Top 10 travel insurance tips

THE world of travel insurance can be difficult to navigate, with travellers often left in a nightmare situation when buying the wrong policy.
So, to make it easier for you, we've been in touch with travel industry experts and put together this top 10 list of things you might not know about travel insurance - and the things you need to avoid.

1. Australians have no legal entitlement to financial assistance from the Government if something goes wrong while overseas

Medical costs you may be hit with while overseas are not covered by Medicare and can end up being very expensive.

"If you fall ill in countries like the US - with its sky-high health-costs - you will be hit up for huge medical expenses if you don't have adequate insurance cover," Doc Holiday said.

While medical insurance should be a top priority, Government website Smarttraveller.com says you simply shouldn't travel without travel insurance of some kind.

"Regardless of how well prepared, healthy and fit you are - if you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel," the Smarttraveller website states.

2. You can insure your iPhone

The growing cache of iPhones, laptops and other electronic devices carried by Australians has fuelled a surge in travellers seeking extra insurance cover.

"These items not only posed a greater risk of theft, they could also take a traveller's total luggage value beyond the limits of their insurance," Travel Insurance Direct's (TID) Ian Jackson said.

For example, TID's standard policies offer $12,000 luggage cover, including up to $4000 per item for cameras, laptops and hand-held computers, and up to $700 for other individual items.

3. Be prepared to claim

If you get robbed on your trip, notify the police within 24 hours and keep a copy of the police report - this will enable you to claim more quickly, according to travel.com.au's General Manager - Brand, Lisa Ferrari.

Interestingly, you can't claim a personal item that an animal has stolen - so watch out for those monkeys.

4. Medical condition loophole

You can apply for cover for cancellations and additional expenses that arise due to an existing medical condition.

While terms, conditions and an additional amount payable may apply based on your medical appraisal, it's definitely worth checking out and could save you heaps, Ms Ferrari said.

5. Insure yourself in "safe" countries too

A survey commissioned by Bupa Australia - which provides travel insurance under the brands MBF, HBA and Mutual Community - has found that 55 per cent of respondents purchase travel insurance based on their perception of a country's safety.

But Bupa's Shane Williamson warns travellers not to tempt fate.

"Some Australians believe they only need travel insurance if they're running with the bulls, or engaging in daredevil behaviour, which is simply not true," he said.

"The reality is that we processed over 2500 travel insurance claims last year, and the majority of incidents occurred in destinations that were perceived as safe, with most claims related to common occurrences such as lost luggage, travel cancellations, or requiring medical treatment."

6. Don't pay more just because you're old

Some of Australia's most popular over-the-counter insurance policies are more than twice as expensive as online policies for travellers aged 60 and over.

"Travellers are routinely being told they need to pay hundreds of dollars more than they should, simply because of their age," Mr Jackson said.

"Others are being charged extra for pre-existing medical conditions that are relatively routine and should be covered for no additional cost."

Advice? Look online at sites for travel insurance to avoid paying hundreds of dollars extra for age-based premiums, according to a leading insurer.

7. Don't rely on your credit card company

TID claims that thousands of Australians are unnecessarily exposing themselves to enormous risks by relying on travel insurance offered through their credit card providers. Many basic policies cannot be activated without producing a copy of your credit card and do not cover any business or sporting activities, such as rafting.

TID also claims that it's not uncommon for insurance offered by credit card providers to only last three months, and once overseas, coverage cannot be extended.

If you are planning to rely on the travel insurance provided by your credit card, you should, before travelling, obtain written confirmation that you are covered and of what exactly the insurance covers.

8. Work out how the policy is calculated

"The cost of travel insurance is usually based on the type of cover requested, the age of the insured, the travel destination and the duration of stay," Ms Ferrari said.

It's important to figure out exactly what your package includes, and whether what's included is right for you. Always take time to purchase the right policy to suit your holiday - and if you're not sure, ask.

9. Be prepared for some action

Don't shy away from all those action sports and activities while you're away, just make sure you buy travel insurance before you leave.

For example, "if you decide to go skiing in Austria, it could be very expensive to get insurance once on the ground, rather than in your overall policy prior to departure," Ms Moy advises.

Check your policy cover before you go, and if you are going to participate in activities that aren't already covered (including skiing and many water sports), take out additional cover early to save you money.

10. Shop around

It's becoming a cliche, but shopping around for the best insurance policy can pay off. Look online, through travel agents, your credit card provider, and ask your friends what they've used in the past too.

"Although it can be overwhelming sifting through the numerous insurance providers out there, it's important to shop around to find the best policy to suit your specific needs," Nicole Moy, managing director, Contiki Holidays, said.

"A travel agent is a great place to start as they are already aware of what you need to suit your travel arrangements plus have access to a number of great deals."

Make sure the cover provided suits your needs and is valid for the whole time you will be away – and be sure to read the fine print as well.

Travel Insurance - Common Traps When Claiming on Misplaced or Stolen Baggage

by Jackson Taylor

Do you know what to do if something goes wrong on your holiday? Plan ahead, take travel insurance, and review the tips below so that you will be prepared.

Most of us will take out holiday insurance before going on vacation but do you know what to do when problems occur? Knowing upfront can save a lot of problems in the future. Review the following tips so that you can be ready.

Proof of ownership

Travel insurance companies will often refuse to pay for lost or stolen items unless that you can prove that they are yours. The best way is with the original receipt. Not everyone keeps all their receipts so this may not always be an option.

Now, travel insurance companies are not all evil and will cover you for most things like clothes, toiletries, and baggage but without proof of price you'll often only get a part of the true replacement cost.

It seems that these days everyone has a digital camera as they are so cheap. You should take a photograph of everthing you are packing. Get the brand and model where possible. Detail all this in a spreadsheet as well. Scan all receipts, manuals, warranty cards, or tags. You can claim when you get home but I’d recommend emailing all the photos, scans and spreadsheet to an online email account such as hotmail or gmail so you can claim while away if needed.

Replacement value

It has become common now for auto or home and contents insurance to offer new for old replacement. Travel insurance normall does not work like this. You'll typically be offered the price of your goods after depreciation. Usually you would be able to afford a second hand item with the amount offered. Some items hold their value really well and you actually won't be able to buy a replacement one for anywhere near the reimbursement the travel insurance company gives you. You should consider making a complaint with the company if this occurs. Provide proof of the true market value (e.g. from classifieds, second hand shops, or ebay). If the travel insurance company still refuses to cover the replacement cost then take it to the ombudsman.

Stolen luggage and police reports

Travel insurance companies will generally not just take your word for it when something is stolen. You will need to show them proof. Usually you can provide a police report but if it occured on an airplane or cruise ship then you'll need a statement from the company.

Police reports can be difficult to get in certain countries. A fee may be required for this service. If the amount is small then pay it to avoid any extra hassle. For larger amounts you may want to confirm if this is normal. Consult your guidebook or search the internet. If not then your embassy or consulate should be able to help. There may be tourist police who are best to approach in this matter.

If you cant speak the local language and the police can't understand you then you could try an online translation service (e.g. babelfish) or by finding a local or fellow traveller who speaks English and take them along (a tip is generally appreciated).

Unattended baggage

Typicall a travel insurance policy will not provide cover for when your luggage is left unattended. This may seem like it would never happen as you normally don't leave your bags in random places but unattended is usually described as being left in an unlocked place or with someone you don't know. Common scenarios are left luggage at hotels or hostels, with doormenFree Articles, or with tour companies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jackson Taylor works as a specialist for Travel Insurance Reviews. Jackson has travelled the world extensively and likes providing insight about all the things he has learnt while adventuring. Read of his latest reviews for Australian Travel Insurance - 1Cover Travel Insurance review.

World Reviewer's Travel Tips: Travel Insurance

Before You Take The Plunge: A Quick Aside

Travel Insurance is a high stakes game. Some consider it a gamble, the sort that most of us have to do, placing a bet against our luck.

How much money is wagered is really the game. The questions and criteria range from “How prone to accident or injury am I?” to “How lost or otherwise destroyed will my trip be if I have to do it without my luggage?” But these are only a few of the factors to take into account when figuring out the matter of travel insurance.

Taking notes from the philosophies of certain twelve-step programs, the first step is admitting that there’s a problem – in this case that step means admitting that you need travel insurance – which can be a hard pill to swallow. Insurance is usually the last factor taken into account when planning a trip and for good reason - no one wants to think about what could go wrong on their vacation.

Brass Tacks: The Basics for Travel Insurance

These are most important questions to ask yourself when purchasing your travel insurance policy:

* Am I covered for the entire duration of my trip?
* Am I covered for medical care in case I become injured or ill?
* Does my policy have 24-hour emergency service and assistance?
* Will I be covered if I damage property? How about if I am sued?
* Does my coverage extend to lost or stolen property?
* If I should fall ill or cannot otherwise finish my trip, can I decide to curtail or outright cancel my trip? If so, will I get my money back?
* What kind of extra risk will I put on myself on this trip? Will I be covered should the unthinkable occur?
* If the airline I booked my flight through goes bankrupt, will I be covered?

Tips for choosing the right insurance

* Read the fine print. The last thing an insurance company wants is to pay claims. Through murky language and exclusions, insurance companies limit their coverage and may leave you in the cold should a disaster strike – so clarify what you’re getting.

* If you’re holidaying somewhere like the Amazon Rainforest purchase a policy that includes medical coverage appropriate to the danger level of a wild tropical climate – get covered for illness and injury.

* Assume the best, but plan for the worst. If you take an uninsured ski vacation in Aspen, one rock on the ski run could be the difference between a cheap winter excursion and a small financial apocalypse when you’re removed from the slopes by air ambulance at your own expense.

* You get what you pay for. Cheap insurance policies may seem thrifty, but there’s no point paying for insurance if it leaves you only partly covered.

* Insurance you buy from travel suppliers can be less inclusive than policies purchased through insurance companies - read the fine print and make sure you’re getting the coverage you need. Travel companies make a profit selling insurance so buying it from an insurance company direct may even save you.

* Take into account how much you travel each year. Frequent travellers, can save time and money by purchasing annual multi-trip insurance.

* Even if you insure your luggage watch your possessions like a hawk. When it comes to lost or stolen luggage, the company is only legally obligated to pay you the amount you insure it for which could be less than the real value. If you’re taking jewellery or expensive camera equipment etc. on your journeyBusiness Management Articles, you may want to insure it separately. So much fraud occurs with “lost” or “stolen” camera equipment that some insurance companies will hesitate to honor your policy outright – especially if it’s professional equipment – but it can be easier if you have separate policies.

* Make sure you’ve got your visa before you schedule a flight and buy insurance. Countries like China that require a visa can put a damper on your plans by refusing your application and many travel and insurance companies will not cover you in that event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
World Reviewer will give you inspirational travel advice from a panel of experts who've been there and done that! Read more about tips for travel insurance and learn the top tips for credit crunch travel. Find exciting and new challenges and extreme sports for your next vacation.

Travel Insurance - It pays to check the small print!

by Keith McGregor

Whilst sometimes this is a totally justified call because miss-selling of travel insurance, though less frequent than in the past, still occurs, there is still a many people who take travel insurance out by simply ticking the box on the holiday booking form without as much as seeing what they are covered for.

This is far from ideal when it comes to making a claim because pleading ignorance is never a strong position to come from. But you can help yourself if you follow a few simple rules: Always get a report from an official source within 24 hours if something goes wrong. A police report for theft, a tour operator’s reports for baggage delay and loss, an airline letter if you suffer travel delay and a Property Irregularity Report before you leave the airport if your luggage is lost or delayed. Without these, you will find that insurers will not readily settle your claim.

# Know what valuables you are taking with you and take extra care of them. Valuables will be defined in your policy but generally includes all jewellery, mobile phones, computer games and equipment and cameras. Add to this list the personal money you take with you. By extra care, we mean you should lock them away in a safe in your room or carry them with you. They should never be left unattended and never in checked in baggage otherwise this will invalidate a claim.

# Keep receipts. Not only will this help to substantiate your claim but you are more likely to get close to value of the lost items back, subject to wear and tear. If no receipt is provided then the maximum amount that will be paid back will be capped at a low level. If several unreceipted items are claimed then this will also raise suspicions that the claim is fraudulent and could be investigated.

# Do call the Medical Assistance line if you have to go into hospital abroad or need medical treatment that could be costly. It is worthwhile doing this for anything that could be above £250. Once this is on record, you are generally well covered up to the agreed amounts.

# And finally, whilst this guidance is for travel insurance policiesFind Article, many people will have a household policy in force that should cover ‘all risks’ up to a set value and this could also be used for a claims for personal belongings lost or stolen whilst on holiday but do check the small print again to see what exclusions apply.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design

One way travel

by Keith McGregor

A common question asked in relation to travel is whether it is possible to buy travel insurance for one way travel. Yes, you can is the short answer but do look around as not every travel insurance policy provides this level of cover and you could be caught out.

What do we mean by one way travel? This is taken to mean when someone has open ended travel plans and has not bought a return leg or, perhaps, if someone is emigrating and wants to have cover for the travel part of their itinerary. The advice here is to check the policy wording carefully. Some policies, mostly at the cheaper end of the market, will not have cover in place for one way travel and will require travellers to have purchased, or have proof of purchase, of a return ticket and insurers will ask to see this, if and when, a claim is made. Once you have found a travel insurance provider who will cover one way travel, you do need to remember that cover will only be provided for the period of their insurance or there could be a restriction on how long the cover is in place once you have arrived at your final destination. This could easily be overlooked. Likewise, don't assume that your annual multi-trip insurance policy will cover you for the period you spend away, as most of these policies do have trip limits. So if your annual policy allows you to take individual trips of, say, 31 days per trip, then if your one way travel exceeds this then you will definitely not be covered after that period. The same applies to single trip travel insurance policies. For instance, if you planning to take out a three week insurance policy to go backpacking in Europe this summer to attend Euro 2008, then don't exceed your insurance period and still assume you are covered. The lure of the open road, not restricted by an end dateArticle Search, has much to recommend it but don't let this search for complete travel freedom catch you out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design

Getting Covered all Over the World with World Nomads and TravelGuard Insurance

by Astrid Hermanssen

When you are looking for travel insurance, you have more than one choice. There are many companies that offer travel insurance that includes insurance for the trip that you are taking in case of a hurricane or other type of disaster, insurance for lost bags, insurance for flight delays and insurance for illness when you are away. Two companies that offer packages on travel insurance include World Nomads and TravelGuard insurance.

Travel Insurance: Should you or Shouldn’t you?

If you travel, you should consider getting travel insurance for your trip. The type of travel insurance that you get will depend on the type of travel you plan on doing. Obviously, if you plan on only traveling a short distance by car, you will not get travel insurance. If you are planning a world cruise, however, you are foolish not to get travel insurance.

When you are planning your next trip, consider getting travel insurance. If something does go wrong on the trip, you can then recoup some of the money that you lost because of the mishap. The more expensive the travel plans are, the more you need travel insurance. This is especially true if you are planning on traveling out of the country and want to be sure that you are covered medically.

World Nomads v/s TravelGuard Insurance

The type of package that you choose will determine the type of coverage that you get for your insurance. Many people who choose TravelGuard insurance, which is one of the top names in the travel insurance business, will choose a package that covers everything from lost bags to a missed flight connection.

Both, World Nomads and TravelGuard Insurance offer packages that will cover just about anything when you are traveling domestically or out of the country.

World Nomads is a relatively new travel insurance company that operates online. You can get a quote for World Nomads insurance right online and buy your policy. It is a travel insurance policy that is geared towards those going on cruises, although it covers accidents, lost luggage and illness as well. You have more than one option to choose from when you pick travel insurance with World Nomads. You will find that the rate for World Nomads is comparable to TravelGuard insurance.

TravelGuard insurance has been around for a while and is one of the top names in the travel insurance business. As well as being offered to individuals who are planning their own trips, TravelGuard is also offered as a bonus for those who book their trips with travel agents. Many travel agents will recommend TravelGuard as the insurance carrier for someone going on a trip.
Both TravelGuard and World Nomads offer package deals that cover mishaps that can occur when you are traveling. World Nomads is a better package to get if you are going on a cruise as they have special cruise packages that are geared towards mishaps that can take place aboard a cruise, including illness. TravelGuard insurance is a more generalized form of travel insurance. The premiums for both of these types of insurance are comparableArticle Search, although you tend to get slightly more coverage by way of baggage value when it comes to World Nomads.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No one likes to get sick abroad so go to TravelInsuranceReviewer.com and read up on user-provided World Nomads reviews and TravelGuard Insurance reviews to see if any of these providers answer your travel coverage needs.

Discover Benefits of Travel Accident Insurance

by Kirill Karpovich

Nowadays people visit other county more often than early. You can buy a ticket and begin your travel to nice place in this world. But you should be sure to have some foundation for your tour. And this one will be travel accident insurance.

Any experienced traveler can tell you that travel is full of uncertainties... But it is not possible to sit at home afraid of calamities.

Travel accident insurance is one way of mitigating the financial risk of such unforeseen events or calamities.

Man cannot stop traveling because of the unforeseen events. All these unforeseen events can be reduced by getting a good travel accident insurance policy. Travel insurance is most indispensable for the people who travel very frequently to different parts of world. The concept of travel accident insurance is very simple. The insured pays a premium; the company in turn pays any costs involved in case of accidents or other types of eventualities.

There are a variety of travel accident insurance policies available today on the internet or the market. It is easy to get confused with so many offers. However most travel accident insurance policies have certain basic benefits which are common. They usually provide coverage for:

Trip cancellation/interruptions. This can happen everywhere you trip. This due to a variety of reasons like terrorist activities or sudden illness, for instance.

Medical costs.

Costs incurred for doctor visits, medicines, treatment, surgery etc and some policies even provide coverage for costs of medical evacuation to nearest medical facility. Accidents.

Accidents or calamities like earthquakes, tsunami, storms etc and the related costs. Some policies also provide vehicle accident costs. These are especially useful when going for a driving holiday to a foreign country. Most of your regular policies for auto insurance only provide insurance within the United States and do not provide for accidents out of the US. Baggage Loss.

Costs incurred for loss of baggage and valuable is also covered by most travel insurance policies. These are especially useful when going out for a shopping holiday for antiques, valuables, jewelry or electronics. Whatever your main holiday concerns, travel accident insurance companies are sure to offer you comprehensive advice on what your greatest risks are, depending on your particular holiday location and the type of lifestyle and holiday pursuits you enjoy most. After all, if you can't swim and you're scared of heightsScience Articles, you're not likely to require anything more than the basic travel accident insurance package!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kirill Karpovich makes easy for understanding travel insurance. To read more about travel accident insurance visit http://www.my-travel-accident-insurance.blogspot.com