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Travel insurance
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What does travel insurance do?
Travel insurance is usually purchased as a standard combined package of covers designed to protect you from a variety of adverse events that could occur while you are on holiday.
These typically include:
- Providing some financial recompense if your trip is cancelled or curtailed due to circumstances beyond your control
- Medical emergency and/or repatriation expenses if you are ill or injured
- Loss or damage to your personal possessions
- Loss or theft of money
- Expenses incurred due to a delayed departure
- Expenses incurred replacing a lost passport
- Legal expenses and personal liability cover in the case of an accident where you cause injury or damage to a third party or their property
- Compensation if you suffer permanent disability or death whilst on holiday.
Often these areas of cover are subject to specified limits and excesses, so you will need to read your policy document carefully to check how much you are covered for and what, if any excess you would need to pay in the event of a claim.
Travel insurance policies may be purchased for individual trips or as an annual policy for all trips taken in the year of insurance.
You can buy travel insurance from many different sources including insurance brokers, travel agents, tour operators, banks, building societies, the post office, retailers, credit card providers or direct from insurers.
Suppliers offer a variety of methods of purchasing such as over the counter, by telephone, post and over the internet.
Important exclusions
- Claims arising from ongoing medical conditions that you suffer from before you take out the insurance;
- Claims arising from your participation in hazardous activities or some adventure activities such as horse riding, skiing, scuba diving or cycle touring (listed activities vary).
If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are planning to participate in any potentially hazardous activities and you want these to be covered, you must tell the insurer before you travel to confirm whether they will cover you for claims arising from these causes. If in doubt ask your insurer.
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