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An A To Z Of Travel Insurance

The process of searching for travel insurance can be very off-putting if you don’t understand the key terms that are being thrown at you by all the companies who are trying to win you over as a customer. It’s essential that you know what the terminology means so that you are not tricked into buying a policy that fails to provide the things you really need. This A to Z of travel insurance should help to turn you into a travel insurance whiz, and give you the confidence to handle the process easily.

ANNUAL COVER. Fairly self-explanatory this one: annual cover means that you pay a one off premium which covers you for all your travel insurance needs for one year. The alternative is Single Trip cover, which may help you save money if you know you’ll only be taking the one trip in a year.

CLAIMS. A claim is simply when you seek compensation from your policy provider for anything covered by your chosen policy. For example, if you are on holiday and someone steals your bag containing valuables, money and your passport, you could then make a claim with your insurance provider to cover the loss you have incurred.

EXCESS. An excess is the amount that you must pay towards each claim you make. These will vary depending on the company you go with, so be sure to read the small print. It’s worth checking how much your excesses are before making a claim, to ensure that it’s really worth it.

EXCLUSIONS. Every insurance policy has particular items or events that will be excluded from their cover. Exclusions that appear often might be things like claims arising from medical conditions that you haven’t declared, or claims for medical expenses that arose from the policyholder not taking reasonable precautions to prevent injury.

LEGAL EXPENSES. If you happen to find yourself requiring legal aid regarding your travel insurance, or in case you sustain any kind of legal expenses whilst abroad, most insurance companies offer a fixed amount to cover legal expenses within their policy.

POLICY HOLDER. The policyholder is the person, or organisation, who has been issued the policy by the insurance company. It’s worth checking to see if you are entitled to any discounted rates as a policyholder there are often cheaper rates for couples, families, children and the elderly.

WINTER SPORTS COVER. Every traveller and every holiday is different, and to accommodate for this companies also offer diverse kinds of travel insurance to provide insurance for the specific requirements of each individual customer. A good example of the variety on offer is winter sports cover, something provided by almost all companies aimed at travellers who want to take a winter sports themed holiday. The result of this variety is that it virtually eliminates the possibility of paying for more cover than you need. For those setting off for a winter sports trip, you can be covered for the extra risks or dangers associated with extreme sports, and holidaymakers taking a family holiday in the sun can choose another policy that doesn’t include the additional costs.