Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Going back to Roman times, risks have been shared during times of tragedy and unforeseen circumstances, such as earthquakes, floods and the like. The first formal and recorded insurance company, Lloyds of London, was formed in 1769 and their founding principal remains intact today – to gather the premiums of clients as a pool of resources in order to return to clients who experience unexpected and unforeseen but covered events. So, that is the secret really, plan for the unexpected and unforeseen and make sure you are covered, especially when you are travelling. Whether your trip is a quick one or a round the world cruise, there are many good reasons for travel insurance. Here are just 7 things you should do before you buy your travel insurance:
Whatever you do, please explore the market and educate yourself with all the terms and terminologies of the travel insurance cover that will help you to avail the best travel insurance.
Certainly check what is included in your travel insurance policy but most importantly, check what is EXCLUDED from your travel insurance policy.
Research the area you are going to. What is the weather likely to be like? Is there any danger of hurricanes or tropical storms? Floods? How about Mosquito borne disease? What is the crime rate like? Whatever the perceived dangers your research uncovers then make sure that your travel insurance covers you for that eventuality. It is no good after the event to find out that you are not covered for rabid dog attacks (because there are so many in that particular area).
Discuss Your Existing Medical Conditions and Requirements – You need to carefully assess your likely medical requirements and make sure that these are declared to the travel insurance company.
If you intend to drive make sure that you are adequately covered. Many hire companies charge astronomic excesses in case of an accident. Make sure that you insured for that excess (and it will be a lot cheaper than paying the hire company’s rates for that same cover).
Make sure you have the necessary documentation for travel in that country. Take Spain for example which is part of the European community and will offer free health care say to a UK citizen on holiday or living there. There are certain conditions, one of which is that you must have a UK E111 form, if you don’t have that, you will not be treated. You must also go to a national health hospital, which are not in abundance in certain areas of Spain.
If travelling in Europe, it may pay to get a EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) as this will remove a lot of worry should you need any emergency treatment.
Okay, so there you have it. 7 things to do before buying travel insurance for the next trip you make. The other alternative of course is to not take out travel insurance, or to stay at home. Now, there’s an idea. But seriously, as always when taking out insurance, especially travel insurance, read the fine print first. Importantly, find out before you go what is excluded, not just included. So, always read the fine print. For example, accidental coverage is not provided in case of drunken driving, driving under the influence of narcotic substances etc. Exclusions are also provided for accidents during risky sports like bungee jumping, car racing, (insert for your favourite potentially dangerous sport here), scuba diving, white water rafting, flying (except as passenger in regular airliners), gliding, skiing, bike racing, diving, mountaineering, windsurfing etc. The list goes on. That means in case of accidents in these situations the insurance company is not liable to pay any amount to the insured.

Most people can’t wait to finish working so they can go on that much dreamed about holiday, however, it’s going to cost them when they get there. The majority of travel insurance policies are unavailable for people over the age of 65 as a result of the increased chance of them making a claim while abroad, therefore if they want to take out cover for their holiday they will find that they will have to pay over the odds for their travel insurance.

Insurance companies who refuse to offer cover for older travellers are simply not prepared to put themselves in the inevitable, in most cases, position of having to pay out large sums of money in the event of an individual becoming ill or injured while abroad, thereby requiring their medical expenses to be covered by their insurer. According to Age Concern, a charity dedicated to working with older people, there has been a 36% increase in the number of over-65s taking holidays abroad over the past five years, and yet 92% of holiday insurance policies are not open to this age group. Though it is an understandable stance to take when holidaymakers aged 65 and over are three times more likely to make a claim on their insurance, more often than not for medical expenses, than someone who is 30 years younger. Therefore, from the point of view of an insurance company, this factor makes covering older travellers uneconomical.

According to the Association of British Insurers, the expenses incurred for covering medical claims made by the over-65s are nearly three-and-a-half times higher than for people who are under 50. For this reason, the cost for cover differentiates between what the young and old pay; a couple under 65 taking out annual European cover with Direct Travel Insurance would pay £46, while a couple over 65 can expect to pay £160 for the same level of cover. Despite the fact that those who only travel as far as Europe are covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), this will only provide up to a certain level of cover, essentially offering the same treatment that is available to locals and therefore being quite useless if the treatment you needed required you to be transported back to the UK before it could be carried out.

People over 75 are highly unlikely to be able to obtain cover of any type, and if they wanted to, they would be looking at paying between £94.10 for two weeks’ cover for the US from Marks & Spencer and £274.14 for two weeks’ worldwide cover from Insureforall. In most cases, annual travel insurance only offers the optimum deal if the individual plans to make regular trips abroad. A suitable option for a single person aged 70 is Bradford & Bingley’s annual worldwide policy, which costs £133.94, and £148.82 including baggage cover. These prices are available for travellers aged up to the grand old age of 79. However, it is worth remembering that these quotes are made on the assumption that the traveller is in good health with no ongoing problems. The price will be dearer if the customer is suffering from ongoing medical conditions, but cover is available. Specialist insurers, in this instance, include All Clear, Free Spirit, Marrs and Medicover.

Was traveling to Europe a dream that you always wanted to live? Are you now planning a trip to second largest continent? But you are taken back due to exorbitant expenses that might not let you fulfill your dreams? Don’t be apprehensive about the prices, because cheap Europe travel packages have been tailored to allow you to overcome the financial restrictions. Now you can plan a tour within your budget and financial parameters.

There are various packages to choose from among a wide range. These packages are inclusive of your boarding and return tickets, taxi, hotel, safari and many other services. All the arrangements are done beforehand for your convenience. There are a number of great tourist destinations and places to visit. To name a few Greece, Italy, Cyrus, Finland, Luxembourg, Macedonia, UK, Switzerland and Turkey are among popular destinations.

You can tailor your package according to your preferences and favorite destinations. You can get the package within your budgetary allocations that are pocket friendly. The most important thing that will help you to avoid exorbitant cots is the season. If it is a holiday season and the peak time then the prices will be realty high so to negotiate for prices the off season or going before peak season can b beneficial. Pre plan everything that you can so that you don’t waste your time and money later.

To best way to find cheap Europe travel package is online. There are various sites that can be consulted and you can find a good deal easily. Before getting a package for yourself it is important to check whether any hidden charges are included or not. So before availing any packages thoroughly understand the terms. You can collect information about the destination as well and grab the required information.

Cheap Europe travel packages enable you to plan your holiday trip at affordable prices. So just don’t waste your time thinking!