Did you know that more than a third of UK holidaymakers don’t always take out travel insurance when they are due to go away? It is really important that you make sure you have an appropriate holiday insurance policy whenever you are due to go away as, even though it isn’t an obligation in the same way that home insurance is, it is still extremely important and will be crucial if you run into any difficulties while you’re away.
With this in mind, this article looks at how to choose a travel insurance policy so you can make sure you get a policy that is appropriate for your needs.
Do you need single trip or annual coverage?
One of the first things to think about is how often you will need cover. If you tend to go on holiday once a year or less then single trip holiday insurance should be ideal for your needs. However, if you are someone who travels more frequently then you could benefit from taking out annual travel insurance. If you’re travelling a lot, this could work out to be much more cost effective.
Who needs cover?
You should also think about who needs cover on your holiday insurance policy. Are you going away alone or are there other people in your party? It will help to know how many people there are all together, their ages and whether anyone has any pre-existing medical conditions as these are all things that you will have to disclose when you make your travel insurance application. This will help to make sure you get the right level of cover for the group of people you are travelling with.
Where are you going?
The travel insurance you choose might also depend on exactly where you are going. This is because you often find you need different levels of insurance for different places and that it can cost more to buy insurance for some countries than others. For instance, if a country is generally seen as being high risk (such as in terms of geopolitics or the potential for accidents or illness) then you might find that you will have to pay a bit more for your policy and you should keep this in mind when making your selection.
What will you be doing?
Something else to consider when buying travel insurance is what you will actually be doing on your holiday. For instance, are you planning to simply lie on a beach for two weeks or are you planning activities such as water sports? Will you be going skiing or doing any other sports or activities that might require extra insurance?
You can get insurance specifically for a whole range of sports and it is definitely worth making sure you are covered for anything you might be doing while you are away. If you are unsure whether or not you’ll be taking part in extreme sports on your trip then it is probably better to be safe than sorry, and make sure you get the relevant insurance anyway. This is because such things aren’t always covered on basic travel insurance policies, so if you do end up taking part in sports and something goes wrong, it will definitely be worth your while to have comprehensive insurance.
Are you going for business or pleasure?
Also think about whether you are travelling for business or pleasure as this could have an impact on the cover you choose with your travel insurance. For example, if you are going on holiday then you probably won’t need specific cover for business equipment or money that belongs to your business. If, however, you are travelling for business you probably would need to be covered for these things, so it will definitely be worth making sure your chosen travel insurance policy covers them.
Are there any age restrictions?
Some travel insurance policies also have age restrictions on them so it is certainly worth checking out what these are before you make your final selection. Generally speaking, the main insurance policy holder will need to be over the age of 18. Also, you might find that you need to take out a specific policy if you are aged over 65.
Am I covered for extenuating circumstances?
One final thing to think about when choosing a holiday insurance policy is whether you are covered for extenuating circumstances. For instance, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimates that around 60% of travel insurance policies now cover terrorism. Is this something you think you might need? There have also been issues with volcanic ash lately; is this something your policy covers? It’s definitely worth thinking about so you don’t get caught out while you’re on your holiday.
Follow itravelnet.com