Top 10 Travel Insurance Tips
1. Don't buy travel insurance when you book your holiday. You'll get better value for money and cover that suits your needs by shopping around. Compare policy prices, detail and cover levels here We have compared 1584 policies from 68 top UK Travel Insurance providers.
2. Always declare a pre-existing medical condition. It's doesn't always mean a higher premium - there is a long list of medical conditions usually covered by travel insurance as standard. But if you don't declare a condition, no matter how small, and you do need to make a claim, providers will use it to avoid paying out.
3. Read your policy details very carefully. The upper age limit on some policies can be as low as 40 - if you turn 41 over the course of your trip you can bet the provider will try and get out of paying on those grounds.
4. Don't assume common holiday activities are covered by your policy. Scuba diving is almost never covered by basic policies and has to be added on as extra. Also, if you're a keen golfer remember your clubs are unlikely to be covered unless you choose a specialist policy or an add on to a general policy.
5. Cut your premiums by opting out of insurance features you don't need. You may be covered by your home insurance or credit card provider for your baggage and personal belongings, and excluding this cover from your policy could save up to 87%.
6. Make sure your policy has a high level of medical cover. Should the worst happen, you don't want to be saddled with a huge bill on top of being ill. In Europe look for policies which will pay out a minimum of £1m. Outside Europe you should look for policies with medical cover of at least £2m. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not a complete alternative!
7. Work out if you need single or multi-trip cover. If you're lucky enough to take three or more trips abroad each year an annual multi-trip policy will often work out a lot cheaper. It's also much less hassle to have one cover-all policy if you book a lot of last minute holidays.
8. Reduce your premium by upping your excess. If you think you're really unlikely to make a claim you can up the excess. The higher the excess you promise to pay if you do make a claim, the lower the cost of the policy. You could save up to £40 by doing this, but make sure you can afford the excess in case you do make a claim.
9. Get an excess waiver. If you're accident prone or generally unlucky and think you will probably make a claim you can pay around £20 for an excess waiver. That way if something does go wrong you won't have to pay to make a claim, which could save you around £140.
10. Consider a family policy. It could save you money, and most also let family members travel on their own too. Watch out though – under 18's might not be covered if they travel independently.