With the summer months not too far away (only 6 months or so!), there is a good chance that you’ve been scouring the internet for great deals, gazing at the offers in the travel agent’s window and browsing brochures galore to find the perfect location for this year’s getaway! Whilst there is nothing quite like booking your holiday and experiencing the excitement that amasses as departure day draws ever nearer, there is one aspect of your trip that shouldn’t be forgotten about in the midst of such enthusiasm and anticipation; your travel insurance.
It can be easy to forget about insurance in the lead up to your holiday as you head out to the shops to buy a new wardrobe, change your money to the currency of your holiday destination and start to pack your suitcase, however Debenhams Travel Insurance have detailed below are five reasons why travel insurance is a must have before your summer getaway in addition to a few of the common misconceptions;
#1- Travel Cancellations or Interruptions
It’s the last thing you want to think about when it’s your main holiday of the year, yet travel plans don’t always go to plan and there is always the chance that your flight could be cancelled; throwing your whole holiday into jeopardy. Without a travel insurance policy it would be incredibly difficult for you to recoup any of the money lost from the cancellation or curtailment of your trip, however by purchasing a policy you will be covered in the event of this occurring and can utilize the money to re-book your holiday for a later date.
#2- Medical Emergencies
Again, suffering a medical emergency isn’t something you particularly want to consider, however there is no guessing for when something like this could occur; with your holiday abroad being as good a time as any. Without insurance in place, costly medical bills will quickly rack up, leaving you in a position where you may not be able to find the required funds at the same time as experiencing an awful lot of worry over the health of the individual involved. Travel insurance can provide the cover you need to ensure the best possible treatment is provided and the additional worry over bills is diminished.
#3- Delayed Baggage Arrival
Not as major as the two benefits above, however the delayed arrival of your baggage can make for the worst possible start to your holiday. With only the clothes you have on your back, this certainly wouldn’t be the start to the holiday you’d hoped for and without travel insurance there might be nothing you can do. With a travel insurance policy to hand though, you may be entitled to a payment that enables you to purchase enough new clothes to see you through until your suitcase arrives.
#4- Personal Belongings
You could be planning to take a large number of personal belongings with you on your holiday, but what happens if your bags are lost in transition or you are unfortunate enough to have your purse or wallet stolen in your resort? This can be incredibly stressful and put a real dampener on your whole holiday, yet a travel insurance policy may be able to cover you for some of the costs associated with lost baggage or stolen personal effects to make the situation a little bit easier to deal with.
#5- Peace of Mind
The idea of a holiday is to get away from it all, relax and forget about the stresses back at home, so for peace of mind, you need to know you are protected against a variety of possible eventualities, which is where travel insurance ticks the right boxes. Following the purchase of insurance, you can sit back with a book on the beach, go for a swim in the hotel pool, wander around the local town and ultimately enjoy every minute of your getaway with protection in place at all times. But in case of any troubles, it's nice to know that they will have your back with hopefully quick turnaround on your holiday compensation.
Quick Fire Misconceptions
–EHIC Card= No Need for Travel Insurance: The European Health Insurance Card is a great thing to carry with you when traveling in Europe, however it is unlikely to cover the full costs of any medical treatment you may require, and will of course be no good to you if traveling outside of Europe. Travel insurance is still advisable to help cover you against the full cost of any treatment you require, which of course will hopefully not be the case anyway.
–A Cheap Policy Will Suffice: You can get some fantastic deals on travel insurance that enable you to purchase a policy at a highly affordable price, however you need to take into account the type of holiday you are going on and the level of cover you require when purchasing insurance, and not just the price. There may well be limitations on cheaper policies which could have a significant impact if you encounter a problem whilst you are away.
–They Don’t Need to Know About My Old Health Problems: If you have had a health problem in the past or still suffer but haven’t had any problems recently, you may believe that there is no need to make your travel insurance provider aware of it. This, however, is certainly not the case as there is no way that you can then be covered if your health problems rears its ugly head again, which in turn will see you forced to spend a large amount on healthcare to make you better.
–Nothing Will Happen, There’s No Need for Insurance: Whilst you probably won’t encounter any problems along the way and your holiday will run smoothly and to plan, you can never be 100% sure that an accident or issue won’t arise. Travel insurance is vital and has helped thousands upon thousands of holidaymakers who have suffered illness, injury and other problems whilst on holiday by protecting them financially when they need it most. They too probably believed that nothing would happen and there was no need for insurance but were thankful of it when a problem arose!
If you are getting yourself ready to head off on holiday at any point during the year, make sure you have a great time but don’t forget to make the relatively small investment, in the grand scheme of things, in travel insurance to ensure you and whoever you are traveling with are covered throughout.
(Photo by amboo who? via Flickr)
#1- Travel Cancellations or Interruptions
It’s the last thing you want to think about when it’s your main holiday of the year, yet travel plans don’t always go to plan and there is always the chance that your flight could be cancelled; throwing your whole holiday into jeopardy. Without a travel insurance policy it would be incredibly difficult for you to recoup any of the money lost from the cancellation or curtailment of your trip, however by purchasing a policy you will be covered in the event of this occurring and can utilize the money to re-book your holiday for a later date.
#2- Medical Emergencies
Again, suffering a medical emergency isn’t something you particularly want to consider, however there is no guessing for when something like this could occur; with your holiday abroad being as good a time as any. Without insurance in place, costly medical bills will quickly rack up, leaving you in a position where you may not be able to find the required funds at the same time as experiencing an awful lot of worry over the health of the individual involved. Travel insurance can provide the cover you need to ensure the best possible treatment is provided and the additional worry over bills is diminished.
#3- Delayed Baggage Arrival
Not as major as the two benefits above, however the delayed arrival of your baggage can make for the worst possible start to your holiday. With only the clothes you have on your back, this certainly wouldn’t be the start to the holiday you’d hoped for and without travel insurance there might be nothing you can do. With a travel insurance policy to hand though, you may be entitled to a payment that enables you to purchase enough new clothes to see you through until your suitcase arrives.
#4- Personal Belongings
You could be planning to take a large number of personal belongings with you on your holiday, but what happens if your bags are lost in transition or you are unfortunate enough to have your purse or wallet stolen in your resort? This can be incredibly stressful and put a real dampener on your whole holiday, yet a travel insurance policy may be able to cover you for some of the costs associated with lost baggage or stolen personal effects to make the situation a little bit easier to deal with.
#5- Peace of Mind
The idea of a holiday is to get away from it all, relax and forget about the stresses back at home, so for peace of mind, you need to know you are protected against a variety of possible eventualities, which is where travel insurance ticks the right boxes. Following the purchase of insurance, you can sit back with a book on the beach, go for a swim in the hotel pool, wander around the local town and ultimately enjoy every minute of your getaway with protection in place at all times. But in case of any troubles, it's nice to know that they will have your back with hopefully quick turnaround on your holiday compensation.
Quick Fire Misconceptions
–EHIC Card= No Need for Travel Insurance: The European Health Insurance Card is a great thing to carry with you when traveling in Europe, however it is unlikely to cover the full costs of any medical treatment you may require, and will of course be no good to you if traveling outside of Europe. Travel insurance is still advisable to help cover you against the full cost of any treatment you require, which of course will hopefully not be the case anyway.
–A Cheap Policy Will Suffice: You can get some fantastic deals on travel insurance that enable you to purchase a policy at a highly affordable price, however you need to take into account the type of holiday you are going on and the level of cover you require when purchasing insurance, and not just the price. There may well be limitations on cheaper policies which could have a significant impact if you encounter a problem whilst you are away.
–They Don’t Need to Know About My Old Health Problems: If you have had a health problem in the past or still suffer but haven’t had any problems recently, you may believe that there is no need to make your travel insurance provider aware of it. This, however, is certainly not the case as there is no way that you can then be covered if your health problems rears its ugly head again, which in turn will see you forced to spend a large amount on healthcare to make you better.
–Nothing Will Happen, There’s No Need for Insurance: Whilst you probably won’t encounter any problems along the way and your holiday will run smoothly and to plan, you can never be 100% sure that an accident or issue won’t arise. Travel insurance is vital and has helped thousands upon thousands of holidaymakers who have suffered illness, injury and other problems whilst on holiday by protecting them financially when they need it most. They too probably believed that nothing would happen and there was no need for insurance but were thankful of it when a problem arose!
If you are getting yourself ready to head off on holiday at any point during the year, make sure you have a great time but don’t forget to make the relatively small investment, in the grand scheme of things, in travel insurance to ensure you and whoever you are traveling with are covered throughout.
(Photo by amboo who? via Flickr)
This post was written by travel blogger Oliver Kyle in partnership with Debenhams; travel insurance providers who can provide a policy that covers you on your travels for a highly competitive price.
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