The Guide Top 10: Sunscreen is not the only holiday cover you need

WITH the school holidays approaching fast, families across Scotland are preparing for their summer breaks.

And with the recent volcanic ash crisis and resultant flight chaos highlighting the importance of being protected in the event of delays and cancellations, Bob Atkinson, travel expert at moneysupermarket.com, gives his top tips for buying travel insurance.

1 BUY WHEN YOU BOOK It is important to take out travel insurance at the time of booking your trip as it ensures that you are covered for unexpected cancellation from the off, even if your holiday is months away. Should anything happen between booking your trip and departing, you would need to have a travel insurance policy in place to make a claim.

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2 LOOK BEYOND PRICE It's vital to get the right level of cover for you and your family at the best possible price. It is worth looking out for the inclusion of end-supplier failure because many airlines and tour operators are up against it financially. This will pay out should your airline, hotel or tour operator go bust. Also read the excess levels of the policy and ensure they are a reasonable amount should you need to make a claim for loss or theft of your baggage or personal belongings.

3 DON'T BE HASTY Although it is important to take out a policy as soon as possible when you have booked your travel, you don't need to take the first option that comes your way. Shopping around for the best policy is quick and easy to do, and you will find policies at a fraction of the price that agents offer, often with better levels of cover.

4 RECOMMENDED LEVELS OF COVER Aim for a policy that covers at least:

• 2m for medical expenses

• 1m personal liability

• 3,000 cancellation – or enough to cover the cost of your holiday

• 1,500 baggage

• 250 for cash

• Policy excesses under 100

• Cover for scheduled airline failure and end-supplier failure as desirable

• Delay cover (e.g. 20/hour for first 12 hours).

5 READ THE POLICY'S WORDING Ensure that you understand what you are and are not covered for. Also check over extras such as single-item limits for things like gadgets and phones, and read up on the process involved should you need to make a claim. Make a note of your policy reference number as well as the contact details for your insurer.

6 ANNUAL OR SINGLE TRIP? For most people taking two or more holidays a year, an annual policy is better value than buying separate travel insurance each time, especially if one of those trips is a long-haul destination. Worldwide annual travel policies cost around 30.

7 WHAT ABOUT EHICS? When travelling to destinations inside the European Union it is essential that you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in addition to your travel insurance. EHICs, which replaced the E111 forms and are free, entitle the holder to the same level of medical care when visiting an EU country as residents receive.

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They are free to apply for and were brought in to replace the E111 forms. These cards do have an expiry date so if you already have one check that it is still valid for your date of travel. EHICs are not a replacement for travel insurance but should be taken out as well as your policy.

8 GAP YEAR/SABBATICAL TRAVEL If you are heading off for a gap year or career break, you should ensure that you take out a specialised policy. Standard travel insurance does not cover trips that are longer than 30 days in duration, so anyone heading off on their travels for an extended period will need to take out the right type of policy.

9 DOING SOMETHING DARING? If you are intend to experience something new and exciting such as canoeing, bungee jumping or rock climbing, take out a policy that will cover you for such activities. Exclusions are commonplace because of the risks involved in some extreme sports, so check that you are covered for such activities to ensure that you can claim on your insurance should anything go wrong. When taking a ski break you must have a full ski policy, especially for medical cover.

10 BE HONEST Insurers need to know if you have a pre-existing medical condition when you take out a policy with them. Many conditions will be covered for a small additional premium, but the failure to tell them upfront could lead to any claim you may make being refused.

Where conditions are severe or quite recent, travel insurers may not provide cover but some specialist insurers will. Although policies for those with a pre-existing medical condition are more costly, it is more cost effective than travelling without and having to foot the bill for any emergency medical treatment that you may receive when overseas.

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