Travel insurance and your 2010 holiday

Last was not the best British summer that we have seen in a long time, and that is putting it mildly. So it is now wonder that a record number of Brits will be heading out for at least one sunny clime this year. Post Office figures are suggesting that more than 58 per cent of UK citizens will go abroad this year to celebrate some warmth, but something that is often overlooked is holiday insurance, especially EU holidaymakers.

Most people that travel around the EU rely on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), formally known as the E111. This is a reciprocal service throughout all the EU members, but only counts for basic medical cover and not for other eventualities like lost luggage or if needed, repatriation back home. Lost luggage is a real pain in the proverbial, and the expense of having to buy new clothes could run into hundreds of pounds you just cannot afford.

If you are looking to take out insurance policies for your holiday, do not just pick one out the hat. Take the time to read it completely and see if it will cover you and your family or travelling partners for what you plan to do. You will often find in the small print that water sports like jet skiing and other such things are not covered. Another sport that is sweeping the continent is rolling down a hill in a giant inflatable ball, it is called Zorbing. Many insurance policies are now excluding this from their cover.

If you are going on holiday this summer, get some separate insurance and read the small print to make sure you are fully covered.