I have chosen to write this blog following an increased number of insurance queries taking place recently. We all know how life can take unexpected twists and turns and so I wanted to offer our advice and tips to everyone whether you have booked your next trip with us or not.

We are not authorised to sell or recommend any financial products and these hints and tips are based on our professional and personal experience having dealt with emergency situations, thankfully not too many, over the past 40 years. We cannot predict every situation, nor claim to know everything, but we hope this helps keep you organised and safe.

Whether you have booked a quick trip to Paris for the weekend, or a tailor made tour around Japan for the family, being safe whilst abroad is so important and we are here to help. Put simply, you must have suitable, relevant and valid travel insurance when leaving the UK. Never presume any country, airline or hotel will look after you, and there are a number of circumstances where insurance will provide assistance or cover where most travellers do not realise.

Of course, we include 24/7 support for all our clients’ holidays and stay in touch via WhatsApp too so you have an extra layer of support when booking with us.

Here are our useful tips to consider when thinking about travel insurance for your next holiday.

Timing and Coverage:

Do not wait until you depart to take out travel insurance, and never presume an annual policy will cover you. Your policy should be purchased or active from the moment you book a holiday and pay your deposit.

Every time you book a new trip, check your annual policy as it may have exclusions, it may have lapsed, or it may not cover all of the people on the trip.

Any deposit you pay, big or small, will not be covered if you wait to take it out when you travel.

Coverage Limits:

Check the upper coverage limit as this is often £5,000 per person on cheaper policies, or often £10,000 per person on more comprehensive policies. For many of our clients, this would not be enough cover as the total value of many holidays exceeds £20,000 per couple.

There are separate providers who offer top-up policies if the holiday cost is over the cover limit on your regular insurance. These operate on top of your existing policy and can be arranged separately. With holiday costs increasing and as most of our trips are in the luxury sector, this is a very important point to take note of, especially for longer trips and for those with a number of passengers involved in the group or family trip.

Who Is Covered:

Check who is covered: if you are on a multi-generational policy, for example, does your policy cover everyone or do other travellers need their own policy? If you are taking the neighbours’ children with your family, how are they covered? Policies vary a lot so always check with your provider who is covered and never presume if one member of the group has their own policy they are covered by themselves, especially if someone different has paid for the trip.

Activities and Exclusions:

Always check any activities you plan (or don’t plan) to do are covered. For example, snowmobiling is not usually covered on a standard winter sports cover but skiing is.

Cruises: you may need a separate or top-up policy when on a cruise.

Most providers offer ‘add-ons’ to existing policies depending on the destination or type of trip or activity so always check before you travel.

Age Limits & Medical Circumstances:

There are some specialist companies out there for older travellers or those with medical conditions. If your existing provider quotes a high amount always shop around for a number of comparison quotes. For older clients, in our experience it is better value to arrange single trip policies rather than annual cover. This can vary depending on medical circumstances and it is always beneficial to search the market. This can take time but will likely ensure you receive the best cover at the best price.

Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC):

Remember to ensure your GHIC is up to date and if not you can apply via gov.uk. This is also important to arrange and take with you when travelling. It doesn’t however provide as comprehensive cover as travel insurance so do not think by having this you do not need travel insurance.

Travelling with Your Details:

Remember to take your travel insurance policy paperwork with you. Email it to yourself for backup and save your provider’s emergency assistance line in your phone with your policy number. We collect this information for clients travelling with us to assist should it be needed which is all part of our enhanced service.

Getting Help:

If in doubt, ask your insurance provider. We do not sell insurance, but we do like to ensure you have suitable cover and will always ask and remind our clients of this, capture the company name and policy number and contact details before you travel in case we need to help in an emergency.

These tips are based on our experience and conversations having been selling holidays and dealing with emergency situations over the past 40 years. We cannot predict every situation, or claim to know everything, but we hope this helps keep you organised and safe.

Further reading: Money Saving Expert has a very comprehensive page all about travel insurance here. For those over 65 there is a separate guide here.