Travel Insurance Tips for Picking the Right Policy

Posted on 18 May 2018 by Anna Scott
There are so many things you must tick off your holiday to-do list. Passport with at least 6 months left before it expires? Outstanding holiday balance paid? Transport to the airport arranged? If you’ve got all this sorted then you’re doing well already, but have you got a decent travel insurance policy in place yet? It’s easy to arrange some quick cover online, but travel insurance isn’t something you want to organise without looking at the small print. If something DOES go wrong, you could be left with thousands of pounds worth of medical bills so take on board some of these tips to see whether the cheapest policy you can find is actually the right policy for you…

 

beach holiday


 

 

Are You Already Covered?

There’s a possibility you might already have travel insurance that you’ve forgotten all about. Some banks offer cover as part of their current account packages, so have a quick look at your terms and conditions to see if this is the case. But be aware that this type of cover is often very basic so might not meet your requirements. If this is the case, see how it matches up with the tips below and look into other options if needed.

 

Medical Cover

Potentially the mostly costly expense if an accident occurs whilst your away, with lots of popular travel destinations not having the free medical treatment we’re blessed with at home. Your policy should have a minimum of £1 million medical cover, but ideally it should be more than this, especially if you’re travelling to the US where medical treatment can be very expensive.

 

hospital x-ray


 

Do you have a pre-existing medical condition? Often you will be covered by your travel insurance policy but please go over the finer details to make doubly sure. The same goes if you’re travelling while pregnant – some insurance providers don’t cover you if you’re travelling past the 28 week point of your pregnancy. Holiday Extras offer a specialist medical covers that can insure pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and arthritis with affordable policies available along with additional discounts.

 

Cancellation Cover

It sounds like an obvious thing, but make sure your cancellation cover will actually insure you against the amount you’re shelling out for your holiday. Cheaper policies may seem tempting, but if your travel operator does cancel, you could be out of pocket by a huge amount. Another thing you might not have considered are pre-paid excursions. If you buy these at the same time as booking your holiday, take them into account when looking at these figures too.

 

Price and Policies

Canstar’s Group Manager Research and Ratings Mitch Watson advised on a few points

  • "It is important to consider more than just price when comparing travel insurance policies."

  • "Forgoing cover to save just a little bit of money may just push the financial burden onto family and friends should a traveller run into trouble overseas. "

  • “Cheap didn’t necessarily mean low cover either, as there were some good deals on the market with a high level of cover. It pays to do your homework and shop around.


 

Length and Frequency of Travel

Most standard policies provide cover for up to 31 days so aren’t suitable for extended or gap year travel. But if you’re worried your backpacking travel insurance is going to set you back a bit, many providers now offer specialist gap year insurance that also takes into account the many adventurous activities you probably want to undertake.

 

backpacking scenery


 

If you’re planning on taking several trips for the next year ahead, arranging a multi-trip policy is probably going to be much better value for money than taking our three or four single trip policies. Just make sure you check how many days travel you’ll be covered for over the year, rather than just assume you’ll definitely be covered for the whole twelve months.

 

High Value Items

If you’re going away for work and need your laptop, or you’ve got a fancy camera you want to take on your trip, make sure their value is taken into account. A cheaper travel insurance policy might only cover belongings of up to £200 in value.

 

Sports and Activities

Some travel insurance policies now cover many different activities as standard, but a lot of high-risk sports will require a specialist policy with adequate medical cover that won’t leave you out of pocket.

 

snorkelling


 

 

Excess Versus Premiums

The final cost of the travel insurance cover is probably the figure you’re going to be paying most attention to when comparing quotes. But as with all insurance policies, double check the excess amount before you make your choice. IF you need to make a claim, will you have the funds to pay that amount up front, or it is worth reducing the excess and increasing the cost of the cover?

 

Like with any product, you get what you pay for when it comes to travel insurance. Cheaper policies might be tempting, but if they’re not fit for purpose when you need to make a claim, then they’re not going to a great deal of help in a worst-case scenario. If it comes down to paying a bit more for your travel insurance at the outset, then it’s worth it in the long run, right?

Along with travel insurance, Discount Promo Codes can help save you money all aspects of your holiday planning. From the holiday itself (with providers such as Thomas Cook), to summer wardrobe essentials that you can cram in your suitcase, we’ve got plenty of discounts available whatever time of year you’re travelling.

Discount Promo Codes Blog