Travel Insurance – General Information & Advice
Posted on | December 3, 2009 | 9 Comments
Holidays should be times where you are able to escape from the day-to-day routine and fully relax in a far-away country, and in an ideal world this is exactly what a holiday would entail. For some though, this isn’t the case, and this is why adequate travel insurance is a vital component to ensure you are not left footing the often very steep bill if anything goes wrong.
Although the level of travel insurance cover varies widely, depending on personal circumstances and holiday requirements; almost all policies include medical and healthcare cover.
It is recommended that when travelling within the EU a policy covering up to £1m should be taken out, and when outside of the EU this figure increases to around £2m. This is because of the horrendously steep medical bills that some countries charge, or if for example you need to be airlifted from a remote location.
It’s important to note that if you wish to participate in almost any extreme sport then specialist health care should be sought, as many standard policies do not make provisions for this.
The second most important factor of travel insurance is possessions cover. Again, the level at which you will be reimbursed should you fall victim to any theft varies from policy to policy. Such cover generally has an “upper limit” to the amount that will be paid out for each type of item, similar to home contents cover – this can be clarified by your insurer.
In the event of any theft it’s vital to report it to the local police as soon as possible, almost always within 24 hours; failure to do so could invalidate the insurance.
Along with the above two factors, other travel policies generally include personal liability, personal accident and cancellation cover.
It’s important to remember that insurance companies will not pay out unless the have to, so this means that all of the rules and conditions laid out within the policy should be strictly adhered too.
Lastly, its important to note that although travel insurance will certainly help cover any financial losses, it won’t replace the photo’s lost on a stolen camera or ease the burden of a broken leg – so when travelling abroad a great deal comes down to common sense and personal diligence.
With the holiday insurance market being such a competitive one, it’s very easy to find a cheap travel insurance quote online.
Related posts:
- Time For Travel Insurance?
- Get useful information on travel insurance
- Annual Travel Insurance Deciphered
- Is It Too Hard To Get Travel Insurance If You Are Over 65?
- Travel Insurance: Travelling With a Sense of Safety
- Travel Insurance – are you Missing Out?
- Travel Insurance – How to Get the Best Deal
- Types of Travel Insurance
- Travel Insurance Comparison: Pay Less and Secure More for Travel Cover
- Travel Insurance For Peace Of Mind During Your Travels
Tags: Insurance Guide > Insurnace Tips > Travel Guide > Travel Insurance Faq > Travel Insurnace > Travel Tips
Comments
9 Responses to “Travel Insurance – General Information & Advice”
Leave a Reply
December 3rd, 2009 @ 9:58 am
Try this site for a quick quote on travel medical insurance. TravelEx allows for pre-existing conditions. —> http://www.travelex-insurance.com/index.asp?location=07-0018
December 3rd, 2009 @ 11:30 am
I think that you will find a great deal on Moneysupermarket.com thats where I got my travel insurance, and they actually had to pay out on my policy as I ended up in a French hospital.
My insurance was about 40pounds, and it was for annual insurance! I think from memory you could go away for up to 94 days at a time, or 17days at a time if you included winter sports.
Hope this helps – just remember to read the small print about how many consecutive days away from the UK you are covered for! Happy Travels!
December 3rd, 2009 @ 1:10 pm
It could very well be true. Although they are different countries to where you are, we are in the UK and when we book to go to Ireland the company we book with insists on having our insurance details. Besides, as the first answerer says…they would be daft to travel without it as the cost of treatment is far more than the cost of the insurance. Accidents do happen…believe me, I broke an elbow last year, and a few weeks after that was healed I broke my foot…if I had been abroad I would have been in sh*t street without insurance!
December 4th, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
Here are some links-
I had a similar situation- I was living in the Caymans Islands, no longer a Canadian resident, and wanted to travel for the summer. But every policy required that Canadian citizens be insured in their home privince, which I no longer have as non-resident. IMG was the only one I found, but as you DO have Canadian insurance, this will be easy for you. There are lots of short-term plans.
https://www.imglobal.com/travelinsurance/index.cfm?show=&&CFID=1718830&CFTOKEN=d9392e2d0226f2d2-EC75C061-1143-EBE5-76B31862584AA777
http://www.internationalsos.com,
http://www.travelexinsurance.com,
http://www.ijet.com,
http://www.travelassistance.com,
http://www.wallach.com,
http://www.travelguard.com,
http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=48&category=8,
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/insurance.htm.
December 4th, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
healthquotes.awardspace.info – here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.
December 4th, 2009 @ 8:24 pm
Checkout their theft rider, and the link for a free quote. http://www.travelex-insurance.com/index.asp?location=07-0018
December 5th, 2009 @ 10:59 pm
You can get a refund if your insurance covers illness as a reason for cancellation. Different policies cover different contingencies. The way you would prove illness is by a note from your physician.
InsureMyTrip.com is one site that has comparisons among policies. I'm sure there are others.
December 6th, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
December 6th, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
There are some good travel insurance companies. Get ones that pay your expenses or pay you in cash. Dont get ones that make you take another trip or give you a voucher to travel again with them.
I only buy insurance if the trip is WAY more than I can afford to lose.
Read the fine print of the policies before you purchase.