Cheaper travel insurance

Cut the cost of your travel insurance without cutting it out altogether

Going without travel insurance or opting for a cheap policy with poor levels of cover and high excess, may save you money in the short term but an uninsured accident abroad could leave you with medical costs of up to tens of thousands of pounds.

Before you begin searching for your travel insurance here’s what Which? recommends your policy should include:

£1 million for medical cover in Europe
£2 million for medical cover in the rest of the world
£1,500 for baggage cover
Additional cover for spending money
£3000 for the cancellation of your trip

Here are some ways to save on your travel insurance as suggested by The Mail on Sunday:

Book direct

Save money buy booking your cover direct with the travel insurer and not through a travel agent or an airline website. Be careful as some travel operator websites will try and catch you out and automatically give you travel insurance, so you need to deselect the option before you reach the payment section. The same policy on Flybe’s website costs £47.96 compared to £20 with the online provider Travel Insurance Web.

Compare prices online

It is always a good idea to shop around, check insurance deals on price comparison websites, but make sure you check the excess and levels of cover for each policy.

Opt for an annual policy

If travelling abroad more than twice a year then an annual multi-trip policy as opposed to single trip ones, may save you money not to mention time and effort.

A policy for the whole family

Opting to insure your family in this way could not only reduce your cost but the advantage is with a good, flexible annual policy, family members are also insured individually when travelling separately.

Annual family holiday insurance

European Health Insurance Card

Get an EHIC card

The European Health Insurance Card (www.ehic.org.uk) is a good addition not a substitute to your travel insurance, as some insurers will relinquish the excess on a medical claim if you use the card. It will cost you nothing and as a result you will be entitled to free or reduced-cost state-provided medical treatment in any European country.

Do your research if you’re older

Companies specializing in insurance for the elderly can sometimes work out more expensive than general insurers.

Look out for companies with no upper-age limit including Intune and Virgin Money.

If looking for cover for Europe it may be worth considering EHICPlus (www.ehicplus.com). This is a policy for those with an EHIC card which covers all cost of treatment in state hospitals, private ambulances and repatriation to the UK, it also includes cover for possessions and cancellations. It does not however, cover private hospital care so this may not be the option for you but on the plus side it is very reasonably priced at £40 for an annual policy for someone over 70 with no upper-age limit.

Be careful not to replicate cover

Before purchasing your cover, check whether or not your possessions are already covered away from home in your household insurance, then you may consider removing the possessions element of your cover for a saving of up to 10%.

Travel insurance truths