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Travel insurance provides peace of mind when on holiday. It can cover problems such as delays, cancellations, lost luggage, legal expenses and medical treatment. There are different types of policy available depending on how often you travel and what type of trip you are making. For example, single trip insurance covers you for one holiday, whereas annual travel insurance covers multiple trips abroad over the course of a year. Standard policies cover typical family holidays abroad, whereas specialist policies cover higher risk trips such as ski or adventure holidays. More an more of us are taking several trips abroad each year, so annual cover can be cost-saving. Check exactly what they include though. Most will stipulate a maximum number of days abroad in the course of the year, and some will stipulate a maximum number of days abroad in any one trip. Some annual cover policies include a certain number of days of skiing or sports. This is fine if you plan one or two short activity holidays a year, but if you intend to make regular trips involving sports activities, you may need special additional cover. Let’s have a look at winter sports holiday cover as this is one of the most common types of activity trip. Skiing and snowboarding are more popular than ever, but they can be risky and the equipment can be expensive. If you take out a specialist policy to cover your winter sports holiday, make sure that it covers theft of ski or snowboarding equipment, reimbursement of ski pass costs in case of slope closure, mountain rescue costs, medical cover, delays or cancellations as a result of poor weather conditions, and skiing or snowboarding off-piste if you intend to do so. Standard travel insurance policies typically include reimbursement in the event that you have to cancel your holiday (or your travel company cancels it). It may also include compensation for delays and lost luggage, and the cost of any replacement items you have to purchase if your luggage is lost. Theft of items, currency or passports while abroad is also typically covered. A certain level of medical treatment is also normally included, to cover you should you fall ill or be involved in an accident. For small medical bills, you will normally be expected to pay upon receipt of treatment and claim later, and for larger bills the insurer is normally billed direct (as long as you have the insurer and policy details with you). As well as arranging travel insurance, it is also wise to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (formerly known as an E111 form) if you are travelling to an European Union country. It will entitle you to free or reduced cost medical treatment (depending on the healthcare system of the country you are visiting). Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland are also part of the European Health Insurance Card scheme. A final word of advice – keep all of your important insurance documents and European Health Insurance Card close to you, ideally in your hand luggage or in an inside coat pocket. If it’s in your suitcase and your suitcase is lost or stolen, it could be difficult to contact your insurer and arrange your claim, especially if you need to get in touch while still abroad. This article is copyright protected and is not for republishing |
