Visit Europe!

Do you have the necessary travel insurance that will safe guard both you and your loved ones if the unthinkable happens? Before you categorically answer yes, is it one that has been FSA approved not one that has simply been tacked onto your package holiday offering limited superficial perks?

Most assume travel insurance is to cover you against loss of your sunglasses and at the worst theft; realistically speaking they are the least of your worries which is why so many choose to not to take insurance out as they rationalise, ‘hey I’ll just buy new ones’! A more realistic approach needs to be taken when it comes to your travel insurance, such an essential item should cover you across the board, from accidental damage to accidental breakage of one’s body parts! All it takes is a slip, fall and before you know it you are being ‘siren-screeched’ down to the nearest hospital under the assumption that every country has a blessed NHS-style health policy to cover the costs.

On arrival at the hospital in agonising pain the last thing you’ll be expecting is some pushy nurse thrusting a clip-board with reams of paper attached, each requesting a signature proving you have the funds to pay for treatment before they take you through to see the doctors to fix your ankle which is now the size of a balloon! Surely this is not the way you anticipated your holiday going, closing your eyes you have a flashback of the holiday salesperson explaining the numerous benefits of travel insurance, how most standalone providers will give you a massive £1million pounds of health cover when in Europe and £2 million for the rest of the world. You recall her mentioning something about theft and loss and it was at that point hat you switched off, tuning her out as she told you how beneficial the funds would be in the event of an emergency.

It was only when she moved on to talking about the cheaper bolt-on option which could be attached to your package holiday that your ears pricked up. It seems once an expensive standalone product is offered people switch off, you offer them a cheaper alternative and they’re all ears again! Not paying any attention to the differences and only hearing the similarities, like the cover of a lost wallet or a broken pair of sunglasses. Rather than paying attention to the cover’s shortcomings and failings you signed on the dotted line, proud of yourself for taking out travel insurance at all! No longer patting yourself on the back your mind is racing as you are forced to ponder on your options, do you really want to compromise on your health by getting the cheapest type of product on offer, which will usually mean leaving the hospital again, your foot now the size of a football and travelling to the free clinic which has a full day’s waiting time regardless of the severity of your symptoms!

Unfortunately this has been the reality for a whopping “10 million Britons who travelled abroad last year”, who were mistakenly thought they had sufficient travel insurance only to realise that the cover they had taken out alongside their flights and accommodation did not adequately cover them for “medical expenses” which can cost tens of thousands for a simple broken bone and up to hundreds of thousands if you require immediate complex surgery. Don’t forget the pricey administrative costs that are associated with hospital treatment and yes you do have to pay for the ambulance ride to the hospital as well!

The tour operators supposedly offering this ‘cheaper’ alternative on closer inspection have been cited by customers as being over priced, for the cover they are offering in comparison to their supposedly expensive standalone is significantly inferior. Knowing that “about a third of travel insurance sold” in the UK “is bundled in with holiday packages usually by flight companies and tour operators” causes concern for the individual insurance companies as they are taking advantage of a huge section of the market which invariably casts a shadow over all travel insurance providers regardless of their credibility and reliability.

If you’re going on holiday this year then there may be a temptation to skimp on cheap travel insurance in a bid to cut corners and save money. With the worsening economic situation, it is understandable that travellers want to make cutbacks and not shell out on unnecessary extras.

Cheap travel insurance is one thing you cannot afford to skimp on however, especially with as many as one in three Brits claiming on their travel insurance after going on holiday. If you are prepared to shop around then there are some excellent deals to be found and quality cover on the cheap. Travel insurance is needed on most holidays abroad, but for these three holidays it is absolutely essential:

Prague, Czech Republic

Tourism to Eastern Europe has been growing in popularity steadily for a while now but the Czech Republic has probably got more of a boost in tourism than other surrounding countries. The capital Prague offers some stunning gothic architecture at the Prague castle which includes the St Vitus Cathedral.

Unfortunately, the darker side of Prague is notorious for petty crime, particularly pick-pocketing. Cheap travel insurance is an essential for a holiday in the Czech Republic but in Prague in particular, in case your wallet is stolen. Holidaymakers are also advised to take travellers’ cheques with them instead of large sums of money.

Colorado, USA

If you’re worried about the depreciating value of the pound against the euro but can’t give up on the adrenaline rush of skiing, then Colorado is about as good as it gets. Your cheap travel insurance is well warranted here though, as is a crash helmet.

The Crested Butte resort was voted one of the most dangerous mountains in the US, and with extreme runs such as Body Bag it’s not difficult to see why. For extreme winter sports like skiing and snowboarding cheap travel insurance is a pre-requisite.

Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is the back-packers country of choice and for those travellers on a budget provides an excellent snapshot of Asia. Bangkok is an unusual blend of simple elegance and awe-inspiring extravagance. The Grand Palace is about as opulent a marvel as you will ever see but it’s set against a backdrop of vendors selling succulent street food.

Thailand also dominates the travel insurance claims in the UK: from illness, to injury, to missing luggage or traffic accidents. Bangkok itself is responsible for some of the most numerous and varied travel claims on the planet, making cheap travel insurance a necessity for travellers visiting the Thai capital.

There was a time when pregnant women would avoid traveling altogether, but these days women don’t let pregnancy stop them from going abroad and having fun. Only you can decide whether the pros outweigh the cons when traveling while pregnant or with small children.

As a general rule, travel insurance policies will not cover a woman who is expecting delivery of a baby within 14 weeks of the expiration date of a single trip policy, or within 14 weeks of the return date of a trip for a multiple trip policy. As with most types of insurance, there will be an excess to pay in the event you have to make a claim.

Some travel insurance policies will cover children for free as long as they are accompanied by an adult who has paid for their insurance and they are all listed on the same policy. If a multi trip policy is purchased on an annual basis then children may be able to travel independently of the adults.

Medical disclosure is of great importance when purchasing travel insurance. You should be asked a set of question which might include:

Are you traveling against the advice of a doctor or medical specialist? Are you traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment?

Are you on a waiting list for a procedure?

Awaiting results of tests?

Do you have ongoing treatment for a condition?

Have you received a terminal prognosis?

They also need to know if you have ever been diagnosed with diseases such as cancer, heart or lung disease or high blood pressure. Note that disclosure also includes depression, anxiety and psychiatric illnesses. It is vital that you are totally honest otherwise any claims you may have to make could be invalidated. That’s the last thing you’ll need!

It’s a good idea to apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) well in advance of your travel to destinations in Europe. The application forms are available at your Post Office (if you still have one) or apply online or by phone. However, please be aware that the EHIC is not a substitute for purchasing travel insurance – it should be in addition!

If you think it’s a good idea to leave the pushchair at home, think again. A lightweight pushchair can be a life saver if there should be delays or problems. Most airlines will carry them for free and allow them to be used all the way through to boarding. Carry cots are not always allowed so it’s best to check ahead with the airline. Most airlines provide a sky cot if you book in advance. The bulkhead seats on the plane are the best choice if you have a baby or small children as there’s more space and you’ll have less impact on your neighboring passengers!

The need for travel items and accessories for babies and children has created a whole industry of specialist companies. You can pick up some useful tips from them and purchase items which will make traveling easier for everyone. A few good ideas are insect nets and sunshades for push chairs; extra absorbent nappies which are designed for night time and last longer on journeys (don’t forget nappy sacks). Sunburn and sun damage are very real dangers, especially so for children. Avoid this by keeping children out of the sun if possible, use high SPF sunscreens, SPF protective clothing and sun hats. Pick up some child-safe insect repellents too – many nasty diseases are contracted through insect stings and bites.

Once you get to your destination have you thought about how you’ll handle babysitting problems or find a way to get away on your own without the children? Many resorts have babysitting services, but after the awful experience of the McCann’s in Portugal and the still-unsolved mystery of their missing Madeleine, many parents will think twice about letting the children out of their sight at all.

You might consider purchasing a monitoring device to keep an eye on your sleeping kids via your mobile phone while you go down to the hotel restaurant to eat or have a drink.

One way to avoid losing toddlers is to fit them with a wrist band with your mobile phone number written on it. This could save a lot of time and heartache and reunite you with lost children quickly. How many times have you lost track of young children at the beach? It can be hard to locate them amongst the crowds. A small child is not going to be much help to a stranger or the authorities who are trying to identify the child by providing an address or phone number, so a wristband could be a huge help.

An internet search of related websites and forums for traveling with children will be helpful and provide you with useful information and tips from other parents. There are even companies that will ship baby supplies to your destination for you. If it seems an unnecessary expense, consider what you might have to pay to purchase those items once you reach your holiday destination.

There are a million things that can go wrong while traveling, but with a little forethought, research and preparation before you leave home you can avoid many problems. For instance, read up on your destination country and know ahead of time whether you need vaccinations, whether the water will be safe to drink, and which foods to avoid. If in doubt, don’t forget the basic rule: Peel it, Cook, it, Boil it, or Forget it!

Your priority is to keep yourselves and your children safe and enjoy your holiday – and avoid any need to have to make a claim on your travel insurance. So, is travel insurance necessary? It’s not a choice your children have to make so it’s up to you. If you purchase it you probably won’t need it – but would you want to take that chance?

Cosmetic surgery is a growing market. More and more men and women are opting for a nip and tuck to delay the aging process. Procedures such as breast implants, face lifts and tummy tucks are an expensive indulgence, which some people cannot live without. This is why it is becoming more popular to travel abroad for these procedures, where they are cheaper. But what does this mean for their travel insurance?

Breast surgery is the most common procedure, which would cost you around £4500 to go private in the UK (only extreme cases will be done by the NHS). If you were to go any other country in Europe, the price of this procedure would near enough half. Prices of face-lifts, liposuction and laser eye treatment are all cheaper in Europe as well, again sometimes being half the price. With such huge price differences, it is understandable why more people are opting to travel out of the UK for medical treatment.

More than 126,000 British people travel abroad for medical treatment each year, and shockingly, only one third of those bother to check whether their travel insurance will cover them if something goes wrong with their surgery. Unfortunately, for those who do not check, the majority of providers will not pay out on claims made related to surgery. Claims can still be made on lost baggage or cancelled and delayed flights. Few insurers do not cover for a trip specifically for medical purposes. The few companies who obviously charge more for your cover as you are a higher risk than other travellers. Age also determines how much your cover will be, and you are near enough certain to be declined for cover if you are over 70. If you are travelling to get cosmetic surgery it is imperative that you state what the purpose of your trip is, otherwise your policy will be a waste of money. Donâ??t be tempted to overlook this when organising travel insurance.

As with any travel insurance, it is important to shop around to find the cheapest deal. Compare travel insurance online to see what offers different providers have on. There are literally hundreds of travel insurance companies so make sure you have browsed several of them to get a good idea of the market.

When purchasing a travel insurance policy you will need to consider the type of policy to buy.

There a basically only two types of travel insurance, the first is a policy that only covers one specified journey, known as a single trip policy, and the other will cover all journeys made within a specified 12 month period, known as an annual multi-trip policy.

There will, however, be a requirement to meet with respect to length of residence and registration with a local GP in order to qualify for cover under either policy. I don’t know of any full travel insurance policy available to a UK resident that doesn’t require you to be registered with a local GP, although there are some limited policies, limited both in the amount of cover and the scope of the policy that can be bought without having being registered with a local GP. The length of residency criteria can vary from no restriction, through 6 of the last 12 months, to the strictest of them being the last 6 months continuous residence prior to purchase, although short holidays are permitted to have been taken during the 6 months.

Single trip policies are sub-divided into short stay and long stay versions, short stay travel insurance policies have a maximum duration of around 3 or 4 months depending on the insurer and long stay policies have a maximum duration of 18 months usually, although this is often reduced based on age and destination. However, it is the norm that regardless of how long a duration you have paid for, if you return to your home country during the insured period then the policy ends, so if you are a UK resident, you can’t book a 3 week policy for a trip within Europe and spend a week in France, then return to the UK en-route to Ireland for 2 weeks, as the policy ends as soon as you set foot back in the UK, you would need two separate travel insurance policies, or travel directly to Ireland from France. Having said that, it is possible to purchase a long stay policy that has the option, at additional cost of course, to return to the UK twice during the insured period.

With single trip policies, both versions, the cancellation coverage within the policy, in most cases, comes into force on the date of purchase, however, there are some policies designed to cover pre-existing medical conditions where there is a delay of around a month before the cancellation cover becomes active.

Long stay policies themselves are sub-divided into two types, there are the ones aimed at gap year students, backpackers and other relatively young travellers with no commitments, and these have a maximum age limit of around 40 or 45 and are generally not intended for families, as there are no discounts for children and may be restricted to a maximum of traveller and partner. The level of cover tends to be on the lower end of the spectrum in order to keep the price down but it is not always the case.

Other long stay policies for older travellers or families are available, with a common age limit being 75, although it is possible to buy a policy for a stay of up to 6 months with no upper age limit.

Annual multi-trip travel insurance policies are intended to cover all trips you make within a 12 month period, beginning on the specified start date. There will be a limit, specified at the time of purchase, on the length of each trip you make, these can range from around 3 weeks up to around 100 days, although the limit will likely decrease as you get older. There may also be a limit on the number of days you can spend abroad during the policy period such as a maximum of 183 days, or in other words, 6 months.

Cancellation cover in an annual multi-trip travel insurance policy works differently than for single trip travel insurance policy in that the cover does not begin until the start date of the policy and only applies to trips starting within the 12 month period of cover.

Another aspect to consider when purchasing an annual multi-trip travel insurance policy is whether you can get continuous cover from one policy to the next, by this I mean, if you renew your annual travel insurance policy with a start date the day after the current policy ends, so that there is no break in cover, are you covered for a trip that spans the two policies such as one that starts a week before the current policy ends but does not finish until a week into the new policy period, another possible expectation is that cancellation cover would come into force immediately for a trip booked to take place wholly within the period of the new annual multi-trip policy if there is no break in cover. Both of these assumptions are not always correct, cheaper annual multi-trip policies may not offer continuous cover and in fact be standalone policies where only trips that start and finish within the policy period are covered. It is quite possible that the policy wording itself does not spell this out, so if in doubt ask the retailer if continuous cover is available.

If you travel regularly or are planning to take a relatively long short stay trip of say around 1 to 3 months, you may find that an annual multi-trip travel insurance policy is the most cost effective solution.

As well as the basic type of policy you will need to consider other aspects such as pre-existing medical conditions, whether you intend to participate in sport or other potentially hazardous activities during your trip, if you are pregnant will you be travelling relatively late in the term, I say relatively late but cover for complications of pregnancy can end at 24 weeks in some travel insurance policies, and few go beyond 28 weeks, but cover is possible up to 36 weeks of pregnancy in certain circumstances.

So when thinking about buying your travel insurance policy you will need to consider the following:

• How often will I be travelling in the coming year?
• What is the maximum length of any one trip?
• If the trip extends beyond 3 months do I need the option to return home?
• Do I have any special requirements, either medical or sporting pursuits?
• If I opt for an annual multi-trip policy do I need the option of continuous cover?
• If you have children, I would suggest you shop around as the rates charged for children on a family policy varies with the insurer and some don’t charge at all. Also the maximum age of dependent children allowed on a family policy differs between the insurers.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to selecting your travel insurance policy, I have merely tried to supply you with some pointers on what to consider before parting with your hard earned cash.

Safe travels.