Travel insurance myths revealed

by Robert Powell on 11 January 2011  |  1 comment
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Robert Powell takes to the streets to reveal four travel insurance myths...

13.4 million of us are planning to book a holiday before the end of February.

If you’re one of these people then as well as thinking about where you want to go and how you’re going to get there, you should also be looking around for travel insurance.

So to help you find the right policy I’ve hit the streets to find out how much we know about this essential cover.

#1 You don’t need travel insurance in Europe if you have an EHIC card

According to research from Sainsbury’s, 45% of people planning to book a getaway before February intend to go to Europe.

But even if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you’re not fully and covered and should still take out travel insurance cover.

EHICs will only cover you for state treatment in the country you are in.

So if you need private treatment or find yourself stuck in a country with few public health services you could be in trouble.

#2 Winter sports insurance covers all types of winter extreme sports

Most winter sports insurance policies won’t cover all winter extreme activities.

More dangerous winter sports such as off-piste skiing, heli-skiing and tobogganing are not covered by most types of winter holiday cover.

If you’re staying on-piste it’s still worth making sure that your policy covers lost, stolen and damaged equipment as well as injury.

#3 Travel insurance doesn’t pay out in the event of an ‘Act of God’

The old catch-all 'Act of God' clause that a lot of people seem to think insurers use to avoid paying out is actually a complete myth.

It’s all really to do with how an insurer defines a claim.

Last year’s volcanic ash cloud saga is a good example.

Some insurance providers defined the ash cloud as bad weather and paid out, while others deemed it to be a freak event and therefore didn’t cover it.

All of these terms and conditions will be in your policy documents, so make sure you read them fully.

#4 Your name affects your insurance rates

This one’s not strictly a myth as obviously your name can’t affect your insurance policy.

But recent stats still show that if your name is David and you’re aged between 50 and 60 you’re more likely to make a travel insurance claim.*

The Johns and Pauls of this world are just as accident prone – closely followed by the name Susan.

So there you have it – if you’ve booked a holiday and haven’t taken out travel insurance yet, you can get a quote quickly and easily right here at lovemoney.com, just by heading over to our travel insurance centre.

*Research conducted by insurance comparison site insurefor.com

More: Change your name to prevent an insurance claim Avoid this painful holiday cost increase

Get a travel insurance quote at lovemoney.com