How do I buy holiday insurance online?

When you decide you want to pack your bags in order to head overseas so you can have a holiday. Usually people remind you to pack your toothbrush, but you should also ensure that you also remember to back your travel insurance.

The Post Office recently carried out research which found out that 20% of those who go on holiday are travelling uninsured. People who actually do take out travel insurance tend to spend only about 30 minutes or even less researching their policy.

Its not just a matter of travelling with insurance though - you also need to make sure that you have the correct insurance. In the same survey it was found that over 40% of people never read the small print on their policy. Also, only 30% of all claims are medical claims, even though adequate medical cover is a priority.

Those people who think that they don't have time to fully research travel insurance before they buy it need to think about what the internet can do. Its been found that buying travel insurance online is almost certainly cheaper than purchasing it at a travel agent. For instance, in a recent comparison of travel insurance between a travel agent and an internet insurance broker showed that a minimum level of cover for a family of four who wish to go to Europe will cost £92 with the travel agent and only £18 with the internet broker.

What's more, convenience is better using the internet. All you have to do is answer some pretty straightforward questions - and then you area allowed to pay using a credit or a debit card. You will be given the options of tailoring the premiums, being able to reduce them by paying a lower excess or maybe opting out of cover for your personal belongings - which you may not need to do if you have cover for your possessions away from your home on your home contents insurance.

You can get all kinds of insurance on the internet. For instance, for a single trip to Europe for one adult for a week can cost under £10 yet covers more than £2m in medical expenses and for just over £10 you can get over £10m in medical expenses.

You can also get annual travel insurance should you be planning to take more than two trips away in a year. In general, the amount of cover in terms of costs (e.g. you'll still have £2m or £10m in medical expenses cover) doesn't change, but it covers you for all travelling in a full year.

Remember also that you can get backpackers insurance for longer trips abroad, and if you want cover for hazardous activities you can get that too. The internet doesn't change the rules.

© AskFinancially.com 2008

Travel Insurance

Insurance & Loans

Copyright

How do I buy holiday insurance online?

© AskFinancially.com 2008

Travel Insurance

Insurance & Loans

Copyright