travel insurance review

Cheap Travel Without Skimping on Insurance; Ensuring you Get the Best of Both Worlds

In today’s fast-paced, modern world, the importance of taking a holiday becomes imperative. Getting away from your daily routine helps you gain some much needed rest and relaxation. Taking a peaceful holiday can also aid in your long-term happiness, in both your work and your personal life. However, as people start to take holidays more frequently, it also becomes necessary that the holidays are less expensive.

In the last decade, the rise of the budget airline has made travel all the more affordable for a wide cross-section of potential holiday-goers. These airlines have increased the number of flights made from a variety of destinations across the UK to a range of locations in both Europe and beyond, from Paris to Istanbul and Stockholm to the Costa del Sol. As a result, many more people are able to travel to their dream holiday destinations, whether that means lounging on a stunning beach for a week or taking a weekend city break in a intriguing foreign capital.

What’s more, the advent of the internet has made it possible for travellers to find cheap holiday packages and inexpensive accommodation for their getaway with ease. Many leading travel sites offer a variety of cheap package holidays, from theatre breaks in London to discounts on cruises up the River Nile. Often, the earlier you book your holiday online, the easier it is to find an inexpensive holiday deal; however, with many travel sites, cheaper deals are available much closer to the departure date. So if you’re facing a long weekend with no plans ahead of you, you might be able to book a cheap weekend break away as late as the day before you plan to leave!

And if the plethora of cheap holiday deals available online or on the high street means that you’re spoilt for choice, you’re now able to turn to a range of holiday review sites for comprehensive advice straight from the horse’s mouth. Travel blogs and travel review sites offer thousands of reviews of holiday locations and resort destinations; so, when it comes to making a decision about where to take your holiday, you’ll be equipped with all the information you need.

And don’t forget, while flights and accommodation are the bare essentials of travel, it’s important not to skimp on important travel products, like Travel Insurance, in the interest of saving money on your cheap holiday. It’s perfectly possible to find cheap travel insurance online or with high street insurers. By taking out cheap travel insurance on your cheap holiday, you’ll obtain peace of mind in knowing that you’re covered for any medical costs you might incur, as well as any baggage mishandling or personal loss that arises. Moreover, many cheap travel insurance providers let you add on to your basic coverage, so you can take out extra cover if you expect to participate in any winter sports or extreme activities, like bungee jumping or sky-diving. This way, you’ll gain the freedom to enjoy your holiday the way you want to, without any worry or hassle.

Andrew Regan
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/cheap-travel-without-skimping-on-insurance-ensuring-you-get-the-best-of-both-worlds-133910.html

Travel Insurance Review...

Why it Pays to Shop Around for Travel Insurance

It should come as no surprise that the Treasury has recently announced a review into the sale of travel insurance policies with package holidays. Consumer groups, such as ‘Which’ magazine, have been clamouring for a change in the law, because it appears that consumers have been getting a raw deal, in terms of over-priced and often inadequate cover. The government has set itself the task of calling for evidence and consulting widely before making its decision, be that to keep the ‘status quo’, go for tighter self-regulation by the travel agents and tour operators or bring the industry under full FSA regulation as it does for the ‘standalone’ insurance sector.

A review is long overdue, given that some 20 million consumers purchase Travel Insurance policies in the UK each year in a market estimated to be around £670 million pounds in 2006. As ‘Which’ have recently reported, there is evidence of mis-selling by tour operators and travel agents who account for almost 50% of all travel insurance sales. Whilst, it is probably only a minority who fall into this category, it is not hard to see that getting a customer to take out a travel insurance policy at the time of booking a holiday is a very lucrative way of boosting profits from the commissions earned. That’s all well and good, provided the advice given is accurate and customers are given access to all the information they need to make an informed judgement but sadly this is not borne out by the statistics. According to the Treasury, whilst 81% of banks and insurers explained what the policy covered, this falls to a pitiful 19% when a policy is sold through travel agents.

It always pays to shop around and it is hardly surprising that the internet has seen a huge growth over the last five years and this trend is set to continue. Not only does the customer get a wider choice than what is on offer over the counter at a travel agent, but it is so much easier to tailor a policy, all by a simple click of a mouse. Moreover, internet based companies do not have the high overheads of the travel agent in the High Street, which means cheaper premiums which can only be a good outcome for the consumer.

Keith McGregor
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/why-it-pays-to-shop-around-for-travel-insurance-105821.html

Long Stay Travel Insurance

Long stay travel insurance for extended vacations, business trips or overseas missionary assignments is essential for peace of mind and your health.

Policies an cover you anywhere from 5 days to 365 days. The “standard” extended stay policy will cover you for 90 days. Obviously there are exceptions.

This is important because flexibility can be a key factor . Length of stay can vary,  but you don’t want a lapse in coverage, especially for the medical portion f most travel insurance policies.

With all types of insurance becoming very competitive, there are opportunities to get affordable coverage. The basic business principle of captalism applies here. The more competition, the prices will go down. Keep this in mind when looking for long stay Travel Insurance.

Ok, idf you are new to the whole travel insurance thing you might be asking a few questions here, like…

What exactly is covered by a travel insurance policy?

Where can I find the best deal?

Do I even need travel insurance?

Ok, I am going to answer to briefly answer these questions real quick.

Starting with the last question. “Do I even need travel insurance?” Yes, when you travel you should always have coverage. You never know what will happen to you.

To answer the the second question, “Where can I find the best deal?” Online, you compare several companies (I will tell you where in a minute). Comparing and reading reviews is the best way to learn about what policy you should purchase.

Lastly, to answer the first question, “What exactly is covered by a travel insurance policy?” You can buy policy that will cover just flight and luggage or you can get a policy that is more like a deluxe package covering things like…

Medical Illness or accidents emergency

Pre-existing conditions

Death / dismemberment

Flight cancellation / delays

The above list is not a complete, but I hope you get the point. The point is this, you should cover yourself by getting long stay travel insurance.

Travel insurance is available in two basic plan types

1) The “Vacation Package Plan” is popular by most vacationers and business people because it provides a wider area of coverages in one plan, including (but not limited too): trip cancellation, medical emergencies, medical evacuation, lost baggage, and several other coverages. Package policies vary from extremely Basic plans with less coverage to Premium plans with high end benefits and high limits. Package plans are used by:

• “General travelers” single, couple and families on vacation

• Business travelers

• Cruise takers

• Senior travelers

2) A Travel Medical Plan is purchased by travelers leaving their home country for a few days or up to a year, and provides emergency medical treatment, medicl evacuation coverage, and emergency assistance. Travel Medical plans are used by:

• US citizen s traveling abroad (business assignments, missionaries, etc.)

• Foreign citizens visiting the US (i.e. family members visiting thier family inside the United States)

• Any traveler leaving their home country
 
Most travelers fall into one of the two types of plan above. Extra provisions/policies that might include Evacuation Only Plans, Annual Plans (Long Term Travel Insurance), Flight Accident Plans, and Accidental Death Plans. These are specialty plans, and provide very specific coverage.

When is the best time to buy Travel Insurance your policy?

When is the best time to buy my Travel Insurance policy?

Simply, the eariler the better, perferrible at the time of booking if possible. There are many benefits to buying your policy right away.

1. In specific cases you have the advantage of insurance coverage for the longest possible amount of time.

2. If you book your trip and buy the travel insurance immediately, you are covered for trip cancellation.

example:

You want to take your family to Paris. You book your vacation as earily as possiible (for this example 8 months out) You would have the coverage and peace of mind for 8 months. If you booked a trip now then waited to purchase travel insurance, something could/might happen between the booking and traveling date.

3. Many plans include extra benefits if the plan is purchased within a certain numbers of day of booking.

4. Most policies have a grace period for purchasing where you can still take advantage of these additional coverages.