Don’t leave it until the last minute

When getting travel insurance you should make sure that you begin shopping around as soon as you have made your travel arrangements. Many people shop around endlessly for their holidays but just buy the first travel insurance policy they see at the last minute. Look around at all the deals available and look at what they cover you for.

Medical and repatriation

If you are going to a country that has potential political problems or disease issues, then you need to make sure your policy covers all medical eventualities as well as repatriation. You should try and get a policy that covers you for at least £1 million.

Trip cancellation

One aspect that your policy should include is the refund of your holiday costs should the trip be cancelled or cut short. This is important because this is one of the most common reasons for claiming on travel insurance.

Immediate start

You should make note of whether the policy starts immediately or after a certain number of days. If you have a limited time to book your insurance then you want a policy that covers you as soon as you book it.

Dangerous activities

If you like being adventurous on holiday then you will want a policy that covers you for potentially dangerous sports and activities. Many policies don’t cover for items like skydiving or bungee jumping, so if you will be doing these things you need to look into which policies will cover you.

Personal liability

One of the most important things you need to be covered for is personal liability. If you accidentally injure someone then you will be thankful for having this cover. Make sure the level of personal liability cover you get is the highest you can afford to cover potential lawsuits or compensation.

Lost or stolen

It is important to have a policy that will cover you in the event that your goods are lost or stolen. This will be of particular use if you lose your wallet or other valuable possessions

Single and annual cover

If you go abroad infrequently then you will only need to buy single trip insurance. However, if you travel a lot then it might be cheaper to get annual cover. This will cover you for any trips that you make in the year, and will save you having to take out new insurance each time.

Don’t leave it until the last minute

When getting travel insurance you should make sure that you begin shopping around as soon as you have made your travel arrangements. Many people shop around endlessly for their holidays but just buy the first travel insurance policy they see at the last minute. Look around at all the deals available and look at what they cover you for.

Medical and repatriation

If you are going to a country that has potential political problems or disease issues, then you need to make sure your policy covers all medical eventualities as well as repatriation. You should try and get a policy that covers you for at least £1 million.

Trip cancellation

One aspect that your policy should include is the refund of your holiday costs should the trip be cancelled or cut short. This is important because this is one of the most common reasons for claiming on travel insurance.

Immediate start

You should make note of whether the policy starts immediately or after a certain number of days. If you have a limited time to book your insurance then you want a policy that covers you as soon as you book it.

Dangerous activities

If you like being adventurous on holiday then you will want a policy that covers you for potentially dangerous sports and activities. Many policies don’t cover for items like skydiving or bungee jumping, so if you will be doing these things you need to look into which policies will cover you.

Personal liability

One of the most important things you need to be covered for is personal liability. If you accidentally injure someone then you will be thankful for having this cover. Make sure the level of personal liability cover you get is the highest you can afford to cover potential lawsuits or compensation.

Lost or stolen

It is important to have a policy that will cover you in the event that your goods are lost or stolen. This will be of particular use if you lose your wallet or other valuable possessions

Single and annual cover

If you go abroad infrequently then you will only need to buy single trip insurance. However, if you travel a lot then it might be cheaper to get annual cover. This will cover you for any trips that you make in the year, and will save you having to take out new insurance each time.

You are ready for your dream holiday, but there is that one practicality left – insurance.

While there is no doubt that travel insurance is necessary, and not something with which you should do without, finding a policy which is not only cheap, but also offers the correct levels of protection for the activities on your vacation can be both daunting and boring.

With countless pages of policy small print and get-out clauses for the insurer, it can seem almost impossible to find what you want for a good price.

The majority of insurance policies do have reasonably comprehensive cover, and can often be purchased including dangerous sports such as skiing. However, the complications arise when it comes to deductibles and health situations, such as pre-existing problems.

For example, what happens if you do need to go to hospital in a foriegn country? Will the insurance company pick up the bill, or will you have to claim and pay at the time. This will not be suitable for a lot of travellers on a lower budget, but is the way that most policies work. There are many gaps and get-outs in travel insurance policies, and you will need to spot them in advance, should a problem arise.

Most policies cover trip cancellation, robbery, lost baggage, medical, dental and accidental death coverage, but you may also find emergency evacuation, insurance against delays, lost documentation and 24 hour travel assistance.

The key to finding the best deal is to shop around yourself – Don’t simply buy your travel insurance from your travel agent. Here are a few reasons why:

- The coverage will not be as good.
- The policy will be less flexible.
- It may duplicate areas that you are already insured for.

It may seem like a better deal at the time to buy your insurance from your travel agent, but remember that they are not specialised in this area, and will only be offering an out-of-the-box policy from some partner insurance company, which they will make money off.

As with most things, you are better off doing your research, and arranging it yourself.

When buying your policy from an insurance company:

- Get quotes from as many companies as you can.
- Read the small print. Does it cover your intended activities?
- Can you waive the pre existing condition exclusion.
- Find out what types of cancellation the insurer will not pay out for. Again, it comes to carefully reading the policy details (I know it’s boring, but it is necessary)
- Finally, if there is anything you need to know – Ask! There is no point in having the policy if you end up unable to claim.

Wishing you a fantastic trip, and an unused travel insurance policy!

Go to http://www.destroy-your-debt.com/insurance for more information.

Tesco Travel Insurance
Tesco Travel Insurance is underwritten and provided by UK Insurance Limited

Tesco Travel Store
Huge selection of cheap flights and airline tickets. Compare our cheap flights and save! Make lastminute.com the place to shop for all of your flight bookings and flight reservations.

Buy Travel Books – Tesco.com
Buy travel books online with Tesco.com, offering a range of travel guides and reference books to choose.

Travel Insurance for Leisure and Business Travel
TESCO travel insurance offer competitive rates for travel insurance, including single or annual multi-trip travel insurance.

Family Travel Insurance
Choose from a range of travel insurance policies for your family.

Family Travel Insurance
Save up to 60% on our travel insurance. We cut the premium, not the cover. Instant online cover on single trip, annual, backpackers and adventure sports.

Family Travel Insurance
travelinsurance.co.uk offers convenient high value cover at low prices. Visit us for an online quote and instant cover. Children under 18 insured for free.

Annual Travel Insurance
Cheap and instant online quotes for all your travel insurance needs. Affiliate.

Family Travel Insurance – Get a Quote
Compare travel insurance from AA, American express, Churchill, Columbus, direct line, marks and Spencer and more. Get a quote and arrange immediate cover online. Affiliate.