Planning your next trip can be exciting but stressful, especially when it comes to protecting yourself from any potential accidents or emergencies abroad. Read our guide on travel insurance to make sure you’re covered, confident, and ready to enjoy your holiday.

What does travel insurance cover? 

One of the biggest benefits of travel insurance is that it can offer you more peace of mind, allowing you to simply enjoy your holidays without having to worry about those worst-case scenarios. But before you can do that, it’s important to know what the majority of policies will cover you for.

Of course, not all policies will be the same, so it’s vital that you check what you are and aren’t covered for with your specific policy. But in general, you can expect to be covered for lost or stolen possessions like luggage and cash (up to an agreed-upon amount), as well as medical treatment cover (be sure to declare any pre-existing medical conditions on your policy).

Any involuntary changes or disruptions to your living situation or travel arrangements may also be covered by the policy, in addition to some potential legal fees that may come with accidents or incidents beyond your control.

Other add-ons covering things like expensive personal items and gadgets may also be available at request, depending on your insurer. 

Generally speaking, the cost of your travel insurance can be determined by taking some of the following factors into account:

The activities you’ll be doing, especially if you’re planning an adventure break that has skiing, hiking, snowboarding, scuba diving and other physical activities involved. The destination of your holiday can also be a factor, especially when the costs of potential medical treatments and other variables within that country are taken into consideration. If your holiday is for several weeks, you can expect the price of your coverage to be higher to reflect that added duration of time.

The age of the person taking out the policy can also affect the price, especially for travellers over the age of 65. Pre-existing medical conditions will also be taken into account when calculating a potential travel insurance amount. 

When should I get travel insurance if I’m planning a trip away? 

Ideally, it’s best to get your travel insurance as soon as you’ve officially booked your holiday and sorted out your travel arrangements. Why? Because if the unexpected should happen, and you have to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances, your insurance may be able to cover you for some of those holiday costs.

In cases of things like a bereavement, being made redundant, or becoming extremely ill or injured before the holiday, it’s possible that you may get some support through your travel insurer.

Final Thoughts 

No one wants to consider that they may encounter accidents or injuries during their stay in their accommodation or during physical activities abroad.

However, the sooner you put support methods in place to prevent these things from ruining your entire holiday, the sooner you can focus on what really matters – spending time in a new location and giving yourself that much-needed break – all without the worries or concerns of how you’ll cope should the unexpected happen.