7 questions to ask yourself before taking out travel insurance

1. What insurance coverage do you already have?
   Current annual insurance policies or your credit card may provide travel cover, for example. However, you should check whether the travel insurance included in your credit card agreement offers sufficient cover as it can be subject to specific conditions or restrictions.
2. What risks do you want to be covered for your trip?
   If your personal circumstances have changed – if you have had a baby, for example – your insurance needs may change too. Some insurance policies are particularly useful, while others may be less useful. Check whether the costs of the travel insurance offered are reasonable in comparison with the price of your travel arrangements. You should also find out whether the insurance policy covers all the risks that you wish to be covered for. For example, travel cancellation insurance cover ends when the first travel service is provided. Should you wish to be covered if you have to terminate your trip prematurely, you will need travel interruption insurance. Some providers offer combined travel cancellation and travel interruption insurance. However, if you are offered a travel insurance package, you should first take a close look at the individual benefits. They might include baggage, travel accident or travel liability insurance, which you may not need but which would make the insurance significantly more expensive.
3. Have you compared the costs and benefits of the different insurers?
   Many travel organisers offer travel insurance as an add-on when you book a holiday. However, you can also take out insurance after you have made the booking. You should compare the costs and benefits across different insurers, as it may be possible to find the same insurance benefits for a lower price with another provider. Comparison sites can help you to compare different policies. However, keep in mind that some insurers might not be included in the comparison.
4. Does the insurance policy cover all travellers?
   Make sure that the people you are travelling with are also covered by the policy or take out their own insurance if they need it. If you are travelling as a couple or as a family, a couples’ or family policy may make sense.

5. Do you want to take out insurance cover for one specific trip or do you want cover that includes future trips?

   If you travel more than once per year, you should check whether an annual policy would be better value for you than buying insurance cover for each specific trip. An annual policy covers all trips in a year. However, if you are taking out travel insurance for more than just the length of the trip, you should take note of the cancellation policy. The insurance policy may automatically extend for another year if you do not cancel it.

6. Do you want the policy to include an excess?
   When taking out travel insurance and comparing insurance prices, check whether the policy includes an excess (deductible). If you want a policy without an excess, the insurance will be more expensive.
7. Have you taken into account the deadlines for taking out insurance?
   Before you buy travel insurance, you should also check whether you are within the deadlines for taking out insurance. For example, you can take out travel cancellation insurance up to 14 days after booking your trip or up to 30 days before you travel, depending on the provider and the tariff. With some providers and tariffs it is possible to take out foreign travel health insurance shortly before you travel.