Travel Insurance

Passport, tickets …. and travel insurance. A good policy ought to be an essential part of any holiday. But experts say too many of us head overseas without one. Insurer More Than reckons that one holidaymaker in eight doesn’t bother with travel cover with 17-25 year-olds least likely to buy a policy.

But other figures show just how dangerous this can be. American Express says treatment for gastro-enteritis abroad can cost £600 while a broken leg can trigger a bill for £10,000 in some countries. The cost for medical treatment and an air ambulance home from countries like America or Japan can run into the hundreds of thousands. Meanwhile Direct Line says we’ve seen luggage and possessions worth some £1.5 billion go missing over the past three years alone

So here’s our independently written guide to travel insurance. It is designed to help readers find the most suitable and best-priced policy. It also aims to help you avoid all the bad value deals that continue to plague the industry.

Holidaymakers advised to double check insurance

Holidaymakers, and winter sports fans in particular, could be putting themselves at risk through a disinterested attitude towards travel insurance, a finance website has warned.

Moneyextra said that while arranging insurance was hardly the most exciting of pre-holiday activities, the cover provided by different policies, especially when it came to winter sports, varied considerably.

The organisation advises travellers to check before they buy - don't assume winter travel insurance automatically includes winter sports cover as most policies offer this as an optional extra. It is also important to double check which winter sports are covered, it said.

In addition, holidaymakers should confirm what is excluded from policies when shopping for insurance, as those taking part in professional competitions are often not covered, as well as checking policy wording carefully.

Also, the site urges travellers to remember to take their policy documentation with them so they can check what is included when they are away and make an immediate claim if necessary.

Senior editor at Moneyextra Robin Amlot warned: "If you enjoy the adrenaline rush of winter sports you should plan ahead and make sure your travel insurance is appropriate, covering you for the sports you intend to partake in and mountain evacuation.

"If you don't, you risk footing a bill which can run into thousands of pounds, especially if you’re holidaying in the US where medical bills are much higher than Europe."

Latest News for Travel Insurance
Eurostar to cut carbon emissions

High-speed passenger rail service Eurostar has pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent per traveller journey by 2012.

The plans could make travelling on the service a greener option for travellers on France holidays or Belgium holidays.

In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the company has drawn up a ten-point plan aimed at becoming more environmentally-friendly, including steps such as recycling on-board waste, reusing water from train washing and replacing train air conditioning refrigerants with less environmentally-damaging alternatives.

It has also pledged to become carbon neutral by November 14th 2007 - when it launches 23 to25 minute shorter journeys from its new central London terminal at St Pancras International.

Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said that passengers wanted to minimise their carbon footprint on the environment and the firm aimed to assist in this.

He stated: "We don't have all the answers but we do know that a high-speed rail journey is ten times greener than flying - and that Eurostar can be greener still."

The firm experienced ticket sales in the first quarter of 2007 that were 13.2 per cent higher than during the same period in 2006, with especially high growth among business and leisure travellers to the south of France.