If you’re travelling – whether it’s for a week, a month, or a year – getting covered with proper travel insurance should always be a must. The following aspects are important things to consider when searching for the best policy.
Arrange insurance as soon as you book
Getting covered with travel insurance should not be down the bottom on your list of priorities. In fact, as soon as you’ve booked your flight, you should immediately start to arrange it. There is no reason to delay, and you’re only exposing yourself to unnecessary risks, such as the possibility of a non-refundable cancellation. Many people think just because their scheduled trip is six months in the future, they can dilly-dally with the matter of insurance and get it in the last few weeks before the journey. They could not be more mistaken. Anything can happen in those six months, and if the unthinkable actually occurs – illness or unforeseen events to cause cancellation – you may end up paying for something you are unable to use.
Read the fine print for exclusions
Getting covered with insurance, and just what protection you’ll actually get, can vary greatly between providers. Depending on your health, age, and whether or not you’re travelling alone or with family members, the policy will state the exclusions in the fine print. Failure to check out the fine print – the specific things the insurer will not cover – can put you in a very bad situation. For starters, you should read the summary of cover in order to find the leads to which section of the policy you should investigate further. You should make sure that the policy correlates with your travel needs and the peculiarities of your proposed trip. For example, certain policies do not cover particular things like cruises or missed connections. If there’s any doubt or ambiguity, the best thing to do is call the insurer to clarify.
Make sure you have a free EHIC
If you’re travelling to Europe, you must make sure that you have a European health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is free for EU residents. As a holder of the EHIC card, you’re entitled to obtain medical treatment in any state-run hospital in any EU country, at the same cost as a local. So if medical treatment is free for the locals, then it’s also free for you. If you already have an EHIC card, check if it’s still valid, especially during the dates of your travel. However, it’s important to note that the EHIC is not a replacement for proper travel insurance; so getting covered with a good policy is still a must.
