Everyone knows that travel insurance is incredibly important but how do you go about making sure you get both the best deal and the best policy that matches your needs? Careful shopping around and a bit of thought are the ideal approach to find an arrangement on nearly anything and this includes travel insurance.
Check if you already have a suitable travel insurance:
Survey the possibility you already have travel insurance: If you are already mortgage holders, or have household or medical insurance they may already offer travel insurance included. Some bank accounts also include travel insurance as part of their package. You must check that it includes what you require – ie the number of people and not just the policy holder, the country to which you are travelling and the full value of any posessions etc going with you.
Assess your travel needs:
If you need to get the best arrangement on travel protection then you need to look at where you are going and what you are doing when you are there. You also need to take into account the people travelling,; if some are over 60 or 70 they will need special insurance. If they have special medical requirements then this is important to take into account and declare from the start. It is also important to check your policy covers your destination – if you are going long haul but your policy only covers Europe or if you are going to be overseas for more than a month then these are things you must check before travel.
Shop Around for Travel Insurance Online:
There are hundreds of different policies for all sorts of travel; from wintersports to scuba diving, family travel to long haul, single person to group travel etc. Online comparison sites are a good and easy place to start. You can compare prices, fees and booking conditions all in one place without leaving the house saving hours of walking around and checking different companies.
Beware of looking always for the cheapest policies as these often dont cover the things you need or have large excess clauses. You could ask around for recommendations from friends and family.
Terms of administration:
Regardless of the arrangement you pick, please make sure you read the fine print. Not all travel protection plans are the same or give the same cover for the same price.
Timing:
A common mistake is not to book travel insurance until you travel but actually you should book it from when you book the holiday or ticket. This means you will then be covered for any cancellation you made need to carry out due to unforeseen circumstances. If not you may have to cover the full cost of the holiday and not get any money back.
Included in your travel package:
Many tour operators and travel providers offer travel insurance along with the ticket or holiday you have bought. This is often a quick and easy option. However if you plan to travel more than a couple of times a year then it is usually worth upgrading to an annual travel policy which covers you for an unlimited number of trips in a single year. This is usually called annual travel insurance or multi-trip insurance. Again you must check it covers you – it may not cover a ski trip or watersports.
But whatever the case travel insurance is a must have for any traveller.
