What do you think of first when planning a holiday or trip overseas? Judging by many published statistics it is safe to bet that for many people travel insurance is the last thing on their mind. It is not unheard of for people to phone and purchase insurance when on the way to the airport! That is not the smartest way to plan a trip, but better to purchase it late than not bother at all.

When your kids go off travelling or backpacking to other countries do you check whether they have insurance in place, or do you take care of it for them? Young people are less likely to bother with travel insurance - but parents are usually the first ones they call for help if something goes wrong - especially if they need money. Parents could save themselves a lot of potential worry and headaches by sending their young travellers off with the gift of travel insurance.

A Backpacker travel insurance policy is very affordable (literally pennies per day) with options to purchase additional cover if required. It may include any or all of the following: emergency medical care, hospital costs, repatriation, legal liability, legal costs, cancellation and curtailment, failed exams (re-sits), holiday abandonment, delayed departure, personal accident, personal liability, and more.. The sooner you purchase travel insurance after booking your holiday the better. You would be very glad to have it if a problem should arise causing the trip to be cancelled.

Following are some suggestions for priorities to consider before booking a trip:

Check for any government advisories regarding travel to your destination countryCheck expiration dates of passportsCheck Visa requirementsCheck Expiration dates of European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or applyBook a health check with your GP, and required or recommended vaccinations for your destinationOnce your travel plans are confirmed take out travel insurance immediately (to cover cancellation)

It is amazing that many people place priority on less important matters, such as purchasing holiday clothes or a good holiday read, or choosing gifts for friends and relatives overseas.

With millions of people travelling to other countries every year, it is shocking that so many still neglect to take out travel insurance. Those who plan to stay with friends or relatives are reported to be even less likely to bother with insurance - presumably believing that everything will be taken care of for them. If you are lucky enough to have unlimited funds then this may be the case. However, would you really want to burden your hosts, or feel comfortable asking them for a loan to pay your medical bills? Surely it is common sense and basic consideration for others to be responsible and have insurance in case unexpected problems arise?

It is always a good idea to check for government advisories for your destination country or countries before you book. If an advisory 'against all but essential travel' is in force and you go ahead and book anyway, this could invalidate any related claims on your travel insurance. Most insurers take the view that if a problem arises after you book then obviously it could not have been anticipated.

It is also very important (and wise) to research your destination country so that you are familiar with local laws and customs, to avoid innocently breaking the rules and perhaps incurring a hefty fine - or worse.

If your destination is a country such as the United States, for example, you are likely to face truly devastating medical bills if you should become ill or injured. Contrary to the belief of many travellers, your consulate or embassy does not pay these costs for you. They can offer general assistance in other ways, but you are on your own when it comes to paying the bills - unless you have travel insurance and a valid claim.

If you should become ill or injured to the extent that you have to be repatriated, perhaps by air ambulance with accompanying medical staff, the bill could be truly staggering. Without travel insurance and cover for repatriation the financial responsibility lies with you - or your family.

If you have never taken out travel insurance before, why not take the plunge next time and at least obtain a quote? It could be an eye opener to how affordable insurance can be, and how crazy it is to forgo it and take risks.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions it is crucial that you are honest and declare them and that the insurer agrees to accept the risk. This may (but not always) mean a slight increase in the premium, or the insurance may exclude claims relating to a specific medical condition.

There are many types of travel insurance policies so, before you opt for the cheapest one that you find online, go a little further and check to see what is included (and excluded) for your money. The main points to watch for - and minimum requirements - should be a good level of medical cover, which also includes repatriation and air ambulance costs. Most good comprehensive policies include this as standard. Also important is cover for personal liability and legal expenses. You can usually elect to have as much or as little cover as you think you will need.

You may have travelled many times without insurance and without any problems - and with any luck that will continue to be the case. However, wouldn't it be better to be a little more responsible and get your priorities right?

Jean Andrews is a freelance writer living in the UK. She regularly contributes articles for Travel Insurance Agencies Ltd who offer great deals on UK Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance for residents of Eire.

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Travelling is a great opportunity for families and friends to bond and spend some time together. Some people find travelling as a learning experience so that next time when they travel, they would be more prepared. One of the things that people learn when travelling is that they should not forget tour insurance. Australians can be prepared when something unexpected comes their way.

Do not let your vacation get ruined by unexpected flight delays, lost baggage, or unanticipated medical needs. Online travel insurance can protect you from sudden expenditures while on your trip with the family. There are many companies that can offer trip insurance but with the large amount of number available, people can get confused. Here are a few things you should not do about touring insurance.

1. Buying vacation insurance from unknown companies. Be cautious when buying online trip insurance. You should only buy from reputable firms that have a history of providing reliable travel insurance. Do a background check on each company that you may find as a possible provider for you. There are many review sites wherein you can read comments and reviews from former customers of online insurance providers. This will give you a good sense of whether you can purchase insurance from them or not.

2. Going for the cheapest online insurance provider. In these times where money is hard to earn, you would always go for the cheapest of things. This is not always advisable because in the end, it might cost you even more. There are many online insurance Australian companies that are known for having economical yet reliable services. Look for those companies instead.

3. Not reading the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. Insurance policies contain a lot of clauses. You should read everything that is written in your contract to avoid any misunderstanding in the future. Apart from that, you should not hesitate to ask a representative from your chosen company to explain parts of your contract that you do not understand or needs further explanation. Tell your concerns to them to make sure they can accommodate all your needs.

4. Purchasing voyage insurance near the flight of your trip. Right after booking your trip, purchase travel insurance. There are travel insurance providers online that increase the price of the travel insurance policy when it is near the flight trip. By booking early, you avoid that risk and also you have the chance to receive promos or discounts for booking early.

5. Not notifying your travel insurance provider of any pre-existing condition. To avoid the inconvenience of not being covered for a medical expense because of a pre-existing condition, speak with your company about it. They can help you make a solution for your situation and this makes them aware of the possible assistance you may need in the future.

People can save a lot of money from travel insurance. Australians should be aware of at least these five commonly undone things by people to avoid any inconvenience while travelling. If you are lucky enough to read this before your trip, then share this with your friends so that you can all be informed of what you should do with travel insurance.

Lucia is a writer looking for online travel insurance for her fast approaching trip. She only trusts travel insurance Australia n companies when looking for insurance.

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Are you looking to save money on your travel costs?

Have you thought about cutting down, or even cutting out your travel insurance? Are you looking for cheap travel insurance? Before you do anything else, do yourself a favour and read this.

Why you need travel insurance.

When planning a vacation or business trip, travel insurance is often one of the last things you think about, if at all, yet it's one of the most important things to ensure your trip is stress free.

You carefully plan your holiday making sure you get exactly what you want and the best deal, but what if things go wrong? This is why you need travel insurance. You never know what might happen. At home you have a pretty good idea how things work, what risks you can take and where to get help when you need it. But when you travel, it's quite different. Especially if you're traveling abroad but even when traveling in your own country. You don't know what kind of unexpected setbacks could affect you and your family while you're away.

Here's what to protect yourself against if you're to have a safe, enjoyable and stress free trip.

1. Things do go missing, get lost or stolen

2. You can have an accident or become ill and need medical attention.

3. Your travel arrangements can get cancelled or changed by your tour company

4. Bad weather can affect your plans. Recent events across the world, floods, storms, cyclones, earthquakes etc have affected thousands of people's plans resulting in additional travel costs, extra accommodation etc.

5. Travel companies do go out of business

6. You may incur legal expenses

7. Things can go wrong back home and you may need to return

8. Medical attention, dental treatment etc can cost a lot more abroad than they do at home, especially in the United States.

9. You may need foreign help, with language or legal situations.

10. You may need to change your plans for many different reasons.

11. The world is unstable with terrorist threats and actions, and countries and regions do become unsafe.

12. Hired equipment such as skis, snowboards, surfboards etc do get broken.

13. Luggage does get damaged or get lost on flights

14. Family illness etc can prevent you going on holiday.

15. If you run your own business and can't return, who will run it for you?

16. And finally, the thing no-one likes to talk about, what happens if you or member of your family is injured or even dies?.

Your travel insurance will give you peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, you have the protection and help you need.

Cliff Chapman
traveljunkies

traveljunkies - worldwide adventure travel & activities directory & search engine, like Google only smaller

http://www.traveljunkies.com/

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For many years, it was the phantom purchase in the travel industry: Holiday Insurance. Travel agents have been anxious to talk about the subject of holiday insurance being apprehensive of losing a contract. It was always considered to be a negative.

But not anymore! Now it doesn't matter whether it's your tour, your valuables, your baggage or your wellbeing, holiday insurance has become an indispensable part of any smart travelers' luggage. It means that if you fail to buy insurance, or the right kind of insurance, your tour could be in danger.

According to the most recent UK travel association information, approximately 30 percent of people purchased travel insurance, an overall increase of about 10 percent since before 2001. Surprisingly almost 70 percent of cruise line patrons buy holiday insurance. Some of the most common reasons are security against unexpected events, peace of mind, and the worry over losing your financial investment on the trip.
While most people who do not buy holiday insurance are conversant in flight and trip cancellation insurance, a lot of others are completely unaware of holiday insurance, baggage insurance and medical evacuation insurance.

Before you delve into what holiday insurance is, you need to know a few reasons you may have to know to buy holiday insurance?

1. Your flight getting canceled. Happens all the time, but it can still throw travel plans off and make you pay more to get to your scheduled destination.
2. Your bags are gone and your tablets are inside of it. If you need an emergency prescription, then holiday insurance can help.
3. You lose your wallet and the all-important passport. You will need a replacement passport and some emergency cash until you can get a replacement card.
4. If you're caught up in an accident and there is no sufficient medical cure available. You will need a medical evacuation and medical evacuation insurance can help.
5. You have to call off your trip because of an illness. Try to plan ahead but you can never plan for an illness, so that's where steps in.
6. Your airline, cruise line or tour guide goes broke. You will need to get your non-refundable costs paid for and to be able to reach your scheduled destination.
7. You're out of the country and you need emergency medical care. Things can happen on trips so you have to be prepared. Emergency medical care may just save your life.
8. A terrible event happens in the city that you're traveling in and you want to abandon your trip and return home. A lot of unexpected events can happen so just be prepared.
9. You have to leave your hotel, cruise ship or resort because of a hurricane or natural disaster.

Now that you have understood some pragmatic reasons as to why you should buy health insurance, wouldn't you go for it?

Among people who have purchased holiday insurance, only 50 percent were even alert to the scheme offering medical evacuation. There's even another kind of insurance that airlines are not rushing to tell air travelers about. They actually wish that you did not know anything about it. It's called excess valuation.

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