Most of us know it’s better to be safe than sorry – even if many still choose not to get good cover when they go away. But how do you find cheap travel insurance that’s right for you?

Flight delays and medical treatment abroad are among the most common disruptions to our coveted getaways, and compensating for those can be pricey enough.

But holidaymakers face other, much wider challenges too. Like financial instability and the threat of strikes in sunny but tumultuous Greece. Or natural disasters, from storms and tsunamis to eruptions of volcanic ash.

So unless your credit-card provider or your bank already covers you for these eventualities (check with them directly), be smart and buy piece of mind in the shape of a good, cheap travel insurance package.

What does good cover look like? According to Moneywise UK, your insurance should offer at least £2 million for medical expenses, £1 million for personal liability, £3,000 for cancellation, £1,500 as baggage cover and £250 cover for cash. Then there’s cover for delays, as well as airlines, hotels or other service providers going bust.

If all of this seems far too much to negotiate, don’t worry; we’ve compiled a checklist to make the search quicker and more focused.

Here’s everything you need to think about when you’re looking for cheap travel insurance that doesn’t just save you pennies but is effective too.

Cheap travel insurance DOs:

1. Use price-comparison sites to help you narrow things down – both in terms of price and the right policy for you. You’ll find a good range of insurers, but remember that not all are included.
2. Always, always, always (always!) read the small print. For example, does the insurance cover all the activities you’ll be doing – yoga, Pilates, horse-riding, wind-surfing, etc? Are there any significant exclusions from the policy that might affect you – for example ‘acts of nature’ or ’acts of God’? How does the provider define ‘weather-related events’, and do they include ash from volcanic eruptions?
3. Check if you’re covered for financial failure of service providers such as airlines and hotels. This is advisable in the current economic climate.
4. Make sure you’re happy with the excess on the policy. This can go into the hundreds of pounds – can you absorb it?
5. Take out travel insurance even if your wellbeing holiday is in the UK. Travel disruption, problems with accommodation and natural disasters can spoil any getaway.
6. Bring your EHIC card if you have one and you’re travelling in Europe. If not, apply for one now. It’s free. See our recent blog with tips for free EHIC card.

Cheap travel insurance DON’Ts:

1. Don’t wait to take out insurance. Buy one when you book your trip, and you’ll be covered immediately in case of cancellation.
2. Don’t pick a cover that doesn’t cover you. Make sure you have comprehensive travel and medical insurance that’s right for your trip.
3. Don’t lie about your medical history, or you’ll likely end up paying for your medical care.
4. Don’t assume anything. Double-check all insurance details directly with your provider.
5. Don’t forget to check the reviews. Is the provider reputable? Do they have a good track record in paying up for justified claims?
6. Don’t hesitate to take out an annual insurance – it can save you money. You might find it does if you’re making more than one journey in the year.

We hope this gets you going! For more detailed help and advice, consult the MoneySavingExpert, MoneyWise, or Which?

Updated 27 June 2018.

The post 12 tips for a cheap travel insurance that works appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

St Jude’s storm in the UK in 2013 has highlighted the importance of travel insurance that covers unexpected weather events.

Cancelled trains and flights left thousands stranded, and if they weren’t adequately insured, out of pocket too.

As in previous winters, there’s likely to be more disruption through storms, flooding and snow over the coming months, so you’ll want to make sure you don’t get caught out.

If your flight or train is cancelled, you’re likely to get reimbursed for your ticket by the rail company or airline, but what about your accommodation or any tours and activities you’ve booked?
Many travel insurance providers don’t cover “acts of nature” or “god”, as extreme weather events are often referred to. So it helps to know what to look out for.

Here are 6 tips that will help you pick the right travel insurance:

1. Use a price comparison website – not just to check the cheapest offer – but to compare several different policies. Look out for the main points as below and choose the one that covers you for as many events as possible. The Moneysavingexpert.com offers a ‘quick best buy’.

2. Read carefully through the insurer’s definition of “weather related events” and “acts of god” or any other terms they might use. Some insurance companies for example include volcanic ash clouds as a “weather related” event, others don’t.

3. Check the excess – you may have to cover the first £100 or £200 of a potential claim. Are you happy with the excess amount on your policy?

4. Are you covered for UK holidays? We often only think about travel insurance when we plan to go abroad. But if you’ve booked for a yoga weekend retreat and the trains aren’t running to get you there, you won’t get your money back without insurance.

5. Ensure your travel insurance is comprehensive. According to Moneywise UK: “A good travel insurance policy should have at least £2 million medical expenses cover, £1 million personal liability cover, £3,000 cancellation cover, £1,500 baggage cover and £250 cover for cash, as well as cover for delays and scheduled airline and end supplier (such as hotels) failure.”

6. Finally, choose a trusted insurer. There’s a lot of choice and new companies pop up all the time. Have a quick look at reviews from previous customers to make sure you pick a travel insurance that actually pays for justified claims. Surely that’s the whole point!

For further tips you can also check our previous blog on finding good and cheap health travel insurance for your retreat.

Safe journey!

Updated 22 July 2018.

The post Does your travel insurance cover acts of nature? appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

Do you want to find a good yet cheap travel health insurance, and quickly?

Are you covered for your trip by a good yet cheap travel health insurance?

What do I need to look out for when acquiring travel insurance? What’s a good and cheap travel health insurance to cover my needs? And how can I find it quickly?

In the current economic climate and also the apparent climate change there can be unexpected occurrences from financial failure of airlines to extreme weather, e.g. storms. Just think back to the volcanic ash cloud and it’s effects on travel plans in Europe. There are a few travel insurance companies that will also cover you for those eventualities.

Even if you are travelling anywhere within the UK (or your home country) if you paid for any ticket, accommodation, activity holiday or retreat you may like to be covered by the best travel insurance e.g in case of floods or any natural disaster, so that you can claim back any money.

If before now you haven’t considered getting travel insurance when embarking on your trip or think you will simply be insured by paying for your holiday with your credit card, you may like to think again. Not all credit card companies still provide automatic money back insurance, you may like to check with your bank. It’s advisable to get covered before you travel, ideally when you buy your ticket or take the risk of loosing your deposits.

These days most people use price comparison sites where you can request some of your criteria to narrow down your choice and find the cheapest insurance. It’s a good start, though bear in mind that not all insurance providers are included. It’s always highly recommend you read the ‘small print’ carefully and check reviews of your selected providers – to fast track this process we’ve done some leg work for you and compiled a quick checklist for travel insurance essentials.

7 Top Tips – Quick checklist to cover the essentials of your travel insurance:

Make sure you…
1) acquire a comprehensive travel AND medical insurance
e.g. some insurance companies will cover for financial failure including scheduled flights and accommodation, either as standard, or as an optional extra. AND don’t lie about your medical history you may end up paying for it.

2) your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake
e.g. yoga, sports etc.

3) your policy covers you for any natural disasters
e.g. covering claims resulting from closure of airspace due to volcanic ash. Some insurance companies are treating volcanic ash clouds as a “weather related” event.

4) check for any exclusions
e.g. depending on your needs some exclusions may be fine for you, others not.

5) are happy with the excess
e.g. if you make any claim do you want to absorb the first £100, £200 or less?

6) choose an insurer who pays for justified claims
e.g with a brief check of the latest reviews on the internet you can quickly identify companies to avoid

7) check annual cover that usually works out cheaper if you are planning on two or more trips (worldwide or Europe).

In our research we discovered The Moneysaving Expert helps you find a good yet cheap travel health insurance with the cover you want and it’s quick to use; including tips for over 50s.
(If you do not live in the UK or you are not a UK resident then you may need to get insurance in your country of origin or residency.)

Please always double-check all insurance details directly with the company. Neal’s Yard Holidays cannot be held responsible for any decisions you make regarding your travel insurance.

If you are interested in further reading, the Guardian have a good article on travel insurance policies with further helpful suggestions (although it was published in 2009, it still contains applicable information).

Happy travelling!

The post Cheap travel health insurance? Top tips for quick find appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.