Cover Up Abroad With Travel Insurance

• Featured Articles
• Published: 21 May 2009 in Travel and Travel Insurance

Protect yourself and your family on holiday

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to summer holidays and the idea of escaping to foreign climes for some sun, sea and sand is enough to brighten even the gloomiest day.

As you get together those holiday essentials – sun cream, passport, beach towel – sorting out your travel insurance may not seem like a priority, but it should be. Having the right cover in place is can give you the peace of mind to really enjoy your break.

Why should I get holiday insurance?

Travel insurance covers you for a wide range of problems or issues, from the inconvenient, like losing your camera, to the more serious and costly, like paying for emergency medical treatment in a foreign country.

You can take out single, couple or family cover and you can choose to cover a single trip, multi-trips or take out an annual policy that covers you for a year, no matter how many times you travel

Luckily, travel insurance is widely available and can be cheap – depending on where you buy it. When you book your holiday your travel agent may try to sell you travel insurance, but policies bought from a high street store is generally the most expensive way to get covered. You are not obliged to take this cover and should not feel under pressure to buy from them.

That doesn’t mean it’s not important to arrange some cover, but you will find a wider range of competitive policies if you shop around.

Cover that is tailored to you

Read the policy document thoroughly to ensure that you are sufficiently covered for the things that you specifically need.

Check whether your baggage is insured and whether cancellation cover comes with your policy – which means you get your money back if you have to cancel your trip.

If you intend to do any sporting activities, such as cycling or skiing you will probably need to take out specific travel cover. And if you have any pre-existing medical conditions tell your insurer at the outset or you might find they won’t pay out a claim.

Money saving tips

It could be worth couples getting a joint policy, which can work out cheaper than two singles. Using Confused.com, you can currently find annual European travel insurance (including cancellation cover) for a single traveller for around £20*, while a couple can get the cover for just £36*.

If you plan to travel a few times in a year you should also consider an annual policy as it could work out cheaper. A couple making a single European trip would pay £26.09* but only £47.08* for an annual policy. In other words, if you go away twice or more, it’s worth the annual cover.

Finally, if you are going on holiday in the UK, travel insurance can still be very useful for things such as cancellation, lost luggage or theft, though do check your home contents insurance policy first, as you may be already covered for some of the valuable items that you take with you.

Also, check that you don’t already have free annual travel insurance with your current account provider. Some packaged current accounts offer this facility to customers, although they may charge a monthly fee. One exception is Alliance & Leicester’s Premier current account, which is fee-free and comes with free annual European travel insurance.

Whatever you do, think twice before skimping on travel insurance. It could be cheaper than you think and offers invaluable protection.

*Cheapest quotes available on Confused.com on 12/05/09 – single trip based on 8 day duration