Need Travel Insurance?

July 2022

Travel insurance provides protection if you face certain problems when you are travelling or on holiday. It provides cover such as 

• lost or stolen property such as luggage, passports, money and personal effects. You may accidentally leave your tablet/phone on the restaurant table or inadvertently showcasing that wad of Euros in your wallet to local pickpockets. 
• emergency medical expenses, such as the cost of treatment and repatriation.  Most countries do not offer free healthcare like you get in the UK. You could be severely out of pocket if you need treatment while you are away. The European Health Insurance Card only entitles you to the same level of subsidised medical care as the residents of the country you are visiting receive. In most countries, non-life-threatening injuries will not be covered by your EHIC. And of course, the EHIC only covers travel in Europe. 
• the costs of cancelling, delaying or cutting your trip short.  The unfortunate truth is that holidays are cancelled every day, for a long and varied list of reasons. Your washing machine floods your kitchen the night before you are due to leave for the airport. Your partner breaks his leg playing football. Your car is stolen. That could leave you paying for a holiday you didn’t even take. For example, it's unlikely that you will be able to recover the cost of accommodation and flights if you cancel at the last minute. Then there’s the cost of car hire, transfers and any activities you had planned for your getaway. A good travel insurance policy will come with cancellation cover that reimburses you for the cost of your holiday if you are forced to pull the plug at the eleventh hour.
• third party liability legal costs, in case you are sued for damaging property or causing injury

An important exclusion that has arisen as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic is what is described as ‘disinclination to travel’.  This means that if you decide not to travel but there is no Foreign and Commonwealth advise against travel then Insurers will not cover the cancellations costs or refund your holiday/flight cost.  

The exact cover available will vary significantly between different insurers, it is important to check the cover and the limits within each policy.

If you would like a quotation, please contact our Personal Lines Department on 01920 484844.