Backpacker Travel Insurance

Archive for the ‘Travel Insurance Policy Basics’ Category

There’s so many comparison tools on the Internet these days but what should you look for when comparing travel insurance? Here’s a useful article on what to look out for.

If you’re going on holiday this year then getting solid travel insurance isn’t just a good idea, it’s essential. Medical bills abroad can be extremely costly and it’s simply not worth taking the risk. You needn’t break the bank though, provided you’re prepared to compare travel insurance quotes and shop around a bit to find the best deal. Here are some points to consider:

Annual cover
If you’re overwhelmed each time you look online to compare travel insurance and find the process irritating and repetitive, it can be easier to get annual cover and then not worry about travelling for a whole 12 months. Especially if you’re going to take three or more trips abroad in a year, annual cover is definitely the way to go, as you can often save yourself money as well as time.

Ski trip extras
If winter sports are your thing, make sure that your travel insurance covers you specifically for skiing and snowboarding. A normal travel insurance policy will not be sufficient on the slopes and will not be valid for a claim if you injure yourself. It’s worth taking the time to compare travel insurance quotes from sports specialists who deal specifically in winter holidays for the best prices.

Excess charges
When you compare travel insurance you need to have a look at how much excess you will have to pay should you get injured, require medicines, lose your luggage or have your money stolen. Some insurance companies charge as much as $200 for excesses, which is fine for a large medical bill but not so good if you lost your $60 handbag. Excess charges can be as low as $30, which can make a big difference to your claims.

Cover limits
Not only do you need to check the excess limit, your cover limit is essential when you compare travel insurance. No policy worth its salt will have a cover limit of less than $1 million. This should be the absolute minimum, but you can get much higher limits. Again, particularly if you are skiing, a much higher cover limit is recommended, between £3 million and £5 million should be fine.

Don’t rely on EHIC
You need to find a comprehensive travel insurance cover for your travels abroad. Whilst the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) can help reduce the costs of medical treatments in Europe, the only way to make sure you are going to get adequate medical treatment abroad is to compare travel insurance and get a decent policy.

Kym Chambers has 2 years experience in the Travel insurance industry. She enjoys writing articles on various topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Chambers

Worst case scenario

You lose all you’re belongings or it’s stolen. If this happens you must do the following:

• Go to the Police. This can’t be stressed highly enough. It must be reported to the local police station as soon as possible. Most insurance providers will ask to see a copy of a police report before they can process your claim. Some may require that the loss/theft be report within 24 hours. As mentioned in other posts, check the fine print of your policy!
• If you have lost your passport, or you feel the incident is serious enough then contact the nearest Embassy of your country of origin
• At this stage, inform your insurer and they will guide you on the process of making a claim

Making an insurance claim while abroad

If you are on an extended trip you may to make the claim while you’re abroad. There are a number of things you can do to make this process easier before you set off on your trip.

• Keep an inventory of all the items you plan to take with you. If possible keep purchase receipts, serial numbers and even photographs of the items to guarantee there’s no debate about what you’ve lost
• Nominate a person to act on your behalf in the event of an insurance claim. Leave the details above with them which will allow them to deal with the problem.
• Make sure your nominated person has a copy of the insurance policy and number