Travel Insurance Guide: How to make sure your policy reflects the trip you’re actually taking
You’ve booked your flights, chosen your accommodation and started planning what you’ll do when you get there. But have you arranged your travel insurance?
It’s easy to think of travel insurance as something you only need once your holiday starts. In reality, when you arrange your policy can matter just as much as having one.
From cancellation cover before you leave to checking whether you’re covered for that spontaneous jet ski trip, there are a few things worth understanding before you travel.
When should you buy travel insurance?
Ideally, you should arrange your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday.
Your holiday doesn’t only face risks once you step onto the plane. Something unexpected could happen in the weeks or months before you travel and force you to cancel your plans.
Depending on your policy, cancellation cover can start from the date your insurance begins. If you wait until the day before you fly to arrange your insurance, you won’t have had that cancellation protection during the time between booking and travelling.
The FCDO recommends arranging appropriate travel insurance as soon as you book your trip.
So, once you’ve booked your holiday, make travel insurance one of the next things on your list.
What does travel insurance typically cover?
Travel insurance can help when something unexpected affects your trip.
Depending on your policy, your cover may include:
- Emergency medical treatment abroad
- Cancellation or cutting your trip short
- Emergency transport or repatriation to the UK
- Lost, stolen or delayed baggage
- Personal belongings
- Certain travel delays or disruption
- Personal liability
However, every travel insurance policy is different.
Your destination, health, planned activities and type of holiday can all affect the cover you need. Policies can also have different limits, exclusions and excesses.
That’s why it’s important to check your policy rather than assume you’re covered.
If you’re unsure, speak to your broker. They can explain what your policy covers and highlight any limitations you need to know about before you travel.
Are holiday activities covered by travel insurance?
You might book a relaxing beach holiday and then decide, once you’re there, that you’d quite like to try jet skiing. Someone might suggest a quad bike tour, boat trip or another activity you hadn’t planned before leaving home.
Before you say yes, check your travel insurance.
Some policies cover certain activities as standard, while others require additional or specialist cover. Your insurer may also set conditions that you need to follow for your cover to apply.
The FCDO advises travellers to check that their insurance covers all the activities they plan to take part in. Its guidance specifically mentions jet skiing and warns that standard travel insurance doesn’t usually cover quad bike or moped hire.
Even if something feels like a normal holiday activity, don’t assume your insurance automatically covers it.
What should you check before booking a holiday activity?
Before you book an activity, take a moment to check:
- Does my travel insurance cover this activity?
- Do I need additional cover?
- Does my policy have any exclusions or restrictions?
- Do I need to use a licensed or approved operator?
- Does my insurer place any other conditions on taking part?
If you can’t find the answer in your policy documents, ask your insurer or broker before you take part.
A quick check before you book could prevent a much bigger problem if something goes wrong.
Do you need winter sports travel insurance?
If you’re planning to ski, snowboard or take part in other winter sports, check your travel insurance before you go.
Standard travel insurance doesn’t always cover winter sports, so you may need to add specialist cover to your policy. Depending on your policy, winter sports cover may also protect things such as your ski equipment or piste closures.
The FCDO recommends checking that your travel insurance covers the winter sports you’re planning and understanding any exclusions before you go. Make sure you know what your policy covers before you head for the slopes.
Do you need cruise travel insurance?
If you’re going on a cruise, don’t assume your standard travel insurance automatically covers your trip.
Cruises can have different insurance requirements because getting medical treatment or returning home can become more complicated when you’re at sea.
Check your travel insurance and your cruise operator’s requirements before you sail. This will help you understand whether you need additional cruise cover.
Do you need to declare pre existing medical conditions for travel insurance?
If you’re arranging personal travel insurance, don’t assume you only need to declare major illnesses.
Depending on the questions your insurer asks, you may need to declare conditions you manage with medication, previous treatment, ongoing symptoms or recent medical investigations.
If you’re unsure whether something counts, tell your broker who can advise you and speak to your insurer so they can decide whether it affects your cover.
We’ve covered this topic in more detail in our guide to pre existing medical conditions and travel insurance.
How is business travel insurance different?
If you travel for work or you’re a business owner or director, business travel insurance can work differently from a standard leisure policy.
Business travel policies can have different inclusions and exclusions, often cover a wider range of activities and may not require individual medical declarations. Some policies can also extend to directors and their immediate family for leisure trips.
Every policy is different, so check your cover or speak to your broker before you travel.
If your interested business travel insurance, please have a look at our product page where we discuss inclusions, exclusions and FAQ.
What to do with your travel documents when abroad
Having the right travel insurance is important, but you also need to know how to access it if something goes wrong.
Most of us keep important information on our phones. That’s convenient until your phone gets lost, stolen or damaged, or simply runs out of battery when you need it.
Government travel guidance recommends taking your insurance details with you, including your policy number and your insurer’s emergency assistance number. It’s also worth keeping a backup of your important travel information somewhere you can access it, along with your GHIC or EHIC.
Before you leave, make sure you have:
- A copy of your travel insurance documents
- Your policy number
- Your insurer’s emergency assistance number
- A secure digital copy of your policy
- Your policy details shared with someone you’re travelling with or someone at home
You don’t need to carry a folder full of paperwork around on holiday. You simply need to make sure you can access the important information if you need it.
What should you check on your travel insurance before going abroad?
Buying travel insurance is the first step. Checking that it suits your trip is just as important.
Before you travel, take a few minutes to check:
- Your policy covers the full dates of your trip
- Your policy covers your destination
- You’ve declared the medical conditions your insurer asks about
- Your policy covers the activities you’re planning
- You’ve arranged any specialist cover you need for winter sports or cruises
- You understand the main limits and exclusions
- You know who to contact if you need help abroad
- You can access your policy documents while you’re away
You can’t guarantee that your holiday will go exactly to plan. You can make sure you understand the protection you have if it doesn’t.
Checking your cover before you leave means you’re less likely to discover a problem when you need your insurance most.
Speak to us about your travel insurance
Travel insurance shouldn’t leave you with more questions than answers.
At Robison & Co, we’ll talk to you about your trip, what you’re planning to do and the cover you may need. We’ll also explain your policy, including the important limits and exclusions, so you know where you stand before you travel.
If you’re planning your next trip and would like to talk through your travel insurance, we’re here to help. You can find out more about our travel insurance here, or speak directly to a member of our team:
Call 01730 265500 or email hello@robison.co.uk
