Travel Insurance

• Getting you back home – If your abroad or on holiday and you must fly back home in an emergency, cover should provide the costs of emergency return to the UK, however any treatment/surgery which can wait until you return to the UK would not be covered.
• Missed departure – This will cover costs of accommodation and travel expenses if you miss your departure flight/boat or train due to situations out of your control for example public transport delays or being in an accident on the way. Always make sure you allow yourself enough time to get to the airport, station or port as if you didn’t then you won’t be covered. If you break down, you will have to provide a report from the breakdown company to prove evidence that it happened
• Cancellation – If you cancel or shorten your trip you will be covered for any travel and accommodation costs you have paid for and are unable to claim back. Many policies will only cover cancellations under there terms and conditions so always check before proceeding.
• Medical expenses – Cover towards any costs of emergency medical and surgical treatment while you are abroad. Any treatment that can wait until you return to the UK according to medical opinion would not be covered.
• Delay -  If there are delays to your plans while travelling, for example due to weather or mechanical breakdowns the insurer will pay a contribution depending on how long the delay was. If the delay was already known about before you travelled, then you won’t be covered.
• Baggage – If your baggage Is lost/stolen/damaged or destroyed you will be covered. You will need to report all losses within a certain time and get a report from your airline if it was them that lost your baggage.
• Travel abandonment – If you must cancel your trip/journey this cover will refund your travel and accommodation expenses. Policies will only cover you in certain circumstances so make sure you check the terms and conditions.
• Personal liability – If you are liable to pay damages due to accidental injury to someone or for loss/damage to someone’s property.

When it comes to travel insurance the cheapest is not always the best and sometimes spending that little more will end up benefiting you. There are many different policies and the right one for you may not always be the cheapest one available. If the policy is the right one for you it is worth paying a few extra pounds, as getting the cheapest one may stop you for claiming when you need to.

If you own an EHIC you get the same level of medical care as someone who lives in the country your visiting and the card is valid in all European economic area countries. What you need to remember Is that the country your visiting may not have the level of care that you may want, for example they may not have the same as what you get in the UK. Having an EHIC card may benefit you when buying travel insurance as there is a chance they won’t ask you to pay the excess on your medical claims. Even if you own an EHIC card it is still recommended to buy travel insurance as the EHIC card is not enough by itself.

• As all travel insurance policies are different you must choose carefully what one will benefit you the most. If you are taking part in dangerous activities while away such as adventure sports or skiing then you probably wont be covered as part of a standard travel insurance policy and might need to pay for extra cover.
• If you’re 65 or over and have a medical condition you may need specialist insurance.
• If you have any kind of medical condition it is important to tell your insurer if your asked, even if you think its not important. If you do not do this, you are at risk of invalidating your insurance policy.
• Check that your policy covers you for the destination your going to, policies do vary, and you never know what you’re signing up for, some providers will include all countries, some won’t include specific countries for many different reasons. For example, Turkey is sometimes put under European cover and sometimes its not, worldwide cover doesn’t always include the USA, it can all be confusing so making sure to read the policy carefully is important.