Travel insurance

With more and more families travelling overseas for holidays travel insurance is a more common consideration when travelling.

And it needs to be one of the first considerations when booking a holiday.

The question raised is not only of whether to purchase travel insurance but which is the best travel insurance.

Travelling overseas it is vital you purchase travel insurance.

If you cannot afford to buy travel insurance then you can’t afford to travel!

This may seem quite harsh, although it’s a reality. Just like bread and butter you have travel and travel insurance.

Unfortunately, too often there have been new reports of families and individuals who have purchased travel insurance and still seemingly fallen victim to holiday nightmares.

This is not due to poor travel insurance necessarily. It may be to not having the right coverage.

It is key that you select the right coverage for your family, your situation and your travel destination.

Let’s be clear. This is by no means a plug for an insurance company.

This is to ensure you are completely protected should something go wrong.

In an ideal world you would have a memorable holiday for all the right reasons.

Unfortunately, sometimes, and yes it is just sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned. That’s when travel insurance can assist and can actually make all the difference.

It reduces your stress should something happen while on holidays abroad.

We are not going to recommend an travel insurance company. Not even recommend our top 3.

It is important you do your own research to establish the best travel insurance to suits your needs, destination, etc.

You know your situation, your travel plans and your budget best. You need to be comfortable with your choice.

• Good, comprehensive insurance will/should cover you for all eventualities if you chose the right level of cover.
• Good travel insurance will cover you for all medical expenses for injury or illness for you and your family.
• Good travel insurance will cover you for theft of your valuables.
• Good travel insurance will cover you for cancellations/interruptions to your flight plans, baggage damage and more.
• Good travel insurance is less stress and more cost effective than having issues on your travels.

Yes, good travel insurance may be expensive. It is a valuable investment.

• Find a reputable travel insurance company. It’s pointless purchasing the top of the range insurance with a small fly-by-the-night company and finding out just when you need them that they are not able to assist you (or gone bust!).
• Do your research. Research, research, research.
• Purchase insurance that best covers your needs.
• Be aware and establish all the clauses and fine print. It may be tedious but it will become invaluable should you need to claim. Some policies exclude certain medical expenses for example while others may have age limits or requirements. If you plan on doing certain activities and experiences during your travel make sure they are covered. Some policies don’t cover what they consider risky such as horse riding, scooters, etc so be clear about your plans and make sure your policy covers ALL.
• Shop around for the best policy and price.
• Read the fine print as some travel insurance policies offer free cover to those under 18 years.
• Ask plenty of questions.
• Ensure you are aware of cover period, exemptions, how claims are made, the length of time they take, etc.
• Ensure you are well versed in regards to what the policy covers. Clarify that the cover extends for the entire period including the day of departure and arrival.
• You will need to be honest in obtaining the insurance policy and disclose any pre-existing ailments to ensure full coverage.
• Compare. Shop around like for like policies. It is no use comparing one policy that covers everything with another policy that doesn’t. It is said that buying from a travel agent, tour company and airline may be more expensive.
• Ensure you have adequate cover for the items you are taking on holiday with you. Check the level of excess to be charged also.
• If you plan on travelling many times during a year you may find that annual travel insurance may be more cost effective. Simply compare the options.

Note:

Medicare is not accepted outside of Australia.

You are responsible to pay all costs incurred in your destination country without travel insurance. Depending on the country a hospital will not take you at all if you do not have insurance.