How to get a good deal on travel insurance
Travel insurance is designed to compensate you if your holiday is cancelled or something goes wrong while you are away.
The type of cover you need depends largely on three factors: where you are going, how long you are going for and who you are travelling with. For most standard policies you will be asked if you are travelling within Europe or beyond.
Before you pay for a policy, check to see how the insurer is classifying this. Some European insurance will include certain countries outside the continent, for instance, while worldwide cover can include or exclude travel to the US. Make sure your policy includes the country you are travelling to.
Consider how many trips you plan to make. Annual cover tends to be the best value if you are travelling more than twice in a year. Single trip cover may make more financial sense if you are only planning to head away once or twice. Annual cover is not designed for a gap year – there is usually a limit on the length of each trip. If you plan to travel for more than 30 days at a time you will need to seek out a specialist policy.
If you are travelling with a partner or with your family, you could save money by covering everyone under the same policy. However, if one member of your party needs specialist cover because of existing medical conditions or their age, it might be more cost effective to cover them separately.
You may be turned down for some insurance policies based on your age and existing health conditions but insurers will usually signpost you to a company you can buy from.
Consider the type of holiday you are going on, too. Skiing in the French Alps carries a lot more risk to health than sitting on a beach in Spain for a week. Your policy will need to be comprehensive enough
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