Cheap Travel Insurance Tips

• There are many different types of travel insurance cover available on the market now such as backpacker travel insurance, business travel insurance, adventure travel insurance, domestic and international travel insurance. So it is very important that you get the right one for your circumstances to ensure that you are not paying too much but are still covered for anything unfortunate that happens on your travels.
• If you are planning on doing any sort of thrilling adventure activities (including skiing) on your holiday then make sure that you get an adventure travel insurance policy that covers you for that, as many of the more basic or cheap travel insurance policies will not cover any accidents or medical expenses resulting from so called 'dangerous activities'.
• The best place to obtain and compare cheap travel insurance quotes from different companies is online. You can even compare the discount rates for the different types of travel insurance policies that are available, but always read the terms and conditions of each policy to make sure that you are comparing apples with apples and are covered for the type of travel activities that you will be doing.
• After you have booked you flights and accommodation take out travel insurance immediately if you are thinking of doing so. A lot of claims are for unforeseen cancellations before you leave so you might as well be covered right from the start and it costs the same amount no matter when you take out the cover.
• Some credit cards provide free travel insurance as an added benefit and this can save you money, but make sure that you read the fine print because some of them have so many catches that it makes them worthless.
• If you are travelling to countries like the US or Japan, which have no public health system, you will need to ensure that you have a good travel health insurance policy with no limit of medical expenses, which can be very costly in these countries.
• Always be aware of the limitations and restrictions on your travel insurance policy, as some insurance comanies will not pay out if you leave your bags more than 2 metres from you as they are then deemed 'unattended in a public place' and other companies do not cover you for jewellery unless you are actually wearing it.
• If something unfortunate happens when you are travelling or backpacking then always make sure that you contact the local police and get a police report, because with most insurance companies a claim will be difficult to verify without one.
• If you plan on taking 2 or more holidays in a year then you should compare the cost of taking out long term or annual travel insurance as opposed to getting multiple single trip travel insurance quotes. The benefit of taking out an annual travel insurance policy in not only that it may be cheaper but also that it will cover you for weekends away throughout the year.
• Comprehensive and even cheap travel insurance policies allow you to make a claim if your luggage is lost whilst travelling or flying. However, when an airline loses you luggage they generally are able to get it back to you within a few days and most travel and health insurance companies only allow a claim if the airline takes more than a certain number of days to return your luggage to you. So read your insurance policy carefully, be aware of how many days constitute lost luggage to the insurer and keep a dated record of everything that happens if you do lose your luggage for use in any potential future claim.
• In most cases if an airline loses you luggage they will get it back to you within a day or two and you will not be able to make a claim on your travel insurance, however nearly all airlines will give you some monetary compensation to buy essential items if your luggage doesn't arrive at the same place that you do. In this situation simply show your baggage receipts (which are normally stuck to your tickets or boarding pass) to the lost luggage counter at the airport. Most importantly, put your anger aside and be courteous and polite to the staff there as they are only there to help and if you are rude you may ruin your chances of getting any compensation.