There’s an old saying in the travel business — ‘You’re never insured until you’re insured’. It may sound like it’s stating the bloody obvious but i think that the whole point! Travel insurance can sometimes be one of those things that is left on the long finger by people and often tends to be left until the last minute as if the only cover that it provides is for when you actually commence travelling. Since all travel insurance policies cover for cancellation and curtailment, you really need to take out a policy as soon as you pay a booking deposit on a holiday or purchase that airline ticket. There is simply no excuse for not having travel insurance cover nowadays as the cost has dramatically reduced in recent years. The best value can probably be found in what are called annual multi-trips — policies that provide year-round cover to practically all countries around the world provided that no single journey exceeds a certain duration — usually something like 31 days.
Where you really need to be careful though when taking out travel insurance is making sure that the policy is right for you. Like all consumer products, varies can vary so there is always a temptation for consumers to opt for the cheapest one but cheapest is not necessarily best as you usually get what you pay for. The problem with travel insurance policies is that they can be quite complex to understand and the devil is always in the detail — whether that detail be concerned with the extent of cover under the various categories; the exclusions contained within the policy; the excesses that apply in the event of claims and so on. The problem of course is that often, the purchaser doesn’t know that they’ve taken out the wrong policy until they need to make a claim and then it’s too late!
The best advice that I can give is to consult with your local Travel Centres agent (there are 68 of them located throughout the length and breadth of Ireland) and they will be happy to provide you with chapter and verse in that regard. There are many different products available out there in the market but our research suggests that one of the best of that offered by Blue insurance.
