Get the Best Travel Insurance You Can Afford

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

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Everybody eagerly looks forward to their annual vacations. As our vacation time draws closer we’ll start to count the days until we pack our holiday clothes and head off for a week or two in the sun.

Unfortunately many people head for their holiday destinations without giving hardly a thought to the need for insurance. This is particularly true for those who don’t arrange their holidays through a travel agent. Travel agencies will generally remind people of the need for holiday insurance but even when they do many people take out the cheapest policy possible which can often be inadequate for many circumstances.

Many people don’t take out adequate insurance cover because they don’t expect they will need. Nobody expects to enounter the nightmare of needing serious medical attention or being the victim of crime while on holiday. Its an unfortunate fact of life that emergencies do arise and when they occur abroad they can be incredibly expensive. For example, if the worst was to happen and you needed to be flown home to the UK it could set you back many thousands of pounds. The cost of being flown home from the United States in an air ambulance is between £35K and £45K and from the Canary Islands the cost could be between £12K and £16K.

Nobody plans for disaster or being flown home in an air ambulance but imagine that the worst did happen and you had to pay these costs out of your own pocket?

I’ve been very lucky while away on holiday, never having had need for medical attention, but I have, on two occasions, needed to claim for lost or stolen items. On one occasion, while travelling in India, I had my camera stolen from my bag on a train. And on another occasion my suitcase was completely lost by the airline when I flew to Italy.

These losses should reinforce my message that holiday insurance is really an essential. Having your personal possessions stolen while on holiday is bad enough but it can be a lot worse if you don’t have adequate insurance cover.

Always be sure to read the details of your holiday insurance policy as there are always exclusions that you really need to be aware of. For example, did you know that most holiday insurance policies will not cover drink or drug related incidents?

It is worth remembering that cheaper policies will tend to offer less cover than the more expensive ones. Before committing to the cheaper option consider whether you are being tempted by the initial saving and be certain that the policy covers you for all those hefty expenses that can occur, particularly when medical assistance is required.

You can often save money by looking at annual multi-trip insurance or by looking at group insurance policies for your whole family. If there is one travel expense that should be absolutely essential it is the need for adequate holiday insurance cover.

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