You can never be too careful when headed off on your exciting adventure. From slips and trips to losing a personal item, it’s always best to be covered. Sometimes upon a trip to the travel agents, you can sometimes feel a bit queasy by the amount of zero’s that are placed on your quote – but never fear, take a bit of time online and you will soon realise that you can get a lot more for a lot less! Like the sound of that? – Well, if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for then stop now because your prayers have been answered. Here is your simple guide to choosing the best travel insurance!
What to Look for When Choosing Travel Insurance
Cancellation
There is only one thing you need to know when it comes to cancellation cover – always make sure that your policy is enough to cover the cost of your holiday! Sometimes unforeseen events may mean that you need to cancel or cut the trip short. With this cover, it makes sure that you get some or maybe all of your money back.
Lost or Stolen Items
Lost or stolen items do not need to have a negative impact on your holiday. The tip here is to make sure that you find a policy that covers all points of your holiday. Therefore, if your nightmare of the airline losing your luggage becomes a reality, you know that you will be compensated. It is also wise to cover smaller items such as cameras or iPods. Always read the small print as some companies have varying rules regarding what they deem as appropriate care for your belongings and may also hold a cap on the cover.
Medical & Emergency Cover
The cost of medical services in foreign countries can reach up to thousands and wait for it – yes millions! The most important policy to have on your travel insurance, it is advised to have a cover of at least £2m in Europe and £5m worldwide. Always read the details as some companies will not only pay the expenses but have benefits that include paying for someone to stay with you dependant on your injuries.
Adventure Activities
If living life on the dangerous side is your holiday fancy then make sure that you are fully covered in case something goes wrong. Medical cover on its own can be cancelled out if reckless behaviour has been identified. If you plan to be headed in the direction of extreme sports make sure that you declare exactly what you are planning on doing to your insurers. Though you may be served with an extra charge, it is nothing compared to the thousands that you could be faced with alternatively.
Personal Liability
Accidents do happen whilst abroad, whether it is damage to a property or unexpectedly injuring someone, this is the key cover to have in place. It is advised to have cover up to £1m for these cases. The truth with this one is you can never be too cautious, whether you are on the slopes and fall into a rider or if you scratch a wall with your suitcase, you don’t want to have to reach into your own pocket!
The real trick is to always act responsibly. Before starting the research on the right insurance for you, it’s always a good idea to ring up your bank and see whether you have any cover with them and find out exactly what it is. If you’re headed for a year off travelling, companies do offer backpackers insurance which provides cover for an extended period of time. In addition to this, it can be stretched across multiple countries making sure that you don’t need to worry when crossing those boundaries.
The last hot tip when it comes to travel insurance is always read that pesky small print, even it means keeping a magnifying glass in your back pocket or squinting as you hold the paper to your nose, you don’t want to opt for something that isn’t right for you!
