Sun, fun and travel insurance

By Alice Merry

If you have a holiday or festival planned for this summer, insurance is likely the last thing on your mind. But it could save you an expensive emergency.

Here’s what you need to do to make sure you are protected:

1. Consider buying travel insurance

What would you do if your baggage went missing, your new camera was stolen, or your flight was cancelled?

Travel insurance can protect you from a range of problems you might encounter while you’re away from home. Travel insurance policies don’t all cover the same emergencies, so check carefully what each policy covers. Some policies only cover medical emergencies, whereas others cover you in case your trip is cancelled, or if you have to cut your holiday short. Others cover lost baggage and theft of your belongings, and many policies offer a combination of covers.

Before looking to buy travel insurance, make sure you’re not already insured! Some credit cards, for example, provide travel insurance to their customers. Check whether any product you do already have covers your needs.

If you decide to buy travel insurance, you can compare costs on price comparison websites, but bear in mind that not all policies are the same and it can be difficult to compare policies directly. Check that you understand what is covered and that you know how to claim before you buy.

Finally, before heading to the airport or packing up your tent and wellies, make sure to print off the instructions for making a claim and contact details of the insurance company. You don’t want to be desperately searching for this information when you’re in the middle of a holiday gone wrong!

2. Don’t forget to protect your health

If you are travelling outside of Europe, it is very important to have travel insurance that allows you to access healthcare abroad if you become sick or injured. If you become ill on holiday and need to visit a doctor or hospital without insurance, healthcare costs can be extremely expensive.

If you are a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you can currently apply for a free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which entitles you to access state-provided healthcare free or at a reduced-cost in countries in the European Economic Area and in Switzerland. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal in October, this will likely change. So make sure to keep an eye on the current situation through the NHS information page on the EHIC card.

3. Keep your valuables safe

Holidaymakers and festivalgoers are prime targets for pickpockets, so it is worth thinking about how you can take care of valuable possessions like phones, laptops or cameras.

If you have home contents insurance, your valuables may already be covered, but you need to make sure that your policy covers your valuables when you are away from home. In addition, many contents insurance policies have limits for the amount that can be claimed for one item. So, if you own a particularly expensive item – perhaps a laptop – you might be better off insuring it through an individual insurance policy just for that item.

If you don’t have a contents insurance policy, or it doesn’t cover you away from your home, you can insure your valuables through personal possessions insurance, which may be included in a travel insurance package.

With any insurance product, it’s important to check carefully that you understand the cover and that it meets your needs. You can get free and impartial advice on insurance by visiting the Money Advice Service website.

While you are travelling, keep your insurance policy and the contact details of the insurer close to hand and report any claim to the insurance company as quickly as possible.

Then, enjoy the sun, sand or festival mud knowing you’re protected!