We strongly encourage every Doorways guest to protect their trip. The right policy turns a worst-case scenario, a hospitalisation in Italy, a hurricane that grounds your flight, a family emergency that forces a last-minute cancellation, into a phone call rather than a financial loss.
Why we recommend it
An Italian villa rental carries meaningful financial exposure if a trip is cancelled. Cancellation terms are set by the villa owner and written into your rental agreement, and inside 60 days of arrival, refunds taper quickly. A comprehensive travel-protection policy covers the gap and adds protection for things rentals will never cover on their own.
- Trip cancellation and interruption. If you have to cancel for a covered reason (illness, injury, a death in the family, jury duty), the policy reimburses your non-refundable costs.
- Medical emergencies while you are abroad. US health insurance generally does not cover you in Italy, and medical evacuation back to the States can run into six figures.
- Lost luggage and missed connections. The little disasters that aren’t little when they happen at the start of a long-planned vacation.
- Other unexpected disruptions. Hurricanes, airline shutdowns, supplier insolvency.
When to buy
You can purchase a policy up to 24 hours before departure, but the best coverage is locked in only if you purchase within 21 days of your initial deposit. Buying inside that 21-day window typically waives the pre-existing-conditions clause and unlocks upgrades that aren’t available later, including cancel-for-any-reason and work-related cancellation protection.
How much will it cost?
Premiums vary by age, length of trip, and the amount you’re insuring, but a useful rule of thumb is 5 to 8 percent of your total non-refundable trip cost. To estimate the insurable amount per person, divide the total villa cost by the number of guests, then add the cost of airfare and any other non-refundable bookings.
Get a quote
We work with Travel Insured International, a long-standing US underwriter we’ve sent guests to for years. Their portal lets you build and compare policies in a few minutes.
What to have ready when you request a quote
- Full legal name and home address for every traveller
- Exact dates of birth
- Travel dates (an estimate within 30 days is fine if your flights aren’t booked yet)
- Beneficiary designation
- Total non-refundable trip cost (villa, airfare, transfers, anything else booked and prepaid)
A note on our role
Doorways is a US-based, IATA-accredited boutique travel agency specializing exclusively in Italian villa rentals. We are not an insurance broker or agent. Travel Insured International is a third-party underwriter; we recommend them because we have worked with them for years and our guests have had clean experiences, but the policy is between you and them. Your travel advisor is happy to walk you through what to look for and answer questions on a phone call before you buy.
Questions?
Call +1 (800) 409-4346 or email concierge@doorwaysvillavacations.com and we will help you sort it. You can also browse our Italian Villa Rentals FAQ for everything else about booking and travelling to Italy.
