Travel Insurance for All

by cng0022

Going on holiday for the elder clientele is usually stressful enough without worrying what happens if something nasty happens to you while you are on your travels. My father recently went on a month long trip to Australia, which he thoroughly enjoyed, which I could tell by the sheer number of photos that were taken. He said that during his trip there was very little bother from anything to spoil his travels.

However being not of the 'web' age he went down the expensive path of buying his travel insurance from a local company. Now I just want to let the senior citizens of the world know that the internet is not you enemy and it won't start any nuclear holocaust or steal your money.

You can get very good deals and you are treated like an individual to meet your specific needs. As my father is now planning another holiday to Japan in April 2008 for another month and I have walked him through the steps he needs to take online to book his travel insurance. As stubborn as he is we did find a good company called Insure For All that was extremely easy to use, which was good for him.

http://www.insureforall.com

About the Author
http://www.site-rec.com/podletzrecs

Travel Insurance FAQs

by Patrick Chong

There are a lot of misconceptions related to travel insurance, and understandably most people aren't as well versed in the fine details of travel insurance as I am - I can't say that I blame them! However, many misconceptions put people at risk of spending unnecessary amounts of money on areas that could and should be covered by their travel insurance policy.
So, I've compiled this mini travel insurance FAQ to assist those who have doubts, worries or questions about travel insurance.

Q: What should I do before going abroad?

A: Make sure you have adequate travel insurance and that you have checked the FCO Travel Advice for the countries you are visiting. Check you have sufficient money and that your passport is up-to-date. Take a photocopy of your passport details and keep in a safe place. Check what inoculations and visas are required. Note down the numbers and addresses of the UK embassy and consulate in the country you're traveling to.

Q: Should I take out travel insurance before my holiday?

A: I may be a little biased on this one, but yes! It is extremely important that you take out adequate travel insurance even for short trips or visits to Europe, and absolutely imperative in countries outside the EU where different conditions make illness more likely and affordable medical cover that bit more difficult to get hold of. It also covers for cancellation as soon as you book your trip.

If you travel to a country, or part of a country, against FCO advice, it is unlikely that your insurer would meet any claim, however. Should the FCO advice change after you have booked a holiday, check the position with your tour operator and travel insurance company.

Q: Should I be looking at single trip or annual multi trip travel insurance?

A: Only you can answer that really - although single trip insurance is (generally) cheaper, it does exactly what it says and covers you for just the one trip. By contrast, annual multi trip travel insurance will cover you for the whole year on various breaks, making it the choice if you think you're likely to travel that much. You may find that just taking two trips a year would make annual multi trip travel insurance cheaper than the single trip variety!

Q: What sort of reason for cancellation is valid to ensure cover from travel insurance?

A: As long as your reason is within the scope of cover provided by your insurance, then you should be entitled to claim in most cases. Legitimate reasons for canceling your trip could include an illness or death in the family (as defined by your policy), freak weather conditions suspending travel for 24 hours, burglary or damage to your home, being a victim of criminal assault resulting in you being medically unable to travel, being called up for emergency military service or jury duty (subject to the specific terms and conditions of the policy). Likewise, if the hotel or resort (for independent travelers) you're due to visit suffers from a terrorist attack in the days leading up to your travel, you will generally be able to claim.

Q: Who pays if I need to be hospitalized overseas or flown back to the UK?

A: If you have proper travel insurance, the insurance company should pay such fees. If not, the cost will fall to you or your relatives and friends.

Q: Is a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) the same as health insurance?

A: No. The free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) shows that the holder is entitled to reduced or free emergency care only within the EU. You will still need travel insurance to ensure you will be covered fully in the event of illness or injury. The EHIC card will help though, by reducing your initial outlay before you can be reimbursed by your travel insurance company.

Q: Is my pre existing medical condition a big issue?

A: Generally, yes. Check the wording of your policy to ensure it covers pre-existing medical conditions. Often they're not covered unless you pay an extra premium, and if you fail to declare your condition when you buy the travel insurance, you'll be unable to claim on it. As always the key advice here is to check the policy wording with a fine tooth comb.

Q: How can I find out whether it is safe to travel to a particular country?

A: It is strongly advised that you check the FCO Travel Advice section of their website (fto.gov.uk). This information is regularly updated and should give you solid advice on where is and is not safe to travel (remember, areas officially outlined as 'unsafe' will seldom be covered by travel insurance policies).

Q: Is it safe to travel after a terrorist attack overseas?

A: Unfortunately, there is no such thing as risk-free travel, and the absence of advice against travel to a particular country or area does not imply that the FCO guarantees safety in that country or area.

I hope this travel insurance FAQ has proved useful - it's only really scratching the service and each policy is different, but with this advice you should be in a better position to shop around, next time you need to purchase travel insurance.

About the Author
Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Journey's Travel. Their commercial travel insurance website, Insuremore, offers cheap annual multi trip travel insurance packages for families, singles, children and skiers with free cover against acts of terrorism and a quick and easy online claims feature.

Holiday Home Insurance – One Of The Decisions Associated With Buying A Holiday Home

by Sean Horton

Buying a holiday home has never been easier. Today, you can hop on the Internet and find the home of your dreams without even leaving the comfort of your living room. Even better still, you can then use a search and compare website on the Internet to find you the best possible deal for a second home mortgage. There is nothing to it with very little time and effort to put in unless you wish to. However, you need to make a few decisions that are associated with buying a holiday home before you can put in an offer and get a mortgage and one of those is holiday home insurance.

Holiday home insurance is different to both traditional home insurance and buy-to-let insurance, so don’t make the mistake and think that you can cut costs and corners by getting the wrong type. A specialist broker will be able to help you find the right type of holiday home insurance.

Other considerations when buying a holiday home include the following: Where is the first place that comes to mind when you think of buying a holiday home? Although gut instincts are not always correct in terms of buying a house, there must be reasons behind considering buying a holiday home in a certain area. When you have the reasons why you would want to live in a certain are then you can begin to build upon that.

You should consider both popular locations and other locations that resemble them because individuals buy homes in certain areas for a reason. Crime rate, natural environmental hazards, proximity to the beach, proximity to shops and climate are all factors that should be considered when buying a holiday home, but the list is not limited to them. For an idea of where Britons choose to look into when buying a holiday home, the facts and figures are worthy of consideration.

Approximately 30% of all holiday homes are in the UK, 16% are in Spain and 7% in France, with the remaining 47% being spread between countries like the USA, Italy, Australia, Ireland, Greece and other similar countries. After deciding upon the country, your choice of area will largely depend on what kind of place you would wish to live in – beach, town, city or quiet village?

You final decision when buying a holiday home should depend on what kind of home you would like to live in. Whether your choice is a bungalow, condo, apartment or cottage, you can find the perfect house for you and then get on with the easy part of buying a holiday home.

Then all you need is the right holiday home insurance.

About the Author:
Sean Horton is a Director of Holiday Let Mortgages which offers UK residents the finance to buy a UK based holiday home. The site offers information about Holiday Home Insurance, and holiday home mortgages.

Why You Should Not Buy Holiday Insurance From Your Travel Agent

by Simon Christopher

When you're planning a holiday or trip the last thing you want to consider is what could go wrong. This is no doubt the reason so many UK travelers take a holiday abroad without the protection of a travel insurance policy.

For many of those that do protect themselves, it's often an afterthought with little attention paid to the quality of the cover or it's value for money. A large number of travelers who book their holiday through a travel agent, often choose the policy offered or suggested by the agent for convenience or because they assume the great deal they just got on their package holiday will be replicated with the travel insurance premiums. This is rarely the case as travel agents look to recoup some of the discounts they give on holidays from added extras they promote such as travel insurance.

First of all, your travel agent is not an insurance expert. This means that they often know little or nothing about holiday insurance and how their policy compares to others on the market. They'll be able to give you the information that they've been told to give you, and they will have no problem selling it to you, but in most cases you won't get a choice of policies or providers so won't be able to guage if you are getting a good deal or not.

Many travel agents are also agents of just one insurance company so you are restricting your choice to one or at most a hand full of providers chosen from a restricted panel. It might appear to be more trouble than it's worth shopping around for travel insurance and this is why many holiday makers prefer the simplicity of cover bought with their holiday at the travel agent. But as little as ten minutes on the internet at a price comparison website will open up the market and allow you to compare hundreds of policies by price and policy features. Armed with this research you can then consider the travel agent's cover from a position of strength and make an informed choice.

Holiday insurance should be a vital part of your travel arrangements, particularly if you are traveling as a family. Thousands of people have their holiday dreams ambushed by cancellations, lost baggage and stolen possessions every year - to mention a few. That's why it's important to do your homework and if you are unsure, buy your cover from an expert. You wouldn't buy your holiday from an insurance broker so why buy your travel insurance from a holiday broker. As the saying goes, failing to plan is like planning to fail, and when your well earned holiday is at stake, a little effort now will be well worth the extra peace of mind.

About the Author:
Quickly find top rated, award winning cover from travel insurance companies like Marks and Spencer at http://www.uk-insurance-index.co.uk.

Travel Insurance. Also Get A European Health Insurance Card

by Travel Insurance. Also Get A European Health Insurance Card

Hands up all those who remember the old E111 medical forms you were supposed to have if you travelled in Europe? I can see all those blank faces!

Well, great news is that it doesn't matter any more. The E111 form was replaced at the beginning of January 2006 by a new European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

This EHIC is valid for up to 5 years and entitles you to the same level of medical care in the country you're travelling in, as would be enjoyed by the residents of that country. The card covers discounted and free medical care including emergency treatment, and applies to all the EEC countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. But be aware that the treatment you're entitled to might not include all the treatments you get free of charge under the National Health Service here in Britain.

Nevertheless, we believe that it's wise to carry a EHIC as it could save you time, money and a great deal of hassle if you're unlucky enough to need medical attention. It can cut through some of the inevitable red tape you'd be faced with if you were relying just on the medical provisions of your travel insurance policy.

You should also be aware that in many areas of Europe, the best medical attention is still reserved for those with private insurance cover. Private insurance bypasses the long queues of local residents waiting patently in inhospitable corridors – after all who wants to spend days of their holiday not only ill, but queuing as well!

Another point is that nationalised health care is only available at nationalised hospitals which, in some countries, are hundreds of miles apart. They tend to be located where the local population work and live - not where you enjoy your holidays! Therefore, you may be a long way from the nearest nationalised hospital whereas private medical and dental clinics are to be found in many tourist areas catering primarily for holidaymakers. Their standard is usually good albeit in local terms, they're expensive.

Whilst we've been discussing medical care, don't forget that private travel insurance covers you for much more than just medical expenses. Most policies will even pay for you to be flown home to the UK if you're really ill. Holiday cancellation (due to prior illness), holiday curtailment, loss of luggage or individual items are all aspects normally covered by the insurance.

To be as safe as possible, we recommend that all travellers get a European Health Insurance Card and comprehensive travel insurance. After all, you've saved up for ages for the holiday and if something goes wrong the last thing you want is to be worried about the financial implications.

As with most insurance, the best travel insurance bargains are to be found on the Internet. Search on your favourite search engine for “travel insurance”. The brokers usually provide the best value for money as they will have access to a wide range of insurance providers and can pick the best for you. You can try the sites run by the individual insurance companies but they'll only offer you one option – their policy! A broker can offer you a range of solutions.

We say, no matter how you arrange it, get travel insurance and get peace of mind.

Information about the European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card is free from any Post Office or by phoning the Department of Health on 0845 606 2030. You can also apply online at the web site run by the Department of Health. The web address is www.dh.gov.uk/travellers

About the Author:
Brokers Online provide you with information about travel insurance. They also offer life insurance and loans