Good quality travel insurance
Taking out a good quality travel insurance policy is an absolute must for any family holiday. Should the unexpected happen to either you or your loved ones whilst soaking up the summer sun, the consequences of being uninsured can be devastating – both financially and emotionally.
It cannot be understated how important it is to think about getting a decent travel insurance policy.
While it may be seen as an unnecessary expense, especially in these financially straightened times, the European Health Identity Card (EHIC) – successor to the old ‘E111’ form – only entitles you to free state medical care within that country. In many countries, the state healthcare system does not offer treatment for the things we can expect for free in the UK.
The costs of such emergency care are high: if you suffered a heart attack or had a water skiing accident, you are potentially looking at bills of anything up to £100,000 or more, which could simply be unfeasible for most people. Similarly, the EHIC will not provide insurance cover enabling such unexpected eventualities to be covered: looking at the cost of repatriation, the Foreign Office recently quoted around £15,000 as the cost of being flown home as a medical emergency from the Canary Islands.
A good quality travel insurance policy is designed to mitigate against this risk because in the terms of the policy you will find that such events are fully covered. Additionally, when travelling with one’s family, alternative arrangements may need to be made for them.
Nevertheless, remember that you don’t have to take out the most expensive travel insurance policy on the market. You may not necessarily be taking part in water skiing or power boating, or even windsurfing, and a little research on the Internet can go a long way towards finding the best value travel insurance online.
Similarly, if you are only travelling within Europe, say to Spain, you can save money by getting a Europe only plan, for example; and there are also ‘UK only’ travel insurance policies that are worth bearing in mind.
If you are only staying within the UK – as is becoming increasingly popular at present with the strong Euro – medical expenses will not need paying for but travel expenses may be.
Remember, always use a reputable provider such as AA Travel Insurance when taking out a policy. Visit their website for more info on travel insurance.
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