Whether it’s a fortnight in Spain or a round-the-world adventure, it’s vital to take out adequate travel insurance and ensure this year’s holiday is memorable for all the right reasons.
Here, the chartered insurance brokers at Hine explain why travel insurance is a must, especially if you’re travelling abroad. They offer a dozen reasons why you should not leave home without adequate cover in place and give you a flavour of the different types of policy available to protect you and your family.
A dozen reasons to take out travel insurance
Inadequate travel insurance – or even a complete lack of cover – can ruin even the best-planned holiday, so it’s important to ensure you have the correct level of travel cover in place. If you don’t, the consequences can be both upsetting and costly, and in the worst cases, can mean you’re stranded abroad facing hefty medical bills.
If you’re not convinced about the need for adequate travel cover, read on and find out more about why you should arrange this vital cover:
1. Cancellation – none of us know what’s round the corner – illness, family bereavement or unforeseen work circumstances can all impact on our holiday plans and may mean we need to cancel a planned trip. Make sure your policy includes cancellation cover and arrange it as soon as you book your holiday to ensure you’re fully covered.
2. Curtailment – if you need to cut your journey short because of unforeseen events, curtailment cover will pay out for the missed portion of your trip. Check carefully to see exactly what you’re covered for e.g. jury service or bad weather.
3. Medical and health – if you fall ill suddenly or have an accident while you’re abroad, the right insurance policy will cover your bills for medicines, hospital stays and even a transfer back to the UK. When you consider that the cost of an air ambulance from America to the UK can be in excess of £35,000, it’s clear why ensuring this element of cover is included in your policy is essential.
4. Personal accident – if you should suffer an accident that leads to a permanent disability or even death, personal accident cover will pay out compensation to you or your family.
5. Lost documents – this will cover the cost of replacing your passport or tickets while you’re abroad.
6. Possessions and baggage – if your bag gets stolen or is lost and you lose your personal possessions, this cover will enable you to replace items either while you are away or when you return to the UK. Make sure you check limits for single items such as cameras and jewellery and report a loss to the Police within 24 hours as you’ll need evidence of this when you make your claim.
7. Money – losing cash if you are robbed or have your room broken into will be covered by many policies.
8. Personal liability cover – this will cover you if you are sued for causing an accident that affects either a person or property.
9. Legal expenses cover – to help you pursue compensation or damages following personal injury while you’re abroad. This is particularly important in countries without a legal aid system.
10. Airline bankruptcy – offering you financial protection if your airline goes bankrupt before or during your trip.
11. Terrorism cover – about 60% of travel insurance policies include this cover but it’s worth checking.
12. Commonly excluded items – activities such as jet skiing, heli skiing or skiing off-piste are often automatically excluded so double-check the policy wording to see what is or isn’t included as standard and add these items as optional extras if needs be.
Make sure you book your trip through a reputable travel company – travel agents and tour operators will give you security through an ATOL membership with an approved body such as ABTA, but it’s always worth asking your travel company if financial protection applies to your travel arrangements themselves. If it doesn’t, the company may be able to offer suitable insurance to cover you.
Talk to the trusted professionals at Hine
The right travel insurance policy will give you the peace of mind you need to relax and enjoy your break. Let the chartered insurance brokers at Hine shop around on your behalf and find you the right product at the right price.
Our brokers are on hand to talk you through the pros and cons of all the different types of holiday travel insurance policy available so you can find the right one to suit. We can arrange single trip travel insurance policies, travel insurance for the over 65s, cover for backpackers as well as annual multi-trip travel insurance if you go abroad more than once a year. We can also take care of your business travel insurance if you wish.
For more information on the types of travel insurance cover available or to talk through your travel insurance requirements with the experts, call Hine Chartered Insurance Brokers on 0161 438 0000 or email info@hine.co.uk
