Travel Insurance
Travel insurance pays out if you are sick or injured while on holiday.
It pays if you lose your luggage or are delayed at the airport. In some situations it will also cover you if you have to cancel or cut short your holiday.
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Hospital and medical treatment is usually included in your insurance, however you should make sure that you are covered for the cost of getting home if required, as some countries such as America have much higher medical costs than we do and you may find that your cover just simply is not enough to cope with all costs.
Hazardous, activity holidays such as skiing or diving could cost more to insure. You should insure specifically for activity holidays as if you did not and you had an accident you may find that your policy did not cover such an event. Anyone who decides to travel abroad should take out travel insurance and it would make sense to take it out as soon as you book your holiday, as many travel claims are for cancellation.
A cancellation is covered by your insurance if you are too ill to travel or there has been a close family death, but a policy will not pay out if you simply change your mind and decide you don’t want to go after all. An E111 form from the post office will ensure you are covered for some things but you should always make sure you have adequate cover for any eventuality.
If you're traveling in Europe, don't just depend on reciprocal arrangements between EU countries for medical care. Although your medical bills may be covered if you pick up a form E111 from the post office, you may find that you are not covered for the cost of getting home. Airline's compensation scheme if they lose your bags, is often minimal.
Expensive items, such as cameras, videos etc may need to be insured separately, it is worth checking this before you accept a policy. Some insurers offer a 24 hour Helpline if you need it.
As with any type of insurance you will find that there is an excess, which is the sum of money you have to find yourself should you make a claim. If you're taking a holiday in the UK, you may only need to take out insurance against cancellation. Your home contents insurance may cover you for loss of possessions, but always check first.