A recent report has revealed 38% of UK travellers don’t take out a separate Travel Insurance. That’s a staggering 8.6 million people who run the risk of potentially huge out of pocket expenses should the unexpected happen.
We never ask for your travel insurance details, as we think you probably realise how important it is to have it in place when you travel abroad and the responsibility lies on you. But we want to make sure you are aware of the importance of checking whether your insurance covers the activities you plan to do on your holiday, and other important elements such as repatriation costs.
Even if you book your trip by credit card, here are some major points to check when you’re booking a holiday with us:
Activities
Many of our trips include activities you normally wouldn’t do in your own country, so when you go diving, fancy that balloon safari, or would like to have a go at canyoning or wild-water rafting, it’s always good to check whether your insurance covers these.
Medical conditions
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you should always make sure your insurance company is aware of this. Failure to do so can result in hefty bills and a lot of headache, stress and inconvenience. We don’t recommend insurance companies however, some people who travel with us find Avanti Travel Insurance covers a wide variety of medical conditions.
The Uk Global Health Insurance Card
The GHIC (you may previously have had an E111) allows you to get state healthcare cover in the European Economic Area (EEA). This means that popping into the doctors or A&E for more simple medical concerns can simply be covered by presenting this card. Make sure you have it on you at all time, or take a photo of it so you have the details on your phone.
Emergency medical cover
We are so lucky in the UK to walk into a hospital and be treated on the NHS for free, however it’s not the same when we’re abroad. Accidents do happen and the cost of hospital treatment can be expensive, so check with the insurer how much you’re covered for.
For more information of what to check and think about when looking at travel insurance, head to the travel section on the Association of British Insurers website for more independent advice.
Like your passport, you should make a copy of your insurance details and have this with you at all times when you’re abroad.
Keeping your money safe
And while we’re on the subject of keeping yourself covered, we do the same and make sure your money is safe with us when you book your Archipelago Choice holiday.
You’ll either be covered by ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) if your holiday includes flights from the UK, or IPP (International Travel Protection) if you book your own flights or a travelling from outside the UK.
If you’re interested in any of our 11 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Americas, then have a look at our Archipelago Choice website or ring us for a chat on 017687 721040.
