If you are about to book your holiday, one thing that many will ask themselves is do I really need to get travel insurance? The short answer is yes. Unless you want to take a huge risk in assuming that you won't lose that suitcase that contains your new summer wardrobe, and personal belongings that you saved up all year for, or wasting all of your hard earned spending money on having to pay doctors fees abroad for a bad case of stomach upset, then cheap travel insurance is a definite must!
One area that is included in virtually all travel insurance policies is medical coverage. In the UK, we don't usually think too much about medical assistance as we don't usually get a bill after seeing our GP or a trip to the hospital. However, many countries around the world do in fact present you with a bill if not before they treat you, afterwards. In the USA for example, an unfortunate traveller who incurs a hip fracture from a nasty fall for instance, would be left with a medical bill of around £20,000.
If you are travelling to far away destinations such as Thailand, where you would be correct in assuming nights out and food are cheap, if you happen to have an accident there and break your leg, you could expect to pay around £500 in hospital bills, plus the expense of an ambulance to transport you to the hospital. Without travel insurance you would not be covered for any medical assistance if you needed it, and could find your self with a hefty hospital bill to pay from your own pocket.
Taking out cheap travel insurance for your trip, no matter how long or short, will also make sure your luggage is insured too. Many people throughout the UK, and around the world, save their hard earned wages each week or month, to purchase new items for there holiday, such as clothing or a camera. If your suitcase is not there waiting for you once you arrive at your holiday destination, and has been misplaced, your luggage and its contents have unfortunately gone. Without travel insurance, you will have to pay to replace all the items as well as your cases from your own pocket, taking out insurance may not get your goods back, but you could claim compensation and re-buy your cases contents.
The great British weather, as we all know, can be very unpredictable as it can be in many other areas of the world. This unfortunately can have a frustrating yet direct impact on your holiday plans. It is common for many flights to be delayed or even cancelled due to bad weather, leaving your travel plans in ruin.
If you went without travel insurance you wild be left with not only the responsibility of dealing with the issue of how to get to your destination, cancelling your accommodation or arranging new accommodation to fit new arrival times, but also the cost of doing so. Travel insurance will usually cover you for delayed or cancelled flights, which although might not take the frustration out of your ruined holiday plans, but will certainly take the sting out of you having to pay for a holiday you didn't get to enjoy.