Easy does it
Being properly insured will give you peace of mind
compare policies.
The cheapest policy isn’t always the best (in fact, it rarely is!). Look at the level of cover offered by each policy and make sure it’s suitable for you.
Always read the small print. Check the policy is suitable for what you plan to do on your holiday and make sure you know how to make a claim. For example, when do you need to contact the travel insurer and what documents you need to have, such as receipts or police reports.
Don’t duplicate cover. Check if you have similar cover elsewhere. For example, if you have baggage cover on your house insurance you could exclude it from your travel insurance.
See how much an annual policy costs. If you make more than one or two trips overseas each year have a look at an annual policy to cover all the holidays you make in a year. An annual policy covering Europe will be much cheaper than one that covers worldwide travel.
Get a European Health Insurance Card (the replacement for the E111) from ehic.org.uk. It could save you money if you need treatment in the EU as medical excesses may not be charged if you use your EHIC.
If you make a travel insurance claim and it is turned down, write to the insurance company and make a formal complaint. If the company doesn’t change its mind, or you’re unhappy with how it has handled your complaint, you can complain for free to the Financial Ombudsman Service (financialombudsman.org.uk). goods quickly, consumers still need to take the time to read the terms and conditions before purchasing their policy.
When it comes to purchasing travel insurance, remember —
Purchase early. Don’t leave it to the last minute or you’ll end up paying more and buying in a rush.
Declare any changes in health.
If you develop a new medical condition, or a pre- existing c o n d i t i o n c h a n g e s b e f o re travelling, then it is likely that you will need to tell your insurers about the change to your health.
If the new problem causes you to cancel then you would just submit a cancellation claim.
However, if you still want to travel then you should inform the insurers about your change in health as this could affect the cover they provide. Pre-existing medical conditions
of others.
If a non-travelling relative, or someone else that is not insured on the policy with you but could affect your trip, has a preexisting medical condition, the cancellation or cutting short of your trip due to a directlyrelated illness may not be covered.
Generally, insurers are able to cover this if you’re willing to pay an additional premium.
Sports and
activities.
Most list of sports policies include a and activities that are covered as standard and many others may be available on request. Personal baggage – single article/ valuables limits.
Travel insurance baggage cover is predominately in place for the loss of your suitcase and contents.
Individually these items would generally be of low value and not specifically insured elsewhere.
However, now that customers are used to carrying more expensive items such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, they expect these to be covered by standard travel insurance but many cost in excess of £300.
Realistically, you should be insuring these things all year round, not just when you take them on holiday.
If you do need to cover them, you should purchase a gadget top-up which is often sold alongside the basic travel insurance.