Why bother with travel insurance?
Every year holidays are ruined because of accidents, illness or theft. Those travelling without holiday insurance can find themselves left with huge bills to cover hospital costs or emergency transportation home – bills that can amount to hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
And with the increasing number of gadgets available to take on holiday, the cost of replacing stolen items could amount to more than the cost of the holiday itself if you don’t have cover.
Travel insurance policies are specifically designed to provide cover for:
- The duration of your trip
- Medical emergencies
- 24 hour assistance
- Activities (you may find some sports such as skiing are excluded from a standard policy or require extended cover)
- Cancellation or cutting short your holiday
- Your personal possessions
How can you save money on your travel insurance?
Firstly, avoid buying your insurance from a travel company.
You will probably be asked for details of your travel insurance when you book your holiday with a travel company. UK travel agents sell travel insurance themselves so if you don’t already have your cover sorted out, they’ll try and sell you their cover. Although it may seem convenient to buy travel insurance with your holiday, it can be very expensive.
Don’t leave it until the last minute to arrange your cover though. On single trip policies, cancellations are covered from the day you buy your policy, so if you’re looking to buy single trip travel insurance, it’s worth sorting it out soon after booking your holiday. If you need to give policy details to your travel company (UK tour operators and travel agents sometimes ask for this) you can call them back at your convenience.
It’s often much cheaper to buy your travel cover from insurance companies, so it’s well worth shopping around. Here are our top tips for finding cheaper travel insurance:
- Buy from an insurance company not a travel agent
- If you’re planning two or more trips abroad in the next twelve months, consider taking out annual travel insurance
- Some companies offer discounts if you buy online
- Check what types of policy are available, you could find cheaper travel insurance if you take out a family or couples policy
- Make sure your policy is right for you – for example do you need winter sports cover included?
- If you have personal possessions cover with your home insurance, and you want cheaper travel insurance, it may be possible to adjust this part of your travel policy – but always make sure you have sufficient cover.
- Look out for special offers and promotions
Save money if you buy travel insurance for a group
From family holidays to business travel and school trips, a lot of the journeys we undertake are in groups. However, finding separate insurance for each person for each trip can be a costly and time-consuming exercise, which is why Churchill annual cover will put up to 6 people on one policy for an entire year.
Travelling in a group can also reduce your other expenses, such as car hire, accommodation and food.
And, as well as offering companionship, being part of a group can help make foreign travel safer, particularly if you are female or if you head off the beaten track, as long as you all remain vigilant at all times. Make sure you do regular head counts, particularly when departing somewhere such as a bar or nightclub – it’s easy to leave someone behind!
Even if you don’t travel together, everyone on your Churchill annual cover policy will remain protected on any journeys they make. For example, if your kids jet off to France on a school trip, they’ll still be covered even if you stay at home.
