Knowing what to look for when buying travel insurance is crucial if you are planning a trip away from home. You never know what could happen during your travels. For example, you could get sick or injured, lose your luggage, or even get robbed. Without travel insurance, you could end up paying thousands of pounds out of pocket. 

So, what should you look for when choosing a travel insurance plan? From the different types of travel insurance to how to save money, we will go through everything you need to know to make sure you get the best deals possible. 

Different Types of Travel Insurance

Below are the different types of travel insurance that you should know about before buying:

• Single-Trip Cover – this type of travel insurance will cover you for one trip in the next 12 months, and tends to only cover a select number of days. This insurance can be bought as an individual, couple, or family, and can be worldwide or European cover. 
• Multi/Annual Trip Cover – anyone planning more than two trips within a year can save money by taking out annual or multi trip travel insurance cover. Different insurers have different criteria, so always read the details to make sure you and your plans fit the criteria first.  
• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions – any pre-existing medical conditions need to be declared when taking out travel insurance, and failing to do this can invalidate the policy. Anyone with health conditions will need to pay more, or potentially get a specialist policy.
• Worldwide Travel Insurance – for anyone travelling further from Europe, worldwide travel insurance will be needed. This insurance is more expensive due to higher medical costs outside Europe, and there are two versions of this policy. The more expensive option includes the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, and the other one does not. 
• European Travel Insurance – European travel insurance policies can vary, with some policies including Turkey and Tunisia, while others don’t. This type of travel insurance can be taken out as a multi or single trip policy, but always read the details to make sure it covers what you need. 
• Winter Sports Travel Insurance – issues like injuries, damaged equipment, and theft are common when participating in winter sports, which is why regular insurance isn’t going to cover it. Most snow-related sports and activities will require a winter sports travel insurance if you want to protect yourself on your travels. 
• Backpacker Travel Insurance – regular travel insurance is unlikely to cover backpacking, and backpacker travel insurance will cover you as you take part in a wide range of activities, travel for longer, and visit different countries on your adventures. 
• Adventure Sports Travel Insurance – anyone planning to take part in activities that are considered adventure sports (such as rock climbing or scuba diving), should take out adventure sports travel insurance, since standard travel insurance will not cover activities that are potentially more dangerous. 
• Family Travel Insurance – family travel insurance typically covers up to two adults and up to eight children who are under 18 that live with you. This is more cost-effective than taking out individual insurance per family member, but check the details of the policy to make sure you fit the criteria.
• Group Travel Insurance – group travel insurance can be most cost-effective and typically covers up to 10 people if they are travelling to the same location from the same country. The price can go up if anyone has a pre-existing medical condition. 
• Over 65s/Senior Travel Insurance – these are more expensive, but typically come with more benefits and better cover for medical treatments. However, there may be limitations on what activities are included and how long trips can be, so always check the details of a senior travel insurance policy before buying.  

What To Look For When Buying Travel Insurance

Knowing what to look for when buying travel insurance will mean that you get everything you need, at a good price. Below, we will go through what you should look out for, and what makes a good travel insurance policy.

What Makes a Good Travel Insurance Policy?

Every travel insurance policy has a list of must-have features, and a good policy will include additional features that should be there. We will go through the must-haves, should haves, and fantastic added features of a travel insurance policy, so you know what to look out for. 

Must-have features:

• Medical Expenses – £1 million plus for Europe, £2 million plus for USA
• Repatriation Service – automatic cover
• Curtailing/Cancellation – £2,000 plus
• Missed Departure – £500 plus
• Delays – £200 plus
• Travel Abandonment – £2,000 plus
• Baggage Cover – £1,500 plus
• Personal Liability Cover – £2 million plus

Features that a good travel policy should have:

• Dental Emergency – £250 plus
• Money – £500 plus
• Cash – £300 plus
• Terrorism – full cover
• Passport Loss – £250 plus

A great travel insurance policy could have these additional features:

• Scheduled Airline Failure – £1,500 plus
• Winter Sports – cover for equipment and site closures

How to Save Money on Travel Insurance

The best way to save money on travel insurance is to go it as a group. We went through insurance options that can be for groups vs individuals at the beginning of this article, so refer back to that and choose your policies accordingly. 

Another key way to save money when getting travel insurance is to only get what you need. It’s common for people to go all-out and get insurance for adventure sports, but then never use it. Plan a holiday and the activities beforehand, and you can save money.   

How to Choose the Right Travel Insurance Company

The right travel insurance company for you will be the one that offers everything you need. This can differ from one person or family to the next, so take the time to do your research and determine your own needs. 

We recommend looking at a variety of companies for the best offers and finding out more about specific policies that you may need. 

Common Mistakes People Make When Choosing Travel Insurance

Unfortunately, it’s very easy to make mistakes when getting travel insurance. Something as simple as waiting too late to get it can result in problems that you don’t foresee, and failing to take the time to look over the details can result in bumps in the road.

Not Reading Over the Details 

For example, many people might overlook the varying excess amounts that an insurance company has applied for different types of claims. It is normal for excess claims for cancellation to be different from abandonment or baggage loss. 

Other common areas that many people make mistakes with when reading the details is failing to take note of: 

• The number of days you are covered for when not in the UK (overseas days)
• How long any one trip can be (trip duration)
• Failing to have or keep receipts when claiming baggage (receipts for baggage claims)

Not Being Transparent 

This can include failing to mention pre-existing health conditions or the types of activities that you plan on taking part in while on holiday. Purposefully leaving out information – especially health-related information – can lead to a policy being invalidated. 

Buying too Late

Whether you get travel insurance last-minute before you step on the plane, or you buy it when you’re already sitting on the beach, both are not good. Getting insured when you are already on holiday is likely to void the policy, and when you buy it the day-of (or even the week-of), you risk not being covered for everything that is needed. 

Purchasing your travel insurance timeously means that you can think everything through and find the best deals for you, your family, and your holiday. Compare insurance quotes to get the best results, because it is not something that should be rushed. 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are different types of travel insurance policies that can be purchased. It’s important to choose one that fits your needs and your budget. If you don’t purchase enough coverage, you may find yourself having to pay more than necessary. On the other hand, if you buy too much coverage, you might run into problems with billing issues. 

Before making a decision, do some research and talk to an agent at your local insurance company, just remember we are here to help you so if you have any further questions then please get in contact with us today.

Our quote facilities are offered through SunWorld Travel. We can offer you an instance quotation and full policy documents the same day.

For a Travel Insurance policy that suits your needs, call us on 01823 277 188, or email us at info@bruford.co.uk