be confident your call will be answered, whether you call at 3 a.m. from Paris or 5 p.m. from Tokyo.

Benefit #4: All your policy details and coverage terms and limits are in one place, so they’re easy to locate

Are you the type of traveler who seizes the day and tries new things on a whim while you’re on a trip? Spontaneity can lead to incredible travel experiences and some of the best memories.

But, when impulse strikes, it’s still important to make sure your travel protection plan provides coverage or contains benefits for the spontaneous activities you choose — like adventure sports.

The good news is you no longer need to flip through pages of printed paper or search through emails to find out whether you have coverage. If you choose to download and log in to our Travel On app, you’ll be able to access your policy details — including coverage limits and included benefits — within the app itself.

Also, in the unfortunate event of misadventure, illness, or lost luggage items, you’ll be able to check our travel app to understand your coverage and any applicable limits before you file a claim, should you wish to.

Benefit #5: Notifications that help you stay on top of critical travel incidents during your trip

Our Travel On app provides real-time alerts of risks or incidents you should know about while you’re traveling. You can receive notifications during your vacation to help you avoid risks — or make smarter decisions. These alerts can help you remain aware of critical situations around you on the go, all without having to visit local news websites or read through local newspapers.

To benefit from this handy feature, you’ll need to:

• Activate app notifications (so we can let you know about critical travel incidents that may affect you).
• Allow access to your device’s geolocation (so we know where you are and what risks are near you).
• Ensure you have access to Wi-Fi, international roaming, or an active phone data plan (so our alerts can reach you).

Then, if you're at risk in your location or need to know about nearby threats, our travel safety app will send you a notification so you can decide on the best next steps to help ensure your safety.

Benefit #6: Access to 24/7 global monitoring capabilities so our assistance provider can help you during a crisis

Real-time destination-specific alerts aren’t the only safety benefit of our travel planning app. When you download our Travel On app, you can focus on enjoying your vacation knowing 24/7 global monitoring capabilities are looking out for your safety. Plus, if there's an imminent threat near your location, our travel assistance provider will attempt to contact you.

With this feature activated, our emergency assistance provider will likely be able to locate you in an emergency and then help you get to a safer spot. Without knowing your geolocation while you’re away from home, it could make it harder for our team to help you when you need it most.

What does this look like? Our team can help if you experience a situation such as:

• A bushfire risk in Europe
• A hurricane in the Caribbean
• An unexpected volcanic eruption in Bali
• A terrorist attack

With access to the Travel On app, if an emergency affects you, our provider can quickly see that you may need help, understand if they need to reach out to you to check if you’re safe, continually monitor any potential risks, and inform you of any dangers in real-time. It also means they can advise you of exit routes to guide you to safety as quickly as possible if needed.

At Travelex, helping our travelers is what we do, and our travel safety app can help our travel assistance provider support you when you need it most.

Benefit #7: Focus on having fun, knowing assistance and advice are just an "app tap" away

Travel should be exhilarating, right? When you download our Travel On app before you leave on your trip, you can focus on having the time of your life, knowing you have a resource to lean on if the unexpected happens.

Whether you need to check your coverage, find out a destination’s visa requirements, access emergency assistance quickly, or stay on top of your destination’s travel alerts, our travel planning app can assist you anywhere, anytime — with just a tap.

Tips for the best use of our Travel On app

While our travel app may help you travel smarter and safer, you can do a few things for a smoother app experience.

Here are some steps you should take once you’ve downloaded our app:

• Have an active phone plan that includes data, such as via an eSIM international sim card or data roaming via your U.S. phone provider.
• Log in using your confirmation number and last name before you leave the U.S.
• Keep location services on to access 24/7 global monitoring capabilities while traveling.
• Keep notifications on to receive important alerts while traveling.

Once you’ve followed these steps, it’s time to focus on making the most of your trip. If there’s a risk, threat, or emergency unfolding near you while you travel, our travel safety app can let you know — and our travel assistance provider will be there to help.

Ready to travel smarter with a little help from our travel app?

If you’re researching the best travel apps for your next trip and want access to our app, simply choose a Travelex travel insurance plan for your trip to gain access. Get a quick quote now.

Already a Travelex policyholder? You can download our travel app from the App Store if you have an iPhone or Google Play if you have an Android device whenever you’re ready: