Planning a trip involves a lot of moving parts, and while you want everything to go smoothly, the truth is that unexpected things can happen. In these cases, travel insurance can help make those issues easier to deal with — whether it’s by paying for your hospital bills in another country or reimbursing you for lost luggage.

However, the types of travel insurance that are available to you depend on when you purchase your policy. Let’s look at when to buy travel insurance, how late you can buy travel insurance and what different policies can offer.

The different types of travel insurance

There are many different kinds of travel insurance coverage depending on your needs. Here are some of the most common.

Trip cancellation insurance. Will reimburse nonrefundable costs when your trip is canceled due to a covered event.

Trip interruption insurance. Pays costs incurred when a trip is cut short for a covered reason.

Trip delay insurance. Provides financial assistance in case your flight is delayed beyond a certain amount of time.

Travel medical insurance. Covers medical costs for illness or accidents that arise during your travels.

Emergency evacuation insurance. Pays for the cost to evacuate you elsewhere (reasons can vary from medical to extreme weather).

Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. Like life insurance, it provides a payout to a beneficiary in the event of death or dismemberment during travels.

Baggage loss insurance. Will reimburse you if your bag is lost, stolen or damaged.

Rental car insurance. Provides insurance for collision and damage to a rental car.

Cancel for Any Reason insurance (CFAR). An optional add-on that covers a portion of nonrefundable costs if you choose to cancel your trip for any reason.

How early can you buy travel insurance?

Understanding when to get travel insurance can make a big difference in the policies you’re able to purchase. Typically, you can’t buy one before knowing some details about your trip.

While it’s possible to purchase a policy before you’ve booked your flights or made other travel plans, many insurers ask you for information about your trip to help you find the correct insurance. This means you’ll need to at least know where you’re going, when you’re going and the cost of your trip before purchasing travel insurance.