Single trip travel insurance
Single trip holiday cover is like pay-as-you-go insurance – literally! A policy is taken out specifically to cover entire duration of the trip. As with all travel insurance, it is vital to check what you are covered for to make sure it’s suitable for your requirements.
Before taking out any insurance policy, read our travel insurance checklist.
Multi-trip/Annual travel insurance
If you go on holiday more than once a year, even if it’s just twice, taking out a multi-trip or annual policy could save you money. There are usually some restrictions on how often, or for how long you are covered for.
Check to see if there is a limit on how many trips you can go on and the duration for which you will be covered. Some policies won’t be valid on holidays over a certain duration. So, if you plan to take two or three long holidays in a year, get a policy that will cover you for this.
As with all travel insurance policies, there are important things to consider before you commit to one policy or provider; read our travel insurance checklist.
Winter sports travel insurance
Winter sports holidays are a fantastic, adventure filled thrill seeker’s dream adventure. But adventurers more than most need to ensure they have good travel insurance, that way even if you have an accident on the slopes, you won’t have a financial nightmare to deal with.
All winter sports travel insurance policies are different so always, always the small print to guarantee you’re covered for the things you want to do. If you want to go off-piste, check your policies cover this because not all of them do.
Most people who are taking a winter sports holiday worry most about having an accident. While this might not happen, it’s essential to be prepared. Simply having medical cover might not be enough; would you want to claim back any unused lift passes, equipment hire or lessons? If you would, look for this when you’re shopping for travel insurance.
Read our travel insurance checklist for more essential travel insurance tips.
Extended holiday/Long stay travel insurance
Long stay travel insurance will cover you for accidents, lost or stolen possessions, travel delays or cancellations (vital if your trip includes several plane journeys).
It’s a given that the longer your holiday, the more chance something will happen and having a good insurance policy means you can sort things out quickly and not incur costs (apart from the excess). That way you can get back to enjoying yourself and have peace of mind throughout your trip.
Before taking out any travel insurance policy, read our travel insurance checklist.
Backpacker travel insurance
Gap years are on the up. In recent decades backpacking has become a popular option for school leavers, people taking a career break and even retirees. The recession has reportedly pushed that number even higher with redundancy and a gloomy job market making people see a year long adventure abroad as a far better choice.
Gap years often take people to far flung destinations not found on most tourist trails. If you’re going to a less developed country then it’s likely that there won’t be a reciprocal health arrangement like you’ll find in the EU and Australia for example. That makes getting good travel insurance that covers all the places you’ll visit and things you’re likely to do.
Some backpacker policies are only available for people under a certain age, usually mid 30s and below. Before taking out any travel insurance policy, read our travel insurance checklist.
Over 65s’ travel insurance
It hardly seems fair, but travel insurance for older people invariably costs more. Most regular travel insurance policies are only valid for people over a certain age.
It is extremely important to declare any pre-existing medical conditions at the time of taking out your policy. If you do need to make a claim due to a medical condition you failed to mention, you won’t be covered. Even in countries where there is a reciprocal health arrangement for Irish citizens, like the EU, other expenses like rearranging travel and accompanied journeys would have to be met by you.
You can arrange both single trip and annual or multi-trip travel insurance. Before taking out any travel insurance policy, read our travel insurance checklist.
Please note: this is not an exhaustive list! Check back for updates and more travel insurance news.