Travel Insurance, Travel Insurance Policy - Ask Travel Editors.com

When you book your flight or cruise or a package holiday, the travel agent invariably offers you travel insurance.

Such insurance is of course essential. We hear horror stories after failure to take out adequate and proper insurance. Know exactly what is covered before you take out your travel insurance policy.

Yet, how many of us actually bother to read the small print? Not many!

Do you know what your travel insurance covers?

• What is the accident cover?

• What is the medical cover?

• Does it include emergency transportation back to your country in case you need specific, emergency treatment?

• What is the cover for valuables and cash?

• What is the third party/public liability cover?

• What important exclusions are provided - that means you can't claim under those circumstances?

• What is the excess limit? You pay for the initial amount specified.

• Does the travel insurance company provide emergency telephone support?

• What are the claim procedures - do you need to make a claim within a specified time?

• What evidence do you require for the claim? Receipts, Police Reports, Hospital Reports?

Such questions may seem unimportant.

Fortunately, most people never need to make a claim on their insurance policy.

The big problem arises when you need to make a claim - and you find out at that stage that you are either not covered or that you are inadequately covered.

That is the last thing you need when you are already stressed by the problem that you are facing.

The moral of the story: Insure, read the small print when booking your policy, keep the policy safely - and follow the instructions carefully if you need to make a claim.