I think we can agree that having a medical emergency, losing our luggage or being forced to cancel a trip that was already paid for can amount to a large financial burden.
These burdens are avoidable if you have the right travel insurance coverage and knowledge is key in making sure you are protected during your trip.
We will show you how travel insurance can help you avoid these burdens. We cover the essential items travel insurance will cover, as well as alert you to items not normally covered.
That’s not all:
We will show you where to get travel insurance and point you in the direction of providers who offer specialty coverage for unique situations.
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Contents
Ask Yourself These Questions
Ask yourself these questions to find out how to get travel insurance that fits your needs
Most policies have an excess clause, a set amount that you must pay before the insurance kicks in.
The excess usually applies to each member covered by the insurance and can apply to specifics occurrences or sections of the policy as well.
If you have one excess per person, an excess of £50 per person on a stolen bag claim will cost £100.
But if the policy has a separate excess £50 for lost cash, £50 for lost passport and those items were in the stolen luggage the excess will now be £150 per person or £300 total.
In other words, the excess amounts can potentially add up, reducing what you would receive if you need to make a claim.
Travel insurance policies are very specific regarding what is covered and what is not.
Not all policies are exactly alike, but generally, travel insurance policies have similar items the will and will not cover.
We have a section later discussing items NOT normally covered by travel insurance. Here we list the items most travel insurance policies cover.
Items Most Travel Insurance Policies Cover
Again, the emergency must have occurred while participating in a covered activity and not be due to a pre-existing condition.
Keep in mind, your health care likely will not cover you while you travel, so having travel insurance is the only way to avoid high medical bills in the event of a medical emergency while you travel.
Document replacement is one of the most common reasons to file a travel insurance claim.
It’s is a good idea to have travel insurance in the event your documents are lost or stolen.
Is a return ticket required for coverage?
Many are not aware that most travel insurers require proof that you are returning home, so you may need to show you have a return ticket home in order to get coverage.
How Much is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance cost can vary greatly across different providers depending on the length of stay, planned activities, options you select, the amount of coverage offered and more.
How much is travel insurance is a question that is hard to answer without having your personal details.
Fortunately, many companies offer free online quotes where you simply enter your details and receive a price, making it easy to compare plans.
What Items Most Travel insurance WILL NOT Cover
Keep in mind all policies are different so it is important to read the fine print and seek a policy for your specific needs.
In general, unless the policy specifically includes these items, they are usually NOT covered under most travel insurance policies:
Many extreme sports and risky activities are excluded from most policies.
Think skydiving, bungee jumping or even cycle touring. There are travel insurance policies that DO cover these activities and more so be sure to check out the resources for more info.
Most policies specifically exclude accidents that occur because of, or while drinking excessively.
In addition to that, many policies will not cover cancellations or the need to return home quickly due to the death of a loved one if the death was related to drinking.
Most policies also will not cover illness related to alcoholism.
But there is a catch: Most insurers have a short list of acceptable cancellation reasons and require you to provide proof of the reason.
If you must cancel due to illness, expect to provide a doctor’s recommendation with the insurance claim.
Bags that are stolen because they were left unattended, that won’t be covered.
There will always be exceptions
I Can’t Emphasize this enough:
For every restriction one company places in its policy, there is likely another company willing to offer coverage. Maybe most policies exclude skydiving, but there are a few who will cover it.
There are travel insurance companies that specialize in covering seniors, those with pre-existing conditions, backpackers, medical tourists and more.
If you find yourself, or your activities are excluded from one policy, begin shopping around to find a provider who will cover you
The following list of resources outlines a few travel Insurance companies who cover those living in the UK.
Many of these travel insurance providers cover items most insurers will not cover.
Resources
These are insurance companies that have been found by our research. [Nothing to buy and no affiliate links!]
Where to get travel insurance that is reliable and secure and how to get travel insurance for special circumstances.
Standard Travel Insurance for Residents of the UK
Travel Insurance for UK Seniors and those with Pre-existing Conditions.
Saga Travel insurance offers extended coverage for senior travelers and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Student Travel Insurance
Student travel insurance can cover students who are taking a year between high school and university to travel.
Student Travel insurance policies are unique because they often can cover working abroad, usually excluding manual labor.
They usually also allow the student to return home a time or two and still have coverage.
Outbacker Travel Insurance for Students
Best travel insurance for Long Term backpackers
This coverage by Insure and go covers those on a backpacking trip for up to 18 months, and they offer seamless coverage for multiple trips and even allow the traveler coverage while returning home ad heading back out.
Adventure Seekers Travel Insurance.
World Nomad Travel insurance covers over 150 adventurous activities including skydiving, bungee jumping, Ultimate Frisbee, fencing, scuba diving and even riding a camel!
Frequent Travelers Travel Insurance
Allianz insurance offers coverage for UK residents for all trips in a one year period with their Multi-trip insurance.
This can significantly reduce costs for the frequent flyer and covers a total of 31 days out of a one year period.
Multi-Trip Travel Insurance by Allianz
Medical Tourism Travel Insurance
Folks traveling specifically seeking to receive dental work, cosmetic surgery, IFV treatments and other medical procedures need highly specialized travel insurance as most policies exclude medical tourism.
Karlis Kikuts
Coffee addict. Digital nomad. Solo traveler and blogger. Camping and hammocking enthusiast. Tiny book worm. In other words, the guy behind independentwolf.com
