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Travel Insurance Guide

In the UK we have the NHS. On holiday or when travelling on business, we don’t. Have you thought about how you would manage the cost of medical bills if you fell ill whilst out of the UK, say to a wonderful holiday destination like Hurghada, Egypt? The answer of course is to have adequate travel insurance. Unfortunately far too many people think they’ll never need it, until it’s too late of course. This travel insurance guide has been put together to help answer some of the main questions people have with regard to travel insurance.

Why is Travel Insurance important?

Do you know how much medical bills can be outside of the UK? The reality is that it could easily be thousands of pounds, especially in more expensive countries such as USA, Spain, France and many other popular holiday destinations. While you may be in good health, accidents do happen. Travel insurance is important as it protects you from financial burden and a good policy can help to make your circumstances more bearable too.

Travel insurance doesn’t just cover the cost of your medical bills, it can also cover the cost of replacing lost luggage and certain other personal possessions.

Is Travel Insurance expensive?

Far too many of us take the easy option when selecting travel insurance. Over half of us take out the travel insurance recommended by the travel agent at the time of booking our holiday and flights. This is usually one of the most expensive ways to buy travel insurance. Don’t be fooled by the free insurance included in the holiday package, the true cost will be hidden in the total cost.

Go Compare Travel Insurance helps you find the right travel insurance policy for you at the best price. They do this by comparing travel insurance quotes from the leading UK travel insurance companies, quickly and easily. Go Compare prices are the same as if you’d gone direct.

Annual or Single Trip Travel Insurance?

As the name implies, single-trip insurance covers you for just one trip. Annual travel insurance on the other hand covers you for multiple trips across the whole year. Whilst annual travel insurance is more expensive to buy, it does have the advantage of becoming cheaper if you take more than one or two trips abroad each year. It also has the advantage of only having to be organised once per annum.

One thing to watch with an annual policy is the number of days you are entitled to travel and for how long on each trip. Some policies will allow unlimited travel, however, it is more common for this to be restricted to 20 to 45 days, although a greater number of days is available.

Family Travel Insurance

A family insurance policy allows you to take out just one policy for the whole family rather than several individual policies. Some travel insurance companies will offer a choice of premiums based on the number of children, some other a standard family policy regardless of the number of children and some are specific to a single parent family.

Business Travel Insurance

Not all travel is for leisure purposes. Business travel insurance is also a vital part of an travel arrangements, especially where expensive laptops are concerned. Business travel insurance is generally only available as an annual policy because the expectancy is that you travel as part of your work and do so on a frequent basis.

Over 65s Travel Insurance

In the past, travel insurance for the over 65s has been more expensive. However, the Go Compare Travel Insurance quote service helps you to choose affordable insurance. Additional requirements for over 65s is an expanded emergency and medical expenses option.

Winter Sports Travel Insurance

Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are increasing in popularity. The very nature of these sports requires specific travel insurance due to the hazardous nature of this type of holiday. Heaven forbid but the cost of breaking a leg in the Alps could be as much as £25,000 or more than double that for the same injury in the USA - so be careful!

Winter sports travel insurance can be added to annual insurance policies or taken out as a specific item. The degree of cover will depend on your particular activity, off-piste for example is more expensive. Another consideration is the equipment cover.

Backpackers Travel Insurance

Gap years are becoming increasingly popular. Students wishing to backpack around the world are well advised to take out Backpackers Insurance, also known as long stay insurance, students travel insurance or sometimes gap year travel insurance. The fundamental principle is that this is travel insurance but for a longer period and with specific features.

Backpackers insurance is generally available for 3 to 18 months. Some policies also cover working overseas. This is important for travellers wishing to make an extended trip and earn a little money whilst travelling.

One thing to check before you select a policy is which countries are included, and of course which countries are not. If you plan to travel outside Europe, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will not cover you and some third-world countries might not be covered at all.

Personal Baggage

The level of cover for personal items is usually determined by the level of personal luggage you take with you. It is worth noting that travel insurance policies usually have limits for personal items and amounts above this are not covered. Travel insurance policies usually cover delayed, as well as lost, luggage, Therefore, if your bag doesn’t turn up as planned then you are able to make a claim.

One thing to note that may save you money, is that you may not need any personal baggage cover. It is worth checking your home insurance policy for items that are covered outside of the home. However, check the small print carefully to ensure which locations are covered. Carefully consider whether you need additional cover for credit cards, cash and important documents such as passports and tickets.

Cancellation Cover

Cancellation cover may apply to factors such as illness, death in the family and redundancy but there may be a long list of things that are not covered. Your insurance will certainly not cover anything that you were aware of before you travelled. With annual travel insurance, be careful what date you specify as the policy start date – if this is the date you first travel and you need to cancel beforehand you may find your insurer will not pay out.

Insurance Checklist

It is important to ensure you are adequately covered. Here are some things to check:

• Cancellation – Will the travel insurance company pay out if your flight is cancelled?
• Are you pregnant? – If so there is often a restriction on how many weeks you can be pregnant for, in order for the policy to be valid.
• Age limit – Make sure you are not over the policy’s age limit, and won’t be over the age limit when you travel.
• Where are you going? – If you’re travelling in the EU make sure you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
• Winter Sports – Remember to add this option, if required, to an annual insurance policy.
• Valuables – Your insurer could insist that your valuables are kept in a specified safe place or a claim could be rendered void. Also check the limit of your policy, as you may need to insure expensive items separately.
• How much cover do you require? – Ensure you are sufficiently covered for things like baggage, cancellations, valuables etc.

How much cover is required?

Some average guidelines are as follows:

• Medical Expenses - £2m
• Personal Liability - £1m
• Cancellation - £3,000
• Baggage - £1,500
• Cash - £250
• A 24hr emergency line and cover for legal costs.
• Financial Ombudsman Service membership in case you need to complain.

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