The Importance of Travel Insurance

It’s a case I’m forced to face in my job all too often – people travelling with either poor cover insurance, or those who chose to travel with none at all. It completely baffles me as to how a person could not even consider travel insurance, its crucial you get it, you never know it could end up saving your holiday!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure that you’re covered whenever you travel – some people take out single cover every time they travel, and some have an annual policy that covers them for multiple trips – either way, check you have it.

A lot of people seem to think “I won’t need it” but you can never be too sure, and I deal with people who fall ill on holiday on a regular basis, so it’s paramount that you’re always covered.

Good travel insurance can be relatively cheap, and I know people don’t like to think of things that may go wrong, but they do and more often than you may think.

And don’t think that travel insurance just covers you for medical costs, it usually also covers you for loss and theft of your personal belongings, and things like missing wallets and phones is very common, especially in popular tourist areas, where many thieves can be active at once (I should know, I was pick pocketed in Barcelona 3 years ago, thankfully they only got 20 euros) so should you fall victim, your insurance will provide you with some sort of cover for any losses.

The best way to find out exactly what cover any insurer will provide, is to use a comparison website which sets out the level of cover that you’ll get – it’s also worth considering the De Facto star rating, which is a system that rates the insurance out of the features and benefits that cover gives you.

TOP TIP – don’t always assume that the cheapest will be poor and that the most expensive will be the best, its not always the case (don’t always go for the first one you see)

If you’ve got pre-existing medical conditions that will increase your premium, always be careful to read the small print (this goes for everyone) because some providers on the surface may say you’re covered but the deeper you dig you may not be – always declare all medical conditions as well as anything you don’t declare could void your insurance. There are companies out there who prey on people with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly the elderly who may look to provide full cover, but this is not the case and have exclusions hidden in their Terms and Conditions.

Medical bills when abroad can be expensive and having insurance just gives you that piece of mind should the worst happen when you’re on your holiday.

Always make sure you’ve fully covered when you travel, you never know it could just save your life.

If you have any questions, you know how to get in touch.

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