Anyone planning a winter getaway has been urged to make sure they take out the right kind of travel insurance to avoid running into a “very expensive” problem while abroad.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued the vital travel advice for any February holidaymakers, writing on X: “Escaping the cold for some fun in the sun this February? Make sure you have appropriate travel insurance that covers you for all your holiday activities. Don’t risk a big bill if something goes wrong.”
The FCDO highlights in its Travel Aware campaign that insurance can cover a range of scenarios such as medical emergencies, lost or stolen baggage, trip cancellations or interruptions, and natural disasters. However, just taking out the cheapest policy doesn’t mean you’re automatically covered for everything – there are many reasons why your travel insurance may be invalidated.
“If you buy a basic policy that does not provide enough medical coverage, you may get a big bill if you have an unexpected health issue on holiday,” the FCDO explained.
“You may buy a policy that does not cover your planned holiday activities such as water sports or quad biking; or does not cover cancellations or delays. If you’re injured doing activities, or your trip is disrupted, you may have a big bill to pay.”
To help make sure that your travel insurance will cover you in the event that something goes wrong on your trip, the FCDO has six key tips to follow:
- Declare all of your medical conditions – Failure to declare your medical conditions could mean your claim is rejected if you have a medical emergency while travelling. Check your policy to see what you need to declare – this can include heart conditions, diabetes, mental health conditions, and cancer.
- Check your insurance covers your activities – If you’re planning an adventure holiday with activities such as quad biking or water sports, you may need specific insurance cover for this. Check that your policy covers all your planned activities.
- Check your insurance covers the whole trip – Be sure to purchase travel insurance that covers the duration of your holiday. Some policies have a limit on the amount of time you can be abroad, which could mean your policy is invalidated if you exceed it.
- Check that medical evacuation is included – If you become ill or injured while travelling, you may need to be transported to hospital, or back to the UK, for treatment, which can cost thousands of pounds. Check your policy covers medical evacuation before travelling.
- Share your policy details with friends and family – This can be helpful in case they need to contact your insurance company on your behalf, if you get into trouble abroad.
- Pack your policy document – When you travel, take a paper copy of your insurance policy with you. If you lose your phone abroad, this paper copy will provide the information you need, including your policy number and insurer’s emergency 24 hour telephone number.
Money expert Martin Lewis has also advised jet-setters to make sure they buy their travel insurance as soon as they book their holiday. This is because your insurance isn’t just there to cover you if something goes wrong while you’re on holiday – it can also help you to get your money back if you are unable to go on your trip.
Speaking on the ITV Martin Lewis Money Show, he said: “Every year I get people who have been diagnosed with cancer and are having chemotherapy, I’ve had people who’ve been paralysed, and they get in touch with me and they say: ‘I can’t go on my holiday, what do I do?’
“And they say, ‘I don’t have travel insurance, can I cancel?’ Well look, unless you’ve got flexible booking, I’m going to say something that sounds very trite but I just want you to understand. You can’t expect the hotel or the flight company to give you your money back.”
He added: “That’s why we have travel insurance, to cover us not just for when we’re on holiday but in case something happens that stops us going on holiday. Otherwise you get stuck like that.”