Travel insurance is designed to protect you from the financial impacts of falling ill while in a foreign country, from the loss or theft of your personal property while abroad, and from the effects of the cancellation of a trip abroad. When shopping around for travel insurance it is important to compare policies on the
level of cover that they provide, as well as on price.
Compare the cost of quality travel insurance here
The type of travel insurance that you need depends on the type of traveller you are. If you take one holiday a year then you will obviously need a different type of cover than if you go away regularly during the course of the year. Equally, if you enjoy backpacking through exotic locations your travel insurance requirements will be different from the person who regards anything less than five star luxury as hard work.
However, whatever type of travel insurance you go for, you should ensure that you are covered for the whole of your trip, for medical and repatriation expenses, and for all your activities including dangerous or hazardous sports. You should also make certain that you disclose all relevant information (particularly medical factors) to your insurer as failure to do so may invalidate your cover. If you are not sure whether something is relevant or not then you should check with your insurance company.
Compare the cost of quality travel insurance here
The Three Main Types of Travel InsuranceThe simplest form of cover is the
single trip travel insurance. As the name suggests, this covers you for one trip abroad for the duration of that trip. This type of travel insurance could be suitable if you generally only go away once a year at most – or if you find yourself needing to go abroad unexpectedly.
If you always take two or more trips away a year you may want to consider an
annual travel insurance policy (also often described as
multi-trip insurance). These policies cover you for 12 months and can prove to be a cheaper form of insurance for the frequent traveller. You probably will not have to inform your insurer that you going away, and there is unlikely to be a limit on the number of trips you can make in a year.
If you are travelling to the US then you may find that your getting travel insurance is more expensive than it is to other destinations. This is because of the higher medical expenses that result from falling ill or having an accident in the US. You should also check what the legal expenses cover is like, just in case. If you are travelling within the EU then you should get and fill out form E111. This entitles you to receive free or reduced cost emergency healthcare in countries belonging to the EU. The form is free and is available from larger Post Offices. You should carry the form with you while in the EU.
If you are under 35 and a budget traveller, then specific
backpacker’s travel insurance can provide a basic level of cover at an economical price. These policies often have lower levels of cover than other types of travel insurance - for example a low level of cover for baggage/possessions - however, if you are going away for long periods, these policies will prove to the cheapest travel insurance around. Watch out for a long list of exclusions though.
Compare the cost of quality travel insurance here
