Travel insurance

You will certainly know the stories of family or acquaintances who during their holiday had to do with loss or theft. You are probably also one of the many that on such moment think "That will never happen to me".

However each year it happens to tens of thousands and also you can be one of these. After all you are on holiday and during this period of relaxation there will always take place a moment of carelessness.

Therefore we advise you to take out adequate TRAVEL INSURANCE. With this in mind, we've put together some useful information and tips to help you choose the correct Travel Insurance policy.

- Always take out Travel Insurance well in advance of travelling. Sometimes medical costs can be astronomic and without sufficient insurance cover you could end up in serious trouble. Apart from medical expenses the policy should also cover things like; legal expenses, cancellation & curtailment, loss of money, baggage, passport, etc. and personal liability.

- Make sure you choose Insurance Coverage to match any activity that you intend to undertake, so that you and your equipment are covered while participating, e.g. skiing, scuba diving etc. Cover for winter or dangerous sports will usually mean a higher premium.

- Single trip policies are available for trips up to a maximum duration (usually 31 days), if your trip is going to be longer, check with the insurance company first.

- If you travel more than twice a year, it is probably cheaper, and definitely more convenient, to take out annual travel insurance.

- Most annual policies will specify the maximum length of each trip (usually 31 days), so make sure you find a policy with flexible rating if your trips are going to be longer.

- Annual policies will generally cover winter sports for trips of up to 17 days, but may not include scuba diving.

- Buying travel insurance online can mean you pay less than half the premium charged by tour operators or in the High Street.

- If you go away on business trips regularly, make sure you are covered – many policies exclude business travel.

- If you take out travel insurance as a couple, make sure you are covered if you travel independently of each other.

- If you have children, family cover may be better value – but look out for the number of children allowed on the policy.

- When claiming, most insurance companies require receipts to be produced for all items lost, damaged or stolen. If you replace items, ensure you retain the receipts.