Travel

#Single Trip Travel Insurance

Backpacker

Compare the best single trip travel insurance deals

Travel insurance is a must if you are planning a holiday because it can offer a financial lifeline if something goes wrong. You might, for example, lose your luggage, have an accident, fall ill or even have to cancel the trip. It's absolutely vital to have insurance cover, so is single trip insurance right for you?

Single trip or multi trip? What's best?

Whether you decide to go for a single trip policy or invest in an annual policy will depend on how often you plan to travel in the year.

You can buy a policy for a single trip, usually of no more than 30 days, or you can opt for annual insurance, so you are covered for any number of holidays throughout the year. It's always a good idea to compare prices for both types of cover. But as a general rule, annual cover is more cost effective if you plan to travel long haul and take more than two or three trips a year.

Don't forget that a holiday in the UK is still a holiday. So you will need travel insurance even if you are not venturing very far afield.

What about family holidays? Travellers can choose a single trip policy for a single person, a couple or a family. It can often work out cheaper to buy a family policy than to arrange separate cover for several people, but make sure you read the terms and conditions of the insurance.

For example, the excess might apply to each person named on the policy. So, if you a have an excess of 150 and you make a claim, you could end up paying 300 or more towards the cost.

Where in the world? Travel insurance for Europe is usually cheaper than worldwide cover. But you should check the insurer's definition of Europe to make sure your chosen country is included. Some firms, for example, do not class Turkey as Europe, so you might have to pay a higher premium.

I have cover on my bank account or credit card. Is this cover enough? Some premium credit cards and bank accounts come with 'free' travel insurance, so you might not need to buy a separate policy. Just make sure you are happy with the level of cover, as freebie insurance is often restricted in terms of the actual geographical cover and the excess. You might also have cover for personal possessions under the terms of your home contents insurance. Read the small print to make sure the cover is adequate.

Don't delay - take cover out today. Many people only think about travel insurance a few days before they set off on holiday. But you should ideally arrange cover as soon as you book your trip so you are protected should you need to cancel.

Compare prices. When buying single trip travel insurance it is important to compare as many products as possible - and you can do that quickly and easily using TravelSupermarket's free, independent quotation service, which will lead you to a cheap policy that doesn't compromise on quality.

Finally, don't just go for the cheapest policy you find. Check the levels of cover and the excess levels to ensure you find a policy that has the range and amount of cover that you require at an affordable price. Cheapest is NOT always the best when it comes to single trip travel insurance.

Get your medical cover right

Falling ill either before you travel or while you're away is the single biggest concern of travellers. But get the right travel insurance policy, and you'll be covered.

A good travel insurance policy will cover a wide range of risks including illness, theft and cancellation. However, medical cover is one of the most important aspects of single trip travel insurance and you should look for a policy that covers medical treatment and expenses of up to 2m in Europe or 5m worldwide in case you are ill or injured abroad. It sounds like a lot of money, but the costs can quickly add up, especially if you need to be flown home in an air ambulance or taken from a ski slope after an accident by helicopter or specialist rescue services.

If you are travelling within Europe you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Certificate (EHIC), which entitles you to state funded healthcare while you are away. But bear in mind that the EHIC is no substitute for insurance because a huge amount of medical treatment is not free, as it is with the NHS here at home, and the EHIC does not include repatriation costs back to the UK.

Pre-existing conditions. Always disclose any pre-existing medical conditions when you arrange travel insurance. The insurer may exclude cover for the illness or may add a premium to your policy cost. However, if you withhold information it is likely to invalidate your policy. In other words, your insurer could refuse to pay out if you make a claim and you could be left with costs running into thousands of pounds.

You should also consider declaring the medical conditions of relatives who are dependent on you at the time of booking your trip in case you need to cancel due to this.