Travel Insurance

You have probably heard the phase ‘if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel’ a million times.  Yet, thousands of people do not heed these words and regrettably, it is only with hindsight that they understand the importance of buying travel insurance.  Don’t be one of these people. Buying travel insurance is as important as buying a guidebook!

When buying travel insurance, ensure the policy covers:  

Cancellations

Having spent so long organising your holiday, you probably can’t think of a single reason why you would need to cancel or cut short your trip.  But, sometimes, things don’t go to plan.  You or an immediate member of your family may fall ill, and you may have no choice but to postpone or cancel your travel plans.  In such circumstances, a good insurance policy will allow you to recover the money you have spent on flights, excursions and accommodation.

Delayed and Missed Departures

There’s nothing worse than being stuck at an airport for hours because of a flight delay, or arriving at your destination only to find your luggage hasn’t arrived.  However, if you have bought a good insurance policy, you will be compensated for any excessive delay and lost or delayed luggage (usually a few days worth of clothing and toiletries).  Some insurance policies will even compensate you if you miss your flight for a valid reason.

Medical Expenses

Nobody plans to fall ill or to be involved in an accident whilst they are on holiday, but it happens.  However, if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident, a good insurance policy will cover the cost of all medical treatment (which can, and often does, run into thousands), accommodation and repatriation.

Important: if you suffer from a permanent or reoccurring illness, tell your insurer.  If you don’t, and you have a re-lapse whilst you are on holiday, your insurer may refuse to pay any medical bills related to your illness.

Important: Most insurance policies exclude the pursuant of dangerous sports (for example, jet skiing, motor cycling and scuba diving) so, if you intend to participate in any such activity, tell your insurer and, if necessary, pay an additional premium to ensure cover.  If you don’t, and you are injured whilst participating in an excluded activity, your insurer may refuse to pay your medical bills.

Personal Belongings

A good insurance policy will compensate you if your belongings are stolen, lost or damaged.  So, if you’re still not convinced that you should buy travel insurance, tot up how much it would cost you to replace every item in your suitcase!

Important: If an insurance policy has a monetary limit on the amount you can recover for a single item, make sure that limit is high enough to cover the cost of replacing each of your valuables.