Save yourself from travel insurance confusion

That's a serious amount of people going abroad every year and taking unnecessary risks! Travel insurance isn't expensive, and it can give you peace of mind when you're away; safe in the knowledge that if something did go wrong (fingers crossed it won't) then you'd be covered. If yourself or one of your group fell ill while you're away then it's not ideal, but consider how you'd feel if you had to fit the bill! Travel insurance shouldn't be considered as an added extra, rather it's an essential to your trip that you shouldn't do without. If you're on the lookout for travel insurance, then take a read of this article to find out more.
Shop Around
Even before you get started on your travel insurance search, check out what your bank account or credit card provider offers. Some include annual travel insurance with their accounts, so you won't need to bother shopping around for another quote. However, do make sure you check the small print of these policies - it's worth giving the company a ring if you're still unsure. If you don't have a relevant deal, then there's not many ways to get the cheapest deal other than shopping around. The Internet makes it much easier to find the deal that's right for you quickly and easily, especially through price comparison websites. A couple of these will put you on track for a good quote, while typing ‘travel insurance' into Google can also provide substantial leads - make sure you at least check five different quotes according to your circumstances.

Any Special Circumstances?
Be careful if you or anyone in your travelling party has special circumstances - it's possible that prices will be higher as a consequence. Special circumstances include a history of serious illness, pregnancy or being over 65 - all of which present higher risks for insurers. Specialist insurers such as SAGA may be able to help you here, but should you not be able to find a decent quote, you may be able to forego your clause about any history of illness - just remember it'll be on your head should anything go wrong. Also if you are travelling in the EU, make sure you have an EHIC card. This will provide you with the same amount of cover as a citizen of the country you are visiting, which will mean you will get free or discounted treatment should you fall ill or be injured.

How Much Cover Do You Really Need?
Getting an EHIC card for the EU is fine for medical treatment, but then it won't actually protect you for loss of baggage, or flight cancellation. Furthermore, not all European countries have substantial state owned hospital infrastructure, which may mean you end up at a private hospital for emergency treatment. In this case, you may have to pay in order to be treated, and in any case you may have to pay for emergency flights back to the UK. Despite these issues, it's important that you don't overpay. It's extremely unlikely that your medical expenses would ever exceed more than £2,000,000, while personal liability cover should be around the £1,000,000 mark. Take out around this amount of cover with extra for loss of baggage or flight cancellation and you should be ready to go!