There are number of things that affect the price of travel insurance. Some factors you can control, while other factors you have less control over. Being aware of the factors that affect the price of your insurance will help you to find the right travel cover for you at the cheapest possible price.

Your Age

Your age affects the insurance premium though there is nothing you can do about it. The older you are - the more impact your age will have on the price. You should however shop around as not all insurance companies base their insurance premiums on the same age brackets.

Choice Of Travel Destination

Your choice of travel destination also affects the price of your insurance. It is always cheapest if you are only travelling domestically, as you will already have access to local health care and your local insurances (health, home, etc).

The price of international travel insurance depends on which countries you are travelling to, as some countries are more expensive to travel to than others. Insurances tend to be more expensive to countries that operate partly public and partly private healthcare systems (compared to those that offer only, or mainly, public healthcare systems).

Though you might not want to let the price of travel insurance decide solely where you are travelling, it could still be beneficial to know the difference between different locations. For example, what if insurance for Italy were cheaper than for Spain...

The Length Of Your Trip

The length of your trip can affect your travel insurance premium. Most insurance providers offer insurances in brackets based on different length of the trip. Reducing your trip by a day or two could reduce your insurance premium if the length of your trip is close to one of those brackets.

If you have annual multi-trip travel insurance in place then it will state how many maximum days each trip can be. Make sure you stay within that limit.

Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance

You generally have to travel only two or three times a year to save money with annual multi-trip travel insurance.

There is however one notable exception. Most multi-trip travel insurance policies have an upper age limit, usually between 65 or 74 year old. Many senior travelers have therefore no other option than to buy single trip travel insurance for each trip.

Your Health / Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Your health, or rather lack of it, can significantly affect the price of your insurance premium. If you suffer from any pre-existing medical conditions, you must declare them when buying your travel insurance.

Pre-existing medical condition is any condition or illness that you are suffering from at the time you buy your insurance, or have suffered from previously. Cancer, diabetes and heart conditions are all examples of pre-existing medical conditions that can affect the cost or eligibility of coverage.

You can usually include some pre-existing medical conditions in your insurance policy but the price of the insurance will go up accordingly, often considerably.

Remember, your insurance is invalid if a pre-existing medical condition flares up and you had not declared it.

The Extend Of Your Cover And Your Excess Level

What you choose to cover and for how much, as well as the excess level you choose, have all significant affect on your travel insurance premium. The price of travel insurance goes up:
The more you coverThe higher the covered amount isThe lower the excess level is

What you cover and for how much will depend on how much risk you are willing to take. Choose carefully, saving few dollars is not always worth it.

Tips On Saving Money will help you to find the cheapest international travel insurance for your needs.

Asa Gislason and her husband are the founders of http://www.top-travel-tips.com/. Top Travel Tips offers comprehensive and unbiased travel advice that can save you both time and money when planning your next trip.

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The worry among many of those travelling abroad to grab their annual two weeks in the sun is that their aircraft will experience some catastrophic failure while in the air. Statistically speaking, however, the chances of some relatively minor - but still holiday-spoiling - incident are infinitely greater, whether during the flight, at the airport or within the holiday accommodation. This is why people take out travel insurance - not because they expect to make a claim but because a policy provides, or should provide, a large measure of reassurance.

Unfortunately, travel policies are not scientifically worded, which makes them open to various interpretations. Therefore it might be worthwhile swotting up on your legal rights prior to going on holiday just in case the insurance company, declares itself "not liable" for a claim, and you have to pursue the matter alone - either against a travel company or the insurance company for its refusal to pay.

Under the Montreal Convention 1999, air carriers are strictly liable in damages for accidents to passengers during flights or while embarking or disembarking, up to SDR113,100. SDR is not a currency in itself but for stands for Special Drawing Rights, which is a mix of currency values established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and which at present is about £85,000. This means that the airline cannot avoid liability by denying the accident was their fault. Where damages of more than that sum are claimed, the airline has a defence if it can prove either that the accident was not their fault, or that it was a third party's fault.

Most families flying to the Mediterranean (or further afield) this summer will be doing so through a package holiday. The Package Travel, Package Holiday, and Package Tour Regulations 1992 govern this type of deal, and are an important piece of consumer protection. "Package Holidays" are defined in the regulations as having at least two of the following three components, all as part of a 'package' for which the client pays an inclusive price:
Transport, such as flights and transfersaccommodation; andany other tourist service which makes up a significant proportion of the package, e.g., excursions.

Billing separately for different parts doesn't stop it being a package. Some tour operators have tried to get round this by offering separate contracts, one for accommodation, one for flights, etc, and not defining the deal as a 'package'. Guidelines laid down by the courts mean that if the total price charged to the consumer for all three services is less than the aggregate cost of the services had they been sold individually, then this is obviously a package. The same would apply in unusual cases where the 'all in' price is more. Only when the price of both is the same is the law something of a grey area.

In each case the bottom line is that that a 'package' holiday puts certain responsibilities on the package provider relating to all the services purchased as part of the deal. The regulations state: "The other party to the contract (i.e. the package provider) is liable to the consumer for the proper performance of the obligations under the contract, irrespective of whether such obligations are to be performed by that other party or by other suppliers of services".

So, if for example a package brochure states that a hotel has a swimming pool then it must have one. It is not good enough for the package provider to say that he thought there was a swimming pool. There is no obligation on the package holiday provider to ensure the pool is safe, but he is liable if reasonable care has not been taken to see that it is safe. It should be remembered that local standards apply, so if a Turkish pool is safe enough by Turkish standards it may be that the package provider has a defence, notwithstanding that the pool might not have satisfied EU standards.

The regulations go on to state that if the improper performance of the contract is due NEITHER to any fault of the package provider NOR to that of another supplier of services, the package provider is not liable, so this right of action is not absolute.

Incidentally, this principle not only applies to foreign package holidays, which in most cases involve air travel; but also to similar holidays in the UK where travel is by rail or coach.

Although still highly recommended, travel insurance is not an absolute guarantee that financial compensation will automatically be given for some loss, mishap or accident. Therefore if you suffer a debilitating incident while on holiday this summer and are not satisfied by the response from the insurer then it could be worthwhile contacting a solicitor who is experienced in this sphere. And not having travel insurance should not, in itself, preclude you from making a claim for damages.

We hope you have a happy - and safe - holiday.

McKay Norwell are Edinburgh Lawyers serving individual and business clients across Scotland. Richard Godden is a specialist Personal Injury Solicitor Scotland.

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