Travel Insurance Tips

Booking you holiday and the anticipation that follows having done so is all good fun, but you should also spare a thought for the less glamorous side of getting away; travel insurance. While it may be frustrating shopping around for the best deal and sifting through the paperwork to decide whether you have the right policy, getting it right could save you even more hassle if something does happen. To make the process a little more bearable, here are some points to think about before buying your policy from easyvoyage's insurance expert.

- You should always declare any existing medical problems you have before taking out your policy. The likelihood is that the insurers will agree to cover the condition in any case, however not declaring it could lead to complications or the insurance company not paying out.

- You should take out your policy as soon as possible after having booked your holiday as cancellation cover will start from the moment you do so.

- Be precise when telling the insurer where you are travelling too, especially in Europe as many now split the continent into two or three regions and so premiums may vary according to the destination.

- Take a close look at the medical cover in the policy. If you are travelling to North America, do not accept a limit of less than £20,000,000 or £10,000,000 for the rest of the world.

- Regarding repatriation, make sure that this is covered both following death and a medical emergency. You should be satisfied that the sum insured is adequate to repatriate the person/body to the country of domicile.

- Many people will have baggage cover under their household policy and therefore will not need it in a travel policy. Many insurers will agree to delete this part from the policy which will in turn result in a premium saving for you.

- All travel policies will have an excess, but some will allow you to delete this, subject to an additional premium. In most cases this is a worthwhile option.

- If you are over the age of 70 or you have significant medical problems, a specialist insurer is often the best place to go for your travel policy

- Always make sure that your insurer is registered under the FSA in the UK or a similar authority in other EU countries.