The Best Way to Plan Your Annual Holiday Insurance

Covering yourself and your family against the pitfalls and perils of travel is one of the hallmarks of adulthood. When you were a child, you trusted your parents or guardians to deliver a degree of safety, and perhaps you had a fairly innocent view of the world. But when you turn into the adult, along with bills, schedules and decisions about what to pack comes the inevitable choices you need to make about travel insurance.

So how do you plan for the best when you're looking ahead to sunny beaches and tourist snaps? If you plan to travel more than once over the course of the year, there are some straightforward questions to ask yourself.

Are you a regular traveller?

The frequency of your travel influences your choices about annual holiday insurance greatly. While it is easy to say everyone should get out and explore as regularly as possible, it is a privilege to do so, and not everyone can manage it. But if you do expect to use your vacation time to hop on a plane, board a train or bundle your bags into the family car, and are determined to do so regularly, then yearly cover is a wise investment. If you have a more sporadic, spontaneous or lackadaisical attitude to escaping the daily grind, then occasional or single-trip cover may suit you better.

Who will you travel with?

They way we travel can vary greatly over the course of our lives. The young fresh-faced backpacker, the student jet-setter between semesters, the couple on a romantic holiday, the honeymooning lovers, or the family on their first group vacation – situations change as life dictates. Likewise, your choice of annual holiday insurance is influenced by these changes. You should consider, primarily, if you will journey by yourself, with a partner, or with dependents, because this will shape the nature of the cover you will need.

What risks pertain to you?

No one wants to think about potential risks when planning an exciting adventure. But in considering annual holiday insurance, you paying for cover simply because you are not naïve about the consequences of such risks. While no one seeks out problems, least of all on a daydream escape, the impact of theft, injury, lost goods or sickness can ruin any trip. So, it is important to consider what risks you are likely to face and decide on the policy that will best protect you.

What extras will you use?

The sweeter side of annual holiday insurance are the many and varied extras some companies offer. These allow you benefits that go beyond the basics. While you may want to be frugal and wish only to consider the basics, many of the best companies provide extras for no extra cost (or for very little added cost), so they are well worth questioning. If you wish to seek cover for a cruise or for your golf gear, or if you want 24-hour medical emergency numbers, for example, these may be included in your package.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including annual holiday insurance, single-trip, multi-trip and family insurance. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.