Don't Risk Travelling without Insurance!

A picture of the main street in the beautiful Scottish town of Pitlochry

It's Not Worth The Risks

The risks of travelling without a good insurance policy can be considerable and far-reaching. With this in mind, why do so many people choose to travel without any coverage?

According to ABTA, as many as two-fifths of people (38%) - 8.6 million Brits - who travelled abroad in the past 18 months have holidayed without the right travel insurance or non at all. Many could have taken part in activities that may not have been covered by the insurance they did have.

Just over one in five (21%) holidaymakers said they travelled without insurance in the last year. Of these people, over a third (37%) said they didn’t think they needed travel insurance and more than a quarter (28%) said it was a risk they were willing to take. ABTA

Staggeringly, Direct Travel reported that 38% of 18-34-year-olds (millennials) said they would be prepared to risk not having travel insurance, many of who thought the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) did the same job, which it does not! Direct Travel

Various articles of research including our own, show that common excuses for failing to purchase travel insurance are - it’s too expensive, I forgot, I thought it was included in the cost of the holiday, it’s part of Europe so I don’t need it! Unfortunately, none of these excuses would act as a get out of hospital free card in a real-life situation.

Real-Life Example - Joyce Kettle, 74, a great-grandmother from Blyth, Northumberland was airlifted to a hospital near Cancun, having suffered from breathing difficulties on a cruise off the Mexican coast. She underwent an emergency heart operation resulting in a hospital bill of over £50,000. Joyce thought she had holiday insurance through her bank, but the policy only covered her for trips in Europe. As a result, her family launched a "Go Fund Me" appeal to help pay for Joyce’s medical costs and bring her safely home.

It’s important to know that the Foreign Commonwealth Office cannot pay medical bills if you are hospitalised abroad nor can they fly you home.

If you have a travel insurance policy through your bank account or credit card, it’s worthwhile checking – What parts of the world you are covered to travel to and what type of cover is included, as you may need to get a top-up for special circumstances or health conditions.

If you have any special medical conditions that must be declared, don’t hold back, because if you fail to mention this when you take out insurance and you later need to make a claim, insurance companies are well within their rights to reject any claim.

The cost of travel insurance is very cheap compared with the benefits of cover you may need, for example – delayed or cancelled flight; missed departure; curtailment; delayed or lost luggage; personal money; accidents; doctors/hospital treatment; event cancellation, plus many more descriptions depending on the policy you choose.

Main Points to Takeaway!

1. Never travel abroad to other countries without travel insurance. Plus, if you have an annual policy and you book a short domestic break, you can be covered both home and away.

2. Purchase your travel insurance before you book your travel/holiday or as soon after as possible, that way you will be fully covered if anything goes wrong, such as - If you are ill and unable to travel or you are made redundant or because of bereavement.  

3. Purchase insurance that does cover you for all eventualities as not all policies will cover everything, such as delayed departure, curtailment, cancellation and many others. It may cost you a couple of extra £/€ but it will be well worth it!

4. Always declare any medical conditions prior to purchasing your travel insurance, if you don't, your policy will be completely void.

5. Always check that the travel insurance you are about to purchase is completely appropriate. If you are going scuba diving, hiring jetskis, winter sports or any other activity, you must ensure you have the correct cover. 

Choosing an Insurer

There are hundreds of insurance companies you can choose from all with many types of policies to purchase online. If you are not 100% sure of the policy to purchase, call the insurance company for advice. We are affiliated with Globelink International which is a well-established travel insurance company and has various policies to suit all types of travellers. Click the link below and purchase the policy most suited to your needs.  
   Travel Insurance Options

Take care of yourself and your family on your next break and don’t risk travelling without insurance!!

 

Happy Holidays

 

NOTE - Information contained in this article was accurate at the time of publishing and should be used for guidance only. Whilst we make every effort to keep our information up to date, public information is constantly changing and therefore, no responsibility will be accepted if this information becomes out of date or which warrants this information to be inaccurate.

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