By Sophie Butler
A common pitfall when buying travel insurance is to take the easy option and sign up for the insurance package offered by your tour operator or to buy through a no-frills airline website. Not only do you risk spending over the odds if you do it this way, but you could be buying a mediocre policy that doesn’t provide adequate cover and isn’t best suited to your needs.
Before you buy anything, you should always contact a specialist such as Direct Travel Insurance (01903 812345; www.direct-travel.co.uk) or Preferential (0871 221 4008; www.preferential.co.uk) to compare prices and levels of cover.
Then, hold fast until you’ve weighed up the following 10 points:
Consider annual cover Specialist insurers offers a week’s cover for Europe at around £6, compared to just over £20 for annual cover, so buy multi-trip if you plan more than three holidays within 12 months.
Plan Policies don’t automatically include winter sports cover. This may not matter if you’re planning a beach holiday now but what if you decide to go skiing later in the year?
Buy in numbers Insurance comes cheaper if you buy as a couple, covering you and your spouse or partner who lives with you or as a family (check that the policy doesn’t specify that you always travel together).
Compare excess charges Among the lowest I’ve seen is £35, but it is usually around £50 and can sometimes go as high as £200.
Don’t double up If your home contents insurance covers personal possessions your travel insurer may discount by around ten per cent.
Look online You’re likely to get the best rates by purchasing cover on the internet.
Check cover limits Limits should be £1 million for medical treatment in Europe (more for the US) and £1 million for personal liability. Check cover is sufficient for cancellation or curtailment, baggage and single items.
Apply for an EHIC See “Health Advice For Travellers” (available from Post Offices, by phoning 0845 606 2030 or www.nhs.uk/healthcareabroad) Excess charges may be waived by your insurer if you have it.
Declare medical conditions Not doing so may void a future claim; and let the company know any health issues of close relations on whom your travel depends.
Read the small print Deadly boring to do, but it’s the only sure-fire way to know what you are and aren’t covered for.
- www.telegraph.co.uk -