Climbing Accidents

We are all getting more adventurous – not only in the distances we are prepared to travel, but in the activities we indulge in once we get to our holiday destinations. Lying on a beach with a good book seems so passé when you can go bungee jumping, galloping a horse down a beach, skiing or paragliding. But with excitement comes danger, especially if you don’t ensure you’re sufficiently covered by your travel insurance.

American Express Travel Insurance recently issued a warning, stating that not all skiing-trip travel insurance will cover inexperienced skiers who go off-piste (even if accompanied by a guide). This has become a particular concern following an unusually mild winter with low snowfall across Europe. Many holidaymakers risked going off-piste to find the best snowfall, resulting in twice as many accidents in the French Alps compared to the year before. If you are thinking of going skiing in the next year, it is essential that you check your insurance policy before you leave – you could be liable for huge costs if you have an accident off-piste and you discover your policy does not cover you. Airlifting you from the French Alps, for instance, could cost as much as £2,000. Quite simply, you need to tell your insurers if you are planning any kind of activity that could put you at greater risk of injury.

According to recent research, 15% of British people risk going abroad without any kind of travel insurance, let alone ‘extreme sports’ cover. Consider some of the costs you might incur should you fall ill or have an accident abroad, and you might think twice before gambling with your health and finances. Even if you holiday in Europe where your medical treatment might be covered by a European Health Insurance Card, you may still have to cover the costs of getting home to the UK, following your accident.

Examples of typical medical costs abroad:

* Air ambulance (East cost USA) – £30,000-£35,000

* Air ambulance (Canaries) – £12,000-£16,000

* Scheduled flight, stretcher and doctor escort (Australia) – £15,000-£20,000

* Scheduled flight, seated economy with a doctor escort (Mediterranean) – £1,800-£4,000

Source: health and wellbeing provider, First Assist

Tales of woe, however, shouldn’t put you off travelling far and wide, and enjoying all the activities on offer once you get there. The following guide provides some tips on how you can holiday, while gaining the best travel insurance at the best price for what you would like to do abroad:

1. If you are going to do anything that will be seen as risky such as skiing, canoeing, scuba-diving or climbing – you must tell your insurers and ensure your policy covers you in the event of an accident. Some activities such as paragliding or ski jumping may require special policies.

2. Do not skimp on your travel insurance. If the worst happens and you are injured abroad, you will want to know that you have the right insurance policy and company behind you to make the best of a bad situation. Check that the policy covers everything you need and choose one with a 24-hr international helpline.

3. Beyond your potential holiday activities, make sure your travel insurance covers other basic essentials, such as medical and dental treatment, getting you back home, personal liability, missed departure, cancelled flights, theft and lost luggage.

4. Shop around for the best deal. Don’t just assume that your travel agent is the best option for travel insurance – look at the different insurance options and choose one that works for you both financially and practically.

5. Ensure you take all your travel insurance documents with you. If you need to make a claim, you will need all your details close at hand.

One final piece of advice: once you have your travel insurance secured, try and forget about the potential dangers and enjoy your break. After all, holidays are really meant to be about having fun…

When travelling abroad on holiday the last thing you expect is to become ill or get injured, what you further do not expect is to foot the medical bill which could run into the thousands depending on the situation. The last kick whilst you are down is that you could avoid the expensive medical bill by forking out as little as £13.Like many other types of insurance, your price depends on the situation and likelihood of you making a claim. For example you would pay more for your car insurance if you drive a fast 3 litre car opposed to a small 1 litre car as it is more likely to be involved in an accident. The same rule applies for travel insurance; you can expect to pay more if the nature of your trip is more dangerous.Travel insurance whilst away for a week in a secluded villa will cost considerably less than a rock climbing week up Mount Everest. One tip to save some money on travel insurance is to buy your cover annually; this will only be effective if you travel a lot. Whether you are only visiting family for a tranquil escape you should always have travel insurance as you will never know what’s going to happen. Travel insurance can be bought for the whole family and it will also work out cheaper than individual cover.One of the best methods to save money on travel on travel insurance is to shop around and compare quotes online.

The first thing most people who buy travel insurance online do when they are planning a business trip or holiday is to think about what they want a travel insurance policy to do for them, should they have need to make a claim. Since there is more than one type of travel insurance, and many options that can be added to a basic policy, the wise traveller sits down and figures out exactly what kind of insurance will be needed.Standard will cover you and your family members for one trip only. This policy usually comes as a package deal that includes coverage for trip cancellation as well as coverage for medical/health services. You can add coverage for medical evacuation, dental, and pre-existing medical conditions, accidental death coverage, baggage and personal effects coverage, rental car and flight accident coverage as well as coverage for certain types of sports and winter sports, backpacking, and other options, too. The optional coverage you can add depends on the travel insurance company you choose.Annual multi triptravel insurance can be a money saver for people who take more than one holiday each year, or who frequently travel on business. With this type of insurance, one policy will cover you for an entire twelve-month period, no matter how many separate trips you may take. However, this kind of policy usually has some restrictions in place that state how long any one trip can be. The same optional coverage you are able to choose to accompany standard travel insurance is often available for annual travel insurance.Long Stay or Long term travel insurance This type of insurance is often used to describe a policy for travellers expecting to be away from their home on a trip for an extended period, such as a gap year.Some travel insurance companies have separate policies for older people who are over a certain age. There is Family travel insurance, for those who will be travelling with a partner and children, and Student travel insurance, for those young people who are going abroad to study.Adventure travel insurance policies are for those individuals who enjoy activities than can be rather hazardous, such as snow skiing, bungee jumping, scuba diving, mountain and rock climbing, and other extreme sports. Some travel insurance companies will consider an activity as risky, while others will not. You will need to check out the Product Disclosure, which is available on the web site of all travel insurance companies, to find out. This information can tell you many things about a policy you may be interested in purchasing. Research will help you to choose a travel insurance policy that has the options you want and need.