Whether you have already booked your trip or are still pondering on it, one thing is for certain, you will need travel insurance. If you are planning to only be gone for a short period of time then single trip insurance is the standard type of policy to choose. It should cover the basic eventualities such as cancellation, luggage loss or theft and injury whilst abroad. It is the popular choice for non frequent travellers as it means you will not have to pay for days that are going to go unused.

There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration prior to purchasing your single trip cover as negating them may leave you vulnerable at the most inconvenient time. Rather than simply choosing the first policy you look at or even making use of one being offered by the travel operator it is important to take the time to look at yourself and the situations you are likely to encounter whilst on your trip.

WHAT WILL IT COVER?
As with many insurance products there are different levels of cover on offer by the various providers in the market. Taking advantage of this flexibility means that you are more likely to get the best fitting form of cover. Basic level of cover will usually have a lower amount for luggage loss or theft, personal effects and personal injury. If you are travelling with expensive items or are participating in activities that have a higher risk of injury associated with them then it may be better to look at the next level up from ‘basic’.

Similarly if you are planning to participate in winter sports such as skiing and/or snow-boarding then making use of the optional add-on may prove beneficial as most ‘basic’ forms of single trip insurance exclude that from their cover. In the eventuality that you injure yourself while cruising down the slopes without the necessary add-on you may find that you have to pay the full price for whatever damage your person endures. It is vital you purchase the necessary add-ons at the time of taking out the policy as there is no option to do this while you are on holiday.

Unless your trip is last minute, namely you are travelling tomorrow anything can happen. So that you don’t lose the entire value of your holiday because of cancellation, which incidentally can be due to illness; your own or a family member’s it may be wise to take out cancellation cover. Similarly you cannot predict the amount of crime you will encounter whilst on your trip, it is for this reason that it is wise to protect your personal money and your baggage. However if sticking to a budget is pivotal to the success of your trip then shedding some of these optional extras may aid you in bringing down your premiums.

RESTRICTIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
In most cases previous health conditions are excluded from the policy, however this is dependent on the underwriter so it is important to ask the relevant questions as opposed to assuming that you will be protected against flare ups or any accidents that came about as a result of your condition. It is also important to find out the amounts you have allocated for each feature of the policy, these can vary considerably with, medical emergency usually ranging between £3M & £10M.

Finally remember to keep within the region you have applied for insurance for, namely while on your trip a last minute detour to a quaint but volatile area may mean great pictures but also that you are travelling out of the limits of your policy and thus any incidents may need to be paid and sorted out by you alone.