When going abroad, whether for a quick work trip or the long-haul trip of a lifetime you need to buy travel insurance.
There are a huge range of options that cover a huge range of budgets, but why is one worth more than an other policy and what should you be looking out for?
Follow these tips to make sure you chose the best insurance for you.
If you have any medical conditions you need to make sure that you declare these and that any complications that arise from them will be covered when you are abroad.
If you don’t declare them you could invalidate your whole policy and if you do fall ill while abroad in a way that is related to your condition you could find yourself high and dry if your policy doesn’t cover it.
People struggling to find insurance cover that includes their condition should consider a broker who will be able to direct you to a suitable policy.
Individuals who travel frequently may be better off getting a policy that covers them for a year. If you go down this route make sure it covers everything you are going to be doing. A basic package might be fine for your European beach holiday won’t necessarily cover your skiing trip. People who travel for work may be able to get a better deal with annual cover though, so it is always better to check.
Insurance with a low excess if very popular as it means that you will be able to get back all the money you claim without having to stump up any of your own cash. If you claim £200 on your insurance but have an excess of £50 then you will need to pay £50 and receive £150 from the insurance company. This is better than nothing and having some excess can make your insurance much lower.
The problems arise if you have a claim limit that is the same size as your excess, this means you can’t claim anything and the insurance policy is basically useless.
Family trips with children often require family cover if you want all the little ones covered. If you are going with a group of adults, you should consider whether group insurance may be a better deal for you on this trip.
There are a number of factors that may affect this such as pre-existing conditions and you may not want to shoulder the higher insurance costs of older people, but overall it could work out so get a couple of quotes.
This is particularly important if you are partaking in any sports or excursions when abroad. You will need specific cover for winter sports and also for sports such as scuba diving.
Make sure your cover is appropriate for your trip.