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If you want peace of mind that you’re fully protected, it’s best to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday, although you don’t have to purchase cover through the company you book with.
That said, it’s easy to delay sorting insurance until the last minute. And with thousands of policies available, finding the right cover at the right price can feel overwhelming.
Read more in our article Everything you need to know about travel insurance.
Here, we look at why buying travel insurance when you book your holiday is so important and some of the different types of policy you might want to consider.
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Ready to jet off to your dream destination? Use code RLSS20 for 20% off your travel insurance. Travel with less stress knowing you’ve got a safety net if something goes wrong. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 31 December, 2026.
Contents
- What is travel insurance and why do you need it?
- Why you should buy travel insurance when you book
- What does travel insurance cover while I’m away?
- Can I buy travel insurance if I’m already on holiday?
- What type of travel insurance should I get?
- Should I go for a single or multi-trip policy?
- Do I need travel insurance for a UK holiday?
What is travel insurance and why do you need it?
Travel insurance is designed to protect you against the risks and financial losses that can occur when travelling. A travel insurance policy normally includes protection against unforeseen delays or cancellations and medical bills if you fall ill or have an accident. It should also reimburse you if your belongings are damaged, stolen or lost while you’re away.
Going away isn’t cheap, with the average Brit planning to spend £846 each on going abroad this year, according to Aviva. Ensuring you have travel cover in place means that if something goes wrong, you hopefully won’t lose out financially.
Why you should buy travel insurance when you book
To ensure you’re fully covered for any trip, it’s important to always buy your travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked your holiday.
This means that not only will you have protection against things going wrong while you’re away, but also for any issues that disrupt your holiday plans before you go. For example, you may receive a payout if you’re forced to cancel your holiday due to illness, jury service or bereavement, or if the travel provider cancels your holiday.
Bear in mind that trip cancellation is the number one reason for travel claims. Therefore, leaving buying travel insurance until some time after you’ve booked your holiday could mean you miss out on valuable protection.
Most policies include cancellation cover, and you should ideally look for a minimum of £3,000 for this part, or enough to cover the cost of your trip. Most will also include cover for flight delays, if more than 24 hours, or missed departures if this has happened due to events that are outside your control.
The main reasons that you might need to make a claim for cancelling your holiday are unforeseen situations such as the death of a close family member, injuries or unexpected illnesses that mean you can’t travel, stolen passports, or if you’ve been made redundant and can no longer afford to go away.
You might also be able to make a claim if your trip is delayed, although depending on where you’re travelling, your insurer might expect you to claim compensation through your travel provider first.
Bear in mind, though, that simply changing your mind and choosing not to go on the holiday you’ve booked usually isn’t covered. The scenario has to be unexpected and unavoidable, so wanting to change the dates of your break won’t be considered a valid reason to make a claim.
Sun, sand and 20% off Admiral Travel Insurance
Ready to jet off to your dream destination? Use code RLSS20 for 20% off your travel insurance. Travel with less stress knowing you’ve got a safety net if something goes wrong. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 31 December, 2026.
What does travel insurance cover while I’m away?
What you’re covered for whilst you’re away will depend on the particular policy you’ve chosen, but as a general rule, you should have some degree of protection for:
- Medical expenses – Your policy should show the amount that your insurer will pay towards medical bills if you have an accident or get sick while you’re away. The level of cover offered can reach into millions of pounds, as medical costs abroad can be eye-watering.
- Lost, stolen, or damaged belongings – Going away is one of the few times that you’re likely to carry higher value items with you, such as cameras and laptops. It’s not uncommon for luggage to get lost in transit, for things to be stolen from accommodation. This protection means that you’ll be covered for the cost of replacing items that are lost, stolen or damaged while you’re away.
- Personal liability – This provides cover if you accidentally hurt someone or damage their possessions while you’re away.
Can I buy travel insurance if I’m already on holiday?
If you’re at the airport or have already reached your destination and suddenly realise that you forgot to buy cover, you might still be able to buy travel insurance, but leaving it until the last minute isn’t recommended.
If you are trying to buy cover online in a hurry, make sure that any policy you take out starts instantly. Different insurers will have different terms and conditions, however, and some won’t let you buy a policy if you’ve already gone through airport security, so always check the small print carefully.
Some insurers also offer a type of insurance called last-minute or post-departure travel insurance. This insurance is provided on the understanding that nothing has already gone wrong, such as losing your luggage, and it usually won’t cover cancellations or delays. You’ll typically be covered from the day you buy it, and medical, lost, stolen, or damaged belongings and personal liability cover will usually be included. You can expect to pay a higher premium as it’s considered a specialist type of insurance.
What type of travel insurance should I get?
As with any type of insurance, it’s important that the policy you buy is fit for purpose and actually covers you for any scenarios that might crop up. When applying for a policy, make sure you outline the right dates for your trip and the correct destination.
Also make sure that you notify your insurer if you’re doing an activity that might need specialist cover such as:
- Going on a cruise – If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll need to get specialist cruise cover as the things that could go wrong are different to other kinds of travel. Cruise travel insurance will usually cover things like itinerary changes, missed ports, unused excursions, cabin confinement, higher cancellation costs and airlift cover in case of emergency medical requirements.
- Winter sports – If you’re hitting the slopes, then the risks you face will be different to lying by the pool in the sun. Winter sports travel insurance will usually cover things like loss of ski equipment or passes, piste closure, avalanche delay and higher medical costs in case of an accident. Find out more in our article How to buy the right ski insurance policy.
- Business trip – If you’re travelling for business, it’s likely that you have more high-value or specialist equipment with you, and your trip might be more likely to change. Business trip travel insurance will usually provide special cover for things that are considered business essentials like company money, changes to your schedule and cover for any equipment schedule changes and business equipment.
Should I go for a single or multi-trip policy?
Whatever type of insurance you choose, you’ll normally have the option to buy your cover either as a one-off policy to cover a specific trip, or a multi-trip policy which will cover any number of holidays you plan to go on that year.
If you’re only taking one trip over the course of 12 months, then a single-trip insurance policy is likely to be more cost-effective, but if you’re going away multiple times, buying a multi-trip insurance policy could work out cheaper than buying numerous single-trip policies.
The level of protection you get won’t vary generally between the different ways of paying for insurance, it’s more about cost. Learn more in our article Should I buy annual or single trip travel insurance?
Do I need travel insurance for a UK holiday?
It’s still worth thinking about getting travel insurance even if you’re staying in the UK for your holiday.
Most of the things that could go wrong when travelling abroad could still happen in the UK, and it’s more than likely that you’ve still spent a lot of hard-earned cash on your staycation, so making sure you’re protected is a good idea.
Sun, sand and 20% off Admiral Travel Insurance
Ready to jet off to your dream destination? Use code RLSS20 for 20% off your travel insurance. Travel with less stress knowing you’ve got a safety net if something goes wrong. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 31 December, 2026.
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