Jetting off somewhere hot this year? Whether it is a holiday
with friends, family or a loved one, travel insurance is imperative. Below, we
have come up with the top tips to bagging the best deal, making your search for
cheap holidays, is actually possible!
Stay away from
airlines
After searching through cheap holidays and picking a deal,
the next step is sorting insurance. Under no circumstances at all must you buy
insurance from airlines, as it will almost definitely cost you more. Instead,
use comparison websites, as this is the best way to find a great deal.
What cover do you
require?
Before embarking on travel comparison websites, you need to
know the type of cover you require. For example, if you plan to take expensive
goods with you such as a tablet, you will soon learn; that cheap £10 week cover
is useless when you need to claim. As there is a £250 excess and a single item
limit of £150 – you will sadly end up out of pocket.
When it comes to other areas, you should aim to be covered
for medical expenses up to the value of £2m (Europe) and £5m (worldwide). Other
cover should include cancellation (£3, 000) and damage to or lost personal
belongings (£1,500).
Getting to grips with
excess
As the policyholder, the excess is how much you will have to
pay out, if you have to make a claim. So for instance if the cover is for £1,000
and there is an excess of £250, the insurer will pay £750. Bear in mind that
the higher the excess the cheaper the policy will be, however, be realistic,
make sure you can afford the excess. If not, there is no point having the
policy in the first place.
In some cases, you will be charged an excess per ‘benefit
section’. So, for example, if you were mugged and you became injured, you could
end up paying two lots of excess. This is because there will be an excess to
pay for medical costs and for the loss of personal belongings. However, there
are policies out there which will only charge per claim. They may cost more but
end up cheaper in the long run.
Are you covered with
home insurance?
Before opting for a particular policy, it is worth checking
what you are covered with your home insurance. Some personal belongings are
still covered with home policies if taken away from home. So needn’t bother
taking out baggage cover, as you will only be paying twice. Sometimes, a credit
or debit card can have free travel insurance. However, the word to be careful
of is free, as it will undoubtedly be very basic, so check to see what you are
actually covered for.
Annual cover
If you go on holiday more than three times a year, it is
highly advisable looking into annual cover. This will cover you for the whole year
no matter how many holidays you go on and so, in the long run end up cheaper
compared with separate policies each time.
Do you require
worldwide cover?
You can get some great cheap holidays to Egypt, Morocco and Turkey.
However, some travellers get confused and think that they will need worldwide
cover for visiting such places. This is not the case, as even though they are
north of Africa, they come under Europe in most insurance deals.
Limits
Know the limits of you travel insurance. For example, in
most cases, insurers will refuse to offer medical cover for anyone over the age
of 65. Regardless of the fact if they are very healthy and fit individuals.
Also, check the fine print, as some policies exclude pre-existing medical
conditions. For example, asthma sufferers, if you were to have an attack whilst
on holiday and require medical treatment, the insurer will refuse to pay out.
Be honest with your insurer. Who knows, they may be able to offer a small extra
premium, to make sure you are covered. Depending on the condition, a specialist
insurer may be required.
Risky activities
Cheap holidays can soon end up costing a fortune, if you
decide to take part in activities deemed as risky by your insurer and need to
claim for medical expenses. Activities include everything from scuba diving to
horse riding, so make sure you know what you are covered for, before going on
that bungee jump.
EHIC card
Many of us will be looking into Europe for cheap holidays in
the sun! If this is you, make sure you get your hands on an EHIC card. EHIC stands for
European Health Insurance Card and guess what, it’s free! This card is handy,
as it allows you to received state-provided healthcare at a reduce cost, or in
best case scenarios, it will cost you nothing, whilst you are on holiday there.
Some insurers will waive medical insurance excess if you have one of these
cards. Once you have got this card, it remains valid for 5 years.
So there you have our top tips on travel insurance. Booked
your summer holiday yet? What are you waiting for? Now is the best time to grab
cheap holidays. For a
great value holiday a discount
centre is probably your best bet.
(Photo courtesy Jet Lag Manifesto)
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