The day is soon approaching and it’s time to consider travel insurance to protect you from the unexpected. There are many travel insurance plans to choose from for that trip you are going to take. There are some important tips about travel insurance and the policies these travel insurance companies offer. Also, you can have a safe trip if you take a little time to research and educate yourself with a few simple and helpful tips.

When you are getting ready to travel, be sure to tell at least three family members where you are going to stay. Let them know your hotel details and arrival and departure dates. Another important tip if you travel in other countries, is the right vaccinations for the country you are going to visit. This is a safety issue many forget to even consider while traveling abroad.

Another helpful tip with any type of travel insurance, is your money and documents. Be sure you have the right passports and all required visas and that they are current. One of the best things you can do is get travelers checks. You really don’t want to carry cash if at all possible. Another important thing to remember in regards to travelers checks, is not to counter sign them until you use them.

Travel insurance companies can give you a check list of all the important tips for a safe trip. Make sure you have copies of your travel documents, airline tickets, passport, visas and your vaccination records. It’s best to leave a copy at home and also carry them in your carry on luggage and your suitcase. This will help insure you have these important documents in case one set gets lost while traveling. Another very important consideration, is to put all valuables and documents in a safe deposit box. Don’t leave them in your hotel room or you vehicle unattended.

Travel insurance policies should cover you for international travel. Medical and other expenses, cancellation and curtailment, personal baggage, delayed baggage, missed departure, personal money and important documents, travel delay, personal liability and hijack are generally covered.

Travel insurance reviews online can help you get an idea of the best company for your travel plans. You can easily see the many insurance reviews online. It can be well worth your while to do a simple online search. You can compare travel insurance companies with a few clicks of your computer mouse.

At last you've retired. It's now time to relax and experience a slower pace of life. Even enjoy spot of gardening. But not all of today's modern over 65's have heard the message! Retirement is taking a new twist.

Less of the slower pace of life and substitute jetting around the world! International travel for the retired is here and booming!

It's all the result of a increased sense of adventure and willingness to experiment, combined with more money in the pocket. Cheaper air tickets have also helped! Even cruises, once the territory of the seriously rich and famous, have become affordable. An escape to Antigua and a fortnight in the Canaries or a weekend in Stockholm are now firmly on the over 65's travelling schedule.

Then a fly sticks in the ointment. Finding economical travel insurance when you're over 65 is not easy. Insurance companies recognise that people have healthier lives and are living longer, and in recognition the insurers are offering far more products for the older market. But with travel insurance, the over 65's are still faced with exorbitant premiums.

Premiums rocket as you get older and if you're looking for an annual policy for an extended holiday or a series of holidays, the problem becomes finding a policy at all rather than simply finding the cheapest price.

The dilemma revolves around the costs of medical claims experienced by the insurers. Over 65's are much more liable to make a medical claim and the claim size is well above average too. Against this, older travellers reportedly lose less luggage - but these savings are counter-balanced by the fact their belongings are liable to be worth more.

The result is that even if you are fit, the lowest priced annual policy for the over 65's could cost £1,000 per person – that could be more than the cost of the holiday itself. Faced with these charges, the solution is to buy a separate policy for each trip. But even with a good medical history, the cost of insuring a 3-week holiday in the South of France starts around £65, and rises enormously for destinations in America and further a-field.

What's the solution? You're recommended to shop around. Your travel agent may offer a quotation but don't snap his hand off until you've got competitive prices. You'll almost certainly find a much cheaper alternative through surfing the Internet and buying online.

But don't make your final decision simply on the basis of cost. Always examine the small print. Some travel policies will insure you for up to 21 days, others up to 31 days or 45 days. Some policies will only cover you if you're staying in booked accommodation rather than staying with friends or relatives. No good for visiting family in New South Wales! Then you need to ensure that you've got adequate cover for medical and hospital expenses and don't spare the horses – think of a high figure and triple it! You'll be amazed how expensive quality medical attention can be whilst you're abroad. Incidentally, it's important that your insurer will fly you home to the UK if your medical condition demands. And don't overlook comparing the excesses you have to pay per claim. Finally, check that the policy pays medical costs direct to the hospital rather than you paying first and having to reclaim.

Round the clock room service, clean accommodations, but it’s a tourist’s nightmare. You’re not in a hotel, you’re in the hospital, having had the misfortune of getting sick in the middle of what was supposed to be a dream vacation. And the worst thing is that you’ll be spending more on health care than you would’ve on an actual tour.

Travelers often think that travel insurance is just a waste of money – it is an expense for something that they would likely not use anyway. Foregoing insurance can be a tough decision. In order to help you arrive at the right decision you should ask yourself the following questions:

What is the coverage of your current insurance? If you already have a great comprehensive insurance, you may not need any other insurance. Some policies would cover treatment given anywhere in the world.

What are the limitations of the proposed plan? Try to find out the stipulations being offered by the plan as well as the conditions for the coverage. You wouldn’t want to be blindsided when you do get to use the plan.

Where is your travel destination? Study the places you will visit. Does the environment pose more health risks?

Are you the type who visits the doctor often? Determine how many times you have visited a doctor or the hospital over the last few months. People who worry about their health too much are better off getting health insurance.

Do you get sick often? If you are the type who catches bugs easily then insurance is the best option.

How much would the insurance cost? Ultimately, you will have to consider how much you are going to spend. If you already pay for health care then paying for one while you are travelling should be just another incidental expense for you.

What are the limits of the plan you are considering? Do you want to incur no costs on the road, or do you want to take your chances with a high deductible? Will your policy provide coverage for an ER visit if you cut yourself in your Sydney hostel kitchen? What about emergency evacuation? Will you be somewhere with good health care or should you expect to be sent to another country in case of a serious injury or treatment?

Travel insurance, though often overlooked as not necessary, may be well worth the small expense when you find yourself at the mercy of overseas health care and the environmental risks of foreign countries.

Last week my wife and I booked a two centre holiday on the Scottish Isles. Seven days on Skye and then a ferry over to Steornabhagh for a further seven days on the Isle of Lewis. Wonderful scenery, plenty of walks and masses of peace and quiet.

You could have blown me over when my local travel agent assumed that I wanted travel insurance for an additional £27.50. Not on your Nellie the Lock Ness monster, I thought. Who needs travel insurance for a holiday in Britain? The National Health Service is free and in an emergency, my son could drive up and bring us home.

Later in the relaxing setting of my sitting room I got to thinking.

Holiday misfortunes don't only happen abroad. So with my pessimistic hat on, I made a note of the risks:

Some rotter might steal our luggage

Last week I bought an all singing and dancing digital camera especially for the trip. Got it on the Internet. I might lose it whilst away.

If either of us were hospitalised we wouldn't want to be marooned on Skye. We'd want to transfer to our local hospital in Warwickshire.

My wife's parents are getting on. God forbid, but I'd have to cancel the holiday if something happened to them just before we're due to go.

One of us could be taken ill before we depart and we'd be forced to cancel. As the ferries and the hotels were non-cancellable, we'd lose everything we'd paid.

There may be a major delay at the ferry going over to the Isle of Lewis. Besides the inconvenience, we have to arrange an extra overnight stay on Skye.

One of us might be called up for jury service.

Then it struck me. If I were holidaying in the Britain, my existing Home and Contents policy might cover me for loss of my camera or luggage. I dug out the policy document. Lucky I did. I was only insured for “personal possessions” if they were listed and as I'd just bought my digital camera I hadn't got round to listing it as a valuable item on my policy.

Another aspect struck me. I'd lose my no claims discount if I made a holiday related claim on my Home & Contents policy. That wouldn't be a good idea. I've got a ten year claims free record that policy and it still cost me £310 a year. I jotted down a another note – remember, when the policy comes up for renewal, see if I could get it cheaper on the Internet.

By now a travel policy at £27.50 for was looking worthwhile after all.

Now my wife says I'm a bit of an old skin flint. So keep up the image! I know, get back online and check out the travel agents' policy at £27.50. Is it competitive?

Not all the web sites I surfed could offer me a single trip travel policy for a holiday within the UK but within ten minutes I'd found what I wanted - and a saving of over £10!

Time to study the small print to confirm I had the cover I wanted. Great, all the risks I had noted were covered. The insurer would even pay out £30 if my ferry was delayed for up to 12 hours and then give me the option to cancel my trip to the Isle of Lewis and get my money back.

Now what wouldn't they pay for? I wasn't covered if my holiday was for less than two nights or my hotel was less than 25 miles away from home. I also had to meet the first £30 of any claim. Seemed fair to me.

The decision was made. Simply type in my credit card details and I was insured in a CLICK.

What is Travel Insurance?

In general terms, travel insurance protects all holiday costs against adverse events such as cancellation and interruption and also reimburses medical expenses, the loss or damage of property and transit delays. Travellers are compensated if they have to cancel or interrupt their travel, they will also be covered should they need emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation and other situations.
Categories of travel insurance:

1. Delays and cancellation – including curtailment
Cancellation: Reimbursement comes into effect if travellers have booked and paid for a holiday, but are unable to embark because of personal illness or injury, death (of the individual or of a family member), adverse weather conditions, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, jury duty or by sustaining serious damage to their home causing it to be uninhabitable due to fire or flooding.

Interruption: Insurance companies pay money to policy holders abroad if they have to cut short their trip due to illness, death (of the traveller or a family member), terrorism, weather, airline strikes, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, and other adverse conditions which mean that, due to events outside the control of the holiday-maker, a trip has to be curtailed.

Delay: This reimburses travellers for hotel, food or clothing expenses in the event of a flight delay. Some plans also cover costs associated with catching up with a cruise should another delay cause the traveller to miss embarkation.

2. Health and Medical reasons
Medical evacuation: This provides emergency transportation to either a local hospital in the event that the traveller is unable to get there by themselves or back to a hospital near the traveller’s home. If family members are covered on the same policy they can return home also Medical and health reasons: Reimburses medical and emergency dental costs. Almost all travel insurance plans work by reimbursing the traveller after they have paid locally for treatment. Claims are usually paid within 7 – 10 days. Pre-existing conditions are covered by most policies if the policy is purchased within (at the most) 21 days from the date the traveller made the first payment or deposit.

3. Death of travellers:
Air Flight accident – this covers death or dismemberment during an air flight only. Usually provides the highest amount of coverage due to fairly low likelihood of this occurring. Common carrier – Covers death or dismemberment while travelling on public transport such as a plane, ferry, train bus or taxi. Accidental death – covers death or dismemberment at any time of your trip. Usually provides the lowest amount of coverage due to a higher risk

4. Personal effects: Loss or damage
-Rental Car damage – Reimburses travellers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle. It is designed to allow the traveller to decline collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage offered by the car rental companies. Liability coverage should still be purchased through the car rental company. Rental Car Damage coverage is also often included with the credit card used to pay for the car rental which is often matches the coverage provided in the policy.

-Baggage loss – reimburses travellers for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. This coverage is usually restricted to the duration of the trip and not confined to baggage damaged or lost by the airline. There are two policy limits, total claim and per item maximum. Some policies also place limits on the type of items that can be claimed for – such as precious jewellery, laptops and sporting goods.

-Assistance services – provides a 24-hour collect telephone advice and assistance service to travellers. This service can be used anytime a traveller needs advice. Make sure you don’t leave home without it,and copy it down in several places

What is a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?

When a trip cancellation travel insurance company refers to a "Pre-Existing Condition", they are talking about medical conditions that exist in the Lookback Period that immediately preceeds the travel insurance purchase date.

Simply put, a Pre-Existing Condition is any medically documented condition (no matter how minor) an Insured Person, Traveling Companion or Family Member has been treated for, consulted with or received advice on. This includes any adjustments or changes in any prescription drugs or medication during the Lookback Period. The condition has to be medically stable.

Medically Stable also includes the idea that nothing is foreseen or expected to "be a turn for the worse". In other words if you're given a week to live and you want to buy travel insurance for a cruise next month, you can't cover the Pre-Existing Condition. It's like wanting to buy Fire Insurance when your house is on fire.

Here's some actual policy wording:

“Any injury, illness, sickness or medical condition of an Insured or Family Member which either manifests itself or exists during the Lookback Period immediately preceding the day you buy Travel Insurance, unless the condition is controlled through the taking of prescription drugs or medication and remains controlled throughout the Lookback Period. A pre-existing condition has manifested itself when medical care, treatment or diagnosis has been given.”

Travel insurance is something that many people haven’t considered. Sure, it’s possible that you may never have to access your travel insurance, but just having it can really give you peace of mind. As it so often happens, there are many different circumstances or situations that could cause you to cancel your trip, interrupt your plans and possibly return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling. To demonstrate the importance of purchasing travel insurance, and emergency travel services, here are a few common examples of what might go wrong:

It's 8:00 p.m. and your family arrives at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. How do you get your family home? A travel insurance policy would be very helpful.

Your spouses luggage was lost which contained his medical insulin inside. Obviously he needs to locate that piece of luggage very soon. What could you do?

It’s your first visit overseas to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. A terrible circumstance to be in under any condition. Where would you turn for emergency cash, and very importantly, how will you get your passport replaced?

Your spouse is involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation? A solid travel medical insurance policy would go a long ways towards easing the difficulties of this situation.

Sure, these circumstances are rare and may not ever happen to you. However, if you have adequate travel insurance you can relax a little because now you’ve got someone on your side.

Travel insurance is something that many people haven’t considered. Sure, it’s possible that you may never have to access your travel insurance, but just having it can really give you peace of mind. As it so often happens, there are many different circumstances or situations that could cause you to cancel your trip, interrupt your plans and possibly return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling. To demonstrate the importance of purchasing travel insurance, and emergency travel services, here are a few common examples of what might go wrong:

It's 8:00 p.m. and your family arrives at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. How do you get your family home? A travel insurance policy would be very helpful.

Your spouses luggage was lost which contained his medical insulin inside. Obviously he needs to locate that piece of luggage very soon. What could you do?

It’s your first visit overseas to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. A terrible circumstance to be in under any condition. Where would you turn for emergency cash, and very importantly, how will you get your passport replaced?

Your spouse is involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation? A solid travel medical insurance policy would go a long ways towards easing the difficulties of this situation.

No. When you read travel insurance policy language, remember that as with any legal document, the definition of the terms is what governs the working of the policy (including payment of the claim). I create hypothetical travel scenarios for training purposes. This includes contacting our travel insurance suppliers’ claims departments to see how they handle a given scenario.

A common concern of travelers are Pre-Existing Medical Conditions. In some cases, you can cancel, interrupt your trip or receive medical treatment if you (or a non-traveling family member) has a pre-existing condition. It has to do with the policy’s wording.

All travel insurance excludes claims due to pre-existing medical conditions. Some travel insurance plans will waive the pre-existing condition exclusion if you get your travel insurance in the first 10, 14 or 21 days after your first trip payment date (ie - before the end of these 10, 14 or 21 days).

Any payment on your trip is considered the first payment. This includes the tax you pay when you redeem frequent flyer tickets, refundable deposits or even a trip planning consultation fee if that fee is later credited toward your trip costs.

You'll protect yourself if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip because of that pre-existing medical condition. There are three primary rules to keep in mind: