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When you have booked your holiday in the UK the last thing on your mind may be buying travel insurance. You normally associate travel insurance with holidaying abroad, having to cover yourself for flight, accommodation and medical problems. But things can still go wrong on your ‘staycation’ and this can cost you money.
So how can travel insurance for a UK holiday be worth the extra cost, after all you chose to holiday in the UK to cut costs.
The reality is that travel insurance in the UK is often a lot cheaper than the equivalent policy for a trip made abroad. It can also provide cover for a large range of events such as delayed departure, cancellation and loss of personal items. This is never more apparent than in the last few weeks with the volcanic ash disrupting internal flights.
You will need to check with your insurance provider for the exact terms and conditions covered in your travel insurance but a large share of insurers provide cover for the following:
Missed and Delayed Departure
As on any foreign holiday if you are travelling by plane or ferry you will be open to missed and delayed departures. UK travel insurance can provide you with cover should you fail to get to the airport on time due to problems beyond your control, or should your flight be delayed for over 12 hours.
However, you should check with your provider before taking out the policy as some policies do not cover internal flights, and others only include missed departure for boat journeys rather than flights.
Cancellation & Curtailment
Hotels can often be more expensive in the UK than abroad and once booked are often non-refundable within a certain time scale. If you suffer a bereavement and have to shorten the holiday then anything that has already been paid for, including accommodation and transport, will also be covered.
However you must note that, trips that have not been booked in advance will not be covered. One of the stipulations that all insurance providers insist on is that the trip involves pre-booked accommodation. Many specify that you must spend at least two consecutive nights away from home, though it can be as little as one night or as many as five, depending on the provider.
The type of accommodation is also important and usually needs to be recognised as "tourist accommodation". Quite often B&Bs, guest houses and camp sites are not covered, so make sure you check before you buy.
Personal Items
Personal items may be covered on your home insurance policy up to a certain amount, however claiming on your home insurance will affect your no claims bonus and will increase your future home insurance premiums. If you are planning on taking expensive gadgets and items on holiday a separate travel insurance policy could prove invaluable.
Transfer to Hospital
Although all UK insurance policies state that no medical expenses will be provided as you are always covered by the NHS, a number of companies do offer to pay the costs to transport you to a hospital near your home. This prevents you having to spend weeks in a hospital on the other side of the country, which can also lead to extra accommodation costs for any friends or relatives looking after you.
It should be noted that travel insurance providers will not pay for private healthcare if you take out a policy with them, this will be clearly stated in the policy wording.
Important factors to take into consideration
- The distance that you will be travelling will also be of importance. Most providers state that your accommodation must be at least 25 miles away from your home, but again this can vary and may be as much as 50 miles.
- Although less often stipulated, some providers insist that the main purpose of the trip is pleasure rather than business, so make sure you check this. A number of insurance providers also state that they only provide UK travel insurance as part of a multi-trip policy, which will be clearly stated when you are purchasing insurance.
- Something else you may want to consider before going away is breakdown cover, some travel policies may include breakdown cover and if not your car policy may include it.
- Finally, if you are taking your pet with you on holiday you may need to consider taking out additional pet insurance.
Whereas foreign travel insurance policies often include medical expenses, personal liability, personal accident, mugging cover and a whole host of other events specific to certain sporting activities, UK insurance policies are often a lot more basic. However, this is not always the case and some providers offer everything apart from medical cover. It pays to shop around as you may be surprised at what you can have cover for, I have seen insurers provide cover for theme park trips.
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