Do you need Travel Insurance?

If you are in the process of planning your next trip you may be considering getting some Travel Insurance. But if you have never had any issues when travelling before, you may be thinking ‘why do I need to purchase Travel Insurance?’

The simple answer is, you never know when something could go wrong. Your baggage could get stolen, or worse, you could fall ill abroad and require emergency medical treatment. By taking out Travel Insurance before embarking on your trip, you are likely to be covered in these eventualities.

Here, we will explain some of the reasons why you should consider purchasing a Travel Insurance policy as well as what Travel Insurance actually is.

What is Travel Insurance?

Like any type of insurance, Travel Insurance is designed to protect you should the unexpected happen. In Travel Insurance, there will usually be two policy types you can purchase; Single Trip policies, which will cover you for the duration of one trip, or Annual Multi-Trip policies which will cover you for an unlimited number of eligible trips within 12 months of taking out your policy.

Whilst Travel Insurance is there to cover you against costs or financial losses incurred on your trip, what is and is not covered is likely to change from insurer to insurer and subsequently policy to policy. Because of this it is imperative that you check what you are and are not covered for on your policy and the only way to do that is to read the policy wording.

Why is it Important to get Travel Insurance?

As we have mentioned, Travel Insurance will protect you should the unexpected happen whilst you are away. Each policy will include slightly different elements of cover or at least cover levels, but what is typically included on all Travel Insurance policies is:

• Emergency Medical Expenses, should you unexpectedly require treatment whilst you are abroad
• Cancellation Cover, should your trip be cancelled due to unavoidable insured circumstances
• Baggage Cover, in case your baggage is stolen or lost on your trip

What you will need to check when you purchase your policy is the sums insured to ensure that you have enough insurance in place to cover the full costs of your holiday or the items you are planning to take in your baggage.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, then it is even more important for you to get Travel Insurance in case you require emergency treatment for your condition whilst you are abroad. Some insurers will not cover certain pre-existing conditions but there are other insurers who will be able to, so it may be a case of shopping around to find a policy that will cover you.

Equally, by purchasing Travel Insurance you are giving yourself peace of mind that if the unexpected does happen then you are financially covered and will not be left worse off.

What do you need to be aware of?

There are certain things that your Travel Insurance policy won’t cover and that you need to be aware of. This will depend on which insurer you go will and the policy you purchase but more often than not the following things will not be covered or will require you to pay an extra premium on top of your standard policy:

• Medical Conditions: We mentioned that it is important to get Travel Insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition, but you need to make sure that you declare any and all pre-existing medical conditions you may have when asked to do so. If you do not declare them and require treatment whilst abroad then you will not be covered, and your insurer will deny your claim.
• Travelling with the purpose of seeking medical treatment is not covered
• Travel Disruptions due to Civil Unrest, War, Terrorism, or a Pandemic is unlikely to be covered as standard. This will sometimes extend to natural catastrophes too such as Earthquakes or Volcanic Ash Clouds.
• Gadgets: These are not always covered as standard on Travel Insurance policies. They are often excluded from baggage cover too so if you are planning on taking a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop then it is worth taking out separate Gadget Insurance
• Drug and Alcohol Exclusions: This will usually be a general exclusion on all policies and any claims arising from excessive alcohol consumption or the use of drugs will not be covered
• Adventure Sports: These tend to be potentially dangerous activities and insurers are cautious when it comes to providing cover for them. Policies will usually provide a list of activities that are covered as standard, and anything not listed there will either require you to pay an extra premium to include it or it will not be covered under any circumstances.

There will also usually be a list of optional extras that can be added to your standard policy. For example, you may be able to get a cruise related policy option that will provide more relevant cover related to going on a cruise such as missed port departure cover or itinerary change cover.

Things to consider when buying Travel Insurance

• Declare ALL your pre-existing medical conditions when prompted – in case you do require treatment for a pre-existing condition whilst abroad and expect your insurance to cover the cost of it
• Do the sums insured meet your needs? – for example, does the limit for cancellation cover provide enough to cover the total cost of your holiday?
• Is there any COVID cover included on your policy? – this might seem unnecessary as we are seemingly emerging from the pandemic, however, it is worth seeing if your policy has any COVID related cover in case you do happen to test positive for the virus and are unable to travel
• How much excess are you expected to pay? – as excess is the pre-agreed amount that you agree to pay in the event of any claim, you need to make sure you are comfortable paying that amount.
• Cover levels are more important than price – whilst it is always nice to save some money here and there, when buying a Travel Insurance policy, it is important to remember that cheaper policies may not provide enough cover to meet your needs and requirements and so you may be better off spending a little bit more to make sure you are covered in the event the unexpected happens.

If you are looking for Travel Insurance then why not see if Able2Travel Travel Insurance can offer a policy that is right for you.

Our Able2Travel Travel Insurance policies include cover for cancellation, missed departure and connections, lost or damaged personal baggage, emergency medical expenses and more. 

*This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute advice in any way. The information provided here is correct at the time of writing however please check the latest policy wording for the latest terms, conditions, and exclusions.