When you’re holidaying, the last thing you want to be thinking about is something going wrong. But the reality is that some of us will endure some issue or problem during our trip abroad. Holiday insurance is the solution to such a problem. Holiday insurance (or travel as it’s also known) is designed to protect you from any spontaneous miss-happenings whilst you are on your holiday.
Like all forms of insurance, there are many different types of holiday insurance available as well as many different policies available within those categories.
When you’re going on a holiday, you should anticipate anything that could go wrong- no matter how dull and uneventful you perceive your trip abroad to be. The basic considerations will be: lost luggage, cancelled or delayed flights, prior cancellation of your holiday due to illness or a family emergency and last but not least medical cover.
When reviewing medical cover, the minimum protect in place should be £1m. However if you’re travelling to America or Australia, it is strongly recommendable that you choose a higher limit as these destinations are notoriously expensive for medical treatment. Some insurers offer policies that will cover for as much as £10m.
If you are travelling to an exotic or adventurous location, it is advisable that you consider getting cover for medical evacuation and repatriation (being sent back to your home country). This is especially true if you are going on a trip that involves winter sports or adventurous activities which due to their nature are more likely to lead to serious injury.
Regardless of the format of the holiday you will be taking, you should always have at least £1m of personal liability cover in the event of an accident or injury that you are facing claims against you for.
Needless to say that your baggage and cancellation cover should be at least as high as the value of the items you are taking and the cost of the holiday to ensure that you are not left out of pocket. The cancellation cover should also include any pre-paid trips and activities that you have planned during your holiday.
Remember:
Never assume that the activities you are undertaking are covered by your insurance policy without checking. Read the terms and conditions of the policy in full and if you believe you aren’t covered, then buy additional cover to ensure that you will be completely protected.
Regardless of whether or not you deem your trip ‘dangerous’, always check your policies terms and conditions to see what they consider a risk.
If you can’t find suitable cover for your trip or activities during your excursion, then call insurers and speak to an advisor.
And don’t forget to shop around for a good deal on your holiday insurance quote.
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