The benefits of buying travel insurance are well documented. There is always the slight risk that we could become unwell on holiday or backpacking, just as if we were at home surrounded by our friends and loved ones. The fact that we are travelling to a foreign country does not mean we can relax whilst on holiday and simply wait until we get home before falling ill.
If we bear that in mind, we should all be purchasing holiday insurance whenever we travel abroad. If you chose to include a cancellation clause in the general policy, you will be providing yourself with insurance that the likelihood of falling ill before you travel is also entirely possible, just as it is at any other time of the year. Cancelling a longed for holiday or am important trip abroad is heartbreaking enough without the worry that you have spent a lot of money and unless you are insured, are not going to get any of it back. Travel insurance will also provide you with the certainty that if a close member of your family becomes unwell unexpectedly, you will be in a position to cancel your trip and recoup most of the money you have spent out. As long as the person who becomes unwell didn’t know about their condition or illness before you booked your holiday, you can claim against the cancellation clause in your policy.
This is also true of the Curtailment part of the policy. If you are on your holiday and a close family member is suddenly and unexpectedly gravely ill and you need to be by their bedside, your travel insurance company will pay towards your travel costs once you have contacted them. This particular clause can be very useful if you have bought a Long Stay or Backpacker policy. With these types of policies you could be away for months at a time, making the likelihood of a family member becoming ill whilst you are away a little more likely. Travel Insurance can also provide peace of mind for the relatives back home.
Unfortunately, many younger travellers are still under the illusion that they will never need insurance and have no plans on spending their hard earned cash on a piece of paper, as has been highlighted in a Government report showing that 24% of UK travellers go without insurance and a staggering 48% of 15 – 24 year olds travel uninsured. Therefore, many parents, especially those who have children travelling over a long period of time, are left to purchase their child’s travel insurance because they are worried that if anything should go wrong, they will be the one’s footing the bill. We would suggest that you ensure you buy travel insurance with repatriation, as this part of the policy covers the return of the policy holder to the UK in an emergency, which is extremely expensive at the best of times and the cost of this event is often born by the parents and other family members. So even though a travel insurance policy will not add to the enjoyment of the holiday it will give you and your loved ones peace of mind.
So there’s no excuse not to travel without insurance and to help you on your way here are a few companies you could try to get a quote. InsureandGo, WorldNomads, CheapTravelInsurance and TravelSupermarket as a comparison.