Britons jetting off without adequate travel insurance

EIGHT per cent travellers have never bothered to take out travel insurance before going abroad – even though people typically take items worth more than £1,000 with them, according to new research.

More than two million people in the UK have either lost their suitcase while on holiday or had items stolen from it.

And the value of items stored in luggage is soaring – with more people than ever travelling with Kindles, iPads, laptop computers and expensive smartphones.

Insurers say people should check their cover to make sure expensive items are fully covered before they travel.

Bob Atkinson, a travel specialist at MoneySupermarket.com, said: “Whether you leave it right until the last minute, or spend weeks preparing, packing your suitcase marks the beginning of a getaway – and we Brits are stuffing our cases to bursting- point. It seems there is no such thing as travelling light; as a
nation we are wheeling around a staggering £32 billion of possessions for just one week away, including £8bn of cash.

“Unsurprisingly in this age of handheld gadgets, more than eight million of us can’t leave home without ‘essentials’ like a laptop and iPad. All of which have increased the value of our holiday luggage. Worryingly, we don’t seem to have considered this when it comes to taking out adequate travel insurance.”