Monday, 26 November 2007
Ski Insurance – don’t leave home without it!
Winter might not be the most popular season but it does have one redeeming feature – winter sports! There is something about skiing and snowboarding which can turn even the most docile person into a speed demon which might explain why one in seven skiers need medical care*. Yet a quarter of Britons still travel without insurance on their winter sports holiday*.
Winter Sports travel insurance covers many things that standard travel insurance and the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) do not.
That said, the EHIC should still be an essential item in your packing**. It entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you are in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland. But the EHIC only gives you access to state-provided medical treatment only. This might not cover all the things you would expect to get free of charge from the NHS in the UK. You may have to make a contribution to the cost of your care and it will not cover personal repatriation. The EHIC is definitely no substitute for comprehensive travel insurance.
If you hurt yourself on the slopes, being rescued is an expensive business especially if you need to be airlifted off the mountain. In the USA and Canada for example, travellers without insurance are expected to settle their costs directly. An uninsured Briton repatriated back to London from Vancouver can expect a bill of £6,000*, and that doesn’t include the costs of your rescue from the slopes and initial medical treatment.
Do make sure that your ski travel insurance policy covers you for all types of mountain rescue – without wishing to sound alarmist, when you are in agony after a fall you will be very glad that, if needed, you are covered for a helicopter hospital transfer rather than having to be dragged down the mountain. Keep your ski insurance details and your EHIC on your person while on the slopes to avoid any potential delays with treatment.
Going off-piste is thrilling and enables you to access top-quality snow. Be sure to check that you are covered for this – many travel insurance policies exclude it altogether, or insist on taking a guide.
Snow conditions can make or break a ski holiday. Some ski areas have reported a lack of snow in recent years and have had to close lifts and pistes. Equally, too much snow can lead to avalanche warnings and resort closures. A good winter sports travel insurance policy should cover you for transportation costs to take you to an alternative skiing area in the event that ALL skiing facilities in your pre-booked resort are closed due to lack of snow or avalanche.
Nowadays you can do so much more than just ordinary skiing and snowboarding on your holiday. Many resorts offer snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice diving, parapenting and many more adventurous activities. The winter sports industry is very ingenious and often you will find a new activity available every year. It is very important to check with your insurer before you go that you are covered for your daring exploits.
Another very important reason to take out ski insurance is to cover you for third-party liability. Check your policy for the terms of cover. Winter sports have a high potential for causing injury to others and there have been a number of high-profile and distressing court cases as a result of skiers colliding.
Travel Insurance with Winter Sports top-up cover can be purchased from under £10*** at http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ – a small price to pay to be able to relax and really enjoy your winter sports holiday.
*Source: Telegraph.co.uk, dated 2nd November 2007
**You may apply for an EHIC online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers or by calling 0845 606 2030. Application forms are also available from the Post Office.
*** Premium £9.53 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on a Standard Single Trip Policy for an adult aged under 55 travelling to Europe for 3 days.
Winter Sports travel insurance covers many things that standard travel insurance and the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) do not.
That said, the EHIC should still be an essential item in your packing**. It entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you are in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland. But the EHIC only gives you access to state-provided medical treatment only. This might not cover all the things you would expect to get free of charge from the NHS in the UK. You may have to make a contribution to the cost of your care and it will not cover personal repatriation. The EHIC is definitely no substitute for comprehensive travel insurance.
If you hurt yourself on the slopes, being rescued is an expensive business especially if you need to be airlifted off the mountain. In the USA and Canada for example, travellers without insurance are expected to settle their costs directly. An uninsured Briton repatriated back to London from Vancouver can expect a bill of £6,000*, and that doesn’t include the costs of your rescue from the slopes and initial medical treatment.
Do make sure that your ski travel insurance policy covers you for all types of mountain rescue – without wishing to sound alarmist, when you are in agony after a fall you will be very glad that, if needed, you are covered for a helicopter hospital transfer rather than having to be dragged down the mountain. Keep your ski insurance details and your EHIC on your person while on the slopes to avoid any potential delays with treatment.
Going off-piste is thrilling and enables you to access top-quality snow. Be sure to check that you are covered for this – many travel insurance policies exclude it altogether, or insist on taking a guide.
Snow conditions can make or break a ski holiday. Some ski areas have reported a lack of snow in recent years and have had to close lifts and pistes. Equally, too much snow can lead to avalanche warnings and resort closures. A good winter sports travel insurance policy should cover you for transportation costs to take you to an alternative skiing area in the event that ALL skiing facilities in your pre-booked resort are closed due to lack of snow or avalanche.
Nowadays you can do so much more than just ordinary skiing and snowboarding on your holiday. Many resorts offer snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice diving, parapenting and many more adventurous activities. The winter sports industry is very ingenious and often you will find a new activity available every year. It is very important to check with your insurer before you go that you are covered for your daring exploits.
Another very important reason to take out ski insurance is to cover you for third-party liability. Check your policy for the terms of cover. Winter sports have a high potential for causing injury to others and there have been a number of high-profile and distressing court cases as a result of skiers colliding.
Travel Insurance with Winter Sports top-up cover can be purchased from under £10*** at http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ – a small price to pay to be able to relax and really enjoy your winter sports holiday.
*Source: Telegraph.co.uk, dated 2nd November 2007
**You may apply for an EHIC online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers or by calling 0845 606 2030. Application forms are also available from the Post Office.
*** Premium £9.53 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on a Standard Single Trip Policy for an adult aged under 55 travelling to Europe for 3 days.
Labels: Skiing
// posted by 24/7 Travel Insurance @ 09:45
Monday, 12 November 2007
Money Saving Tips for your holiday
While holidays are not an essential expense like the mortgage or food, most of us are more than happy to part with our money for a trip away. However there are many ways in which you can make great savings on holiday necessities. In this blog we have compiled some tips to help your money go further.
Book online and well in advance
Some airlines and most ferry providers offer a discount for booking online as opposed to over the phone. This can be as high as 20%. Keep an eye out for promotional codes in press advertisements as well. If you are travelling by rail, booking tickets in advance can make significant savings – timetables are published twelve weeks in advance and tickets go on sale for bargain rates. If you are under 26 or over 60, a railcard, which offers a third off most fares, can pay for itself on the first journey.
Package or DIY?
Package holidays are all-in-ones, where the tour operator provides flights, connections and accommodation together. Dynamic packaging, which is increasing in popularity, is where a travel agent builds you a holiday by finding your flights, accommodation, transfers and other extras to build you a trip that meets your specifications. The modern DIY holiday trend means many people avoid agents altogether and arrange the holiday themselves on the web looking for the best deals. A rough rule of thumb is if you are going for a week or fortnight in the sun in the traditional destinations, going ski-ing as a couple or family, or want the hassle taken out of planning a round-the-world trip, a package or dynamic package holiday is likely to be better value. If you are going for a city break or a multi-stop holiday, DIY may be the way to go.
There are a vast number of holiday websites available now promoting late deals, and don’t forget the humble Teletext as well. Make sure you are aware of what you are buying – many late deals exclude transfers and aeroplane meals.
Your money abroad
There are so many choices for obtaining foreign currency nowadays and paying inflated exchange rates are a thing of the past. In many cases the cheapest way to manage your money abroad is with your debit or credit card – but check what your bank charges for this first. Nationwide’s bank account make no charge for using your card abroad, so if you travel frequently it could be worth opening an account with them specifically for your holidays.
Feeding the family
If you are flying low-cost, a lunch for a family of four can cost up to £40 return. Meals on charter flights are often £10 extra per person and the odds on them being tasty are pretty low! Eat at the airport or bring a packed lunch.
Slip Slap Slop
Before you stock up on sun cream, consider carefully. According to Cancer Research UK, sun cream should be “the last line of defence for your skin”. It is safer and cheaper to cover up and keep in the shade as much as possible. However it is impractical to keep out of the sun completely. Research by Which? shows that expensive sun creams don’t offer superior protection to cheaper brands so it might be better to opt for own brands.
Getting to the airport
Pre-booking airport parking is a great deal cheaper than turning up on-spec. Consider your transport carefully - for large families and groups a taxi transfer to the airport can be better value or consider using the coach or the train.
Weigh too much
Check the weight of your luggage before leaving home. Some flights will charge £9 per kilo on excess baggage.
Driving abroad
The AA website offers a good route planner through France and also gives you an idea of motorway tolls – most of the more scenic B-roads are toll-free. There is a bewildering array of insurance available for car hire, and the best thing to do here is to check your own travel and motor insurance policies along with those offered by the car hire firm to avoid paying out twice.
Cheap Thrills
If your holiday includes a visit to a theme park, pre-booking the tickets from the UK is usually much cheaper than buying them at the gate, and this also enables you to bypass queues.
Low-cost Travel Insurance
Many travel insurance policies offer the option to remove baggage cover. Check your home contents insurance policy to see if your personal possessions are already covered for trips abroad.
Buying your single-trip travel insurance from a travel agent can cost more than an annual multi-trip policy purchased from an independent broker. An Annual Multi-trip policy from http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ for a family of four travelling to Europe starts from just £56.40* – if you take more than one holiday this year you can make a significant saving!
*Premium £56.40 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on a Standard Annual Multi-trip policy for 2 adults aged 45 and their accompanying children under 17
Book online and well in advance
Some airlines and most ferry providers offer a discount for booking online as opposed to over the phone. This can be as high as 20%. Keep an eye out for promotional codes in press advertisements as well. If you are travelling by rail, booking tickets in advance can make significant savings – timetables are published twelve weeks in advance and tickets go on sale for bargain rates. If you are under 26 or over 60, a railcard, which offers a third off most fares, can pay for itself on the first journey.
Package or DIY?
Package holidays are all-in-ones, where the tour operator provides flights, connections and accommodation together. Dynamic packaging, which is increasing in popularity, is where a travel agent builds you a holiday by finding your flights, accommodation, transfers and other extras to build you a trip that meets your specifications. The modern DIY holiday trend means many people avoid agents altogether and arrange the holiday themselves on the web looking for the best deals. A rough rule of thumb is if you are going for a week or fortnight in the sun in the traditional destinations, going ski-ing as a couple or family, or want the hassle taken out of planning a round-the-world trip, a package or dynamic package holiday is likely to be better value. If you are going for a city break or a multi-stop holiday, DIY may be the way to go.
There are a vast number of holiday websites available now promoting late deals, and don’t forget the humble Teletext as well. Make sure you are aware of what you are buying – many late deals exclude transfers and aeroplane meals.
Your money abroad
There are so many choices for obtaining foreign currency nowadays and paying inflated exchange rates are a thing of the past. In many cases the cheapest way to manage your money abroad is with your debit or credit card – but check what your bank charges for this first. Nationwide’s bank account make no charge for using your card abroad, so if you travel frequently it could be worth opening an account with them specifically for your holidays.
Feeding the family
If you are flying low-cost, a lunch for a family of four can cost up to £40 return. Meals on charter flights are often £10 extra per person and the odds on them being tasty are pretty low! Eat at the airport or bring a packed lunch.
Slip Slap Slop
Before you stock up on sun cream, consider carefully. According to Cancer Research UK, sun cream should be “the last line of defence for your skin”. It is safer and cheaper to cover up and keep in the shade as much as possible. However it is impractical to keep out of the sun completely. Research by Which? shows that expensive sun creams don’t offer superior protection to cheaper brands so it might be better to opt for own brands.
Getting to the airport
Pre-booking airport parking is a great deal cheaper than turning up on-spec. Consider your transport carefully - for large families and groups a taxi transfer to the airport can be better value or consider using the coach or the train.
Weigh too much
Check the weight of your luggage before leaving home. Some flights will charge £9 per kilo on excess baggage.
Driving abroad
The AA website offers a good route planner through France and also gives you an idea of motorway tolls – most of the more scenic B-roads are toll-free. There is a bewildering array of insurance available for car hire, and the best thing to do here is to check your own travel and motor insurance policies along with those offered by the car hire firm to avoid paying out twice.
Cheap Thrills
If your holiday includes a visit to a theme park, pre-booking the tickets from the UK is usually much cheaper than buying them at the gate, and this also enables you to bypass queues.
Low-cost Travel Insurance
Many travel insurance policies offer the option to remove baggage cover. Check your home contents insurance policy to see if your personal possessions are already covered for trips abroad.
Buying your single-trip travel insurance from a travel agent can cost more than an annual multi-trip policy purchased from an independent broker. An Annual Multi-trip policy from http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ for a family of four travelling to Europe starts from just £56.40* – if you take more than one holiday this year you can make a significant saving!
*Premium £56.40 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on a Standard Annual Multi-trip policy for 2 adults aged 45 and their accompanying children under 17
Labels: holiday savings
// posted by 24/7 Travel Insurance @ 13:23
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