Travel insurance Guide Page

Travel Insurance Guide When planning our holidays, we often think of sunnier climates, and taking a break from work and routine for a week or two, and travel insurance can be forgotten about in the excitement. However by shopping around and following our tips below we can make some significant savings whilst enjoying a safe and relaxed holiday. In the first instance, dont buy your travel insurance from your tour operator " You can get better value cheaper travel insurance by shopping around separately. For example, a family of four travelling to Europe for a week would be charged around £65 by their tour operator, however the same levels of cover can be bought from as little as £10 by shopping around. Of course its not just price that we should take into account when looking for holiday insurance but also the cover provided as this will vary immensely as the travel insurance companies aim to meet the needs of all holiday makers. For example, some will exclude baggage and/or cancellation cover in return for a cheaper premium. This maybe ideal cover if your just taking the basics on a last minute weekend away, however if youre considering two weeks in the Caribbean then this level of policy may not be as ideal. A common assumption we make is that everything will be covered by our travel insurance, when in reality this only covers us for the and medical emergencies and the essential belongings. For example, your total belongings cover may be £3,000 - £5,000 however you will likely find that this has an individual item limit of £150 - £250, so if you take away your Rolex watch or diamond bracelet then ensure that its covered separately. Most policies will cover you for sports such as scuba diving to a certain depth, however its unlikely that they will provide cover for anything more adventurous such as paragliding or bungee jumping which are becoming a common tourist attraction in many holiday resorts. If you think when planning your holiday that you may take part in such a sport then let your insurance company know and they will probably offer you an upgrade which will cover a whole host of sports. If your spontaneous and havent pre-arranged cover for this, check and see if its available in your resort or at the very least be aware that your insurance in its current entity may not cover you for any accidents you may have. When travelling in Europe carry an EHIC card which was formally known as the E111 form. This is by no means a substitute for travel insurance, however can work very nicely alongside it as it will get you access to a doctor immediately and in some cases your insure will waive any policy excess for medical claims where the EHIC card has been presented. When buying travel insurance, always declare any pre-existing medical conditions, no matter how minor. Most insurers will then give you the option of either covering the condition for an additional premium, or imposing a clause whereby the existing condition is excluded from the policy. With the introduction of budget airlines and lower cost accommodation, more and more of us are taking multiple breaks a year. If you travel more than twice a year, you may want to consider an annual policy, covering a family for 12 months for European travel can be purchased for under £37. Typically although these policies will restrict the trip length to around 30-40 days, the number of times you can travel is unlimited, and most policies will allow the named adults to travel separately and remain covered. If youre considering a skiing holiday then dont forget to ensure you have cover for winter sports. This will vary by policy so make sure you compare cover carefully before buying, for example some policies will provide cover for off piste skiing whereas others will stipulate all skiing must be on piste for cover to be valid. Likewise the actual levels of cover that are provided will vary by insurer so if you are taking a skiing holiday closely examine this element of the policy before buying. Source Thomas Cook Summer Sun 2009 Source Moneyextra 19th May 2009

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2009-06-10 10:11:31 © Moneyextra.com