Frequently Asked Travel Insurance Questions
Travel insurance is a safety net that protects you against unexpected events while you're away from home. It covers a range of situations, including medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and travel delays. Without insurance, medical treatment abroad can be extremely expensive and missed flights or lost belongings can lead to significant financial loss. Whether you're travelling within Europe or heading worldwide, having a comprehensive travel insurance policy ensures peace of mind, allowing you to enjoy your trip without worry.
Single trip travel insurance covers one specific journey, from departure to return, making it ideal for a one off trip where you are unlikely to travel again in the next 12 months. In contrast, annual multi-trip insurance provides coverage for multiple trips within a year, offering convenience and cost savings for frequent travelers. While single trip policies are tailored for individual holidays, annual policies ensure ongoing protection without needing to buy insurance for each trip separately.
Travel insurance is essential because it protects you from unexpected costs and emergencies while you're away. Medical treatment abroad can be extremely expensive, and without insurance, you could face thousands in hospital bills. It also covers trip cancellations, lost baggage, travel delays, and personal liability, ensuring you're financially safeguarded if things don’t go to plan. Whether you're travelling for leisure or a special occasion, having the right policy gives you peace of mind so you can focus on enjoying your trip.
Choosing the right travel insurance policy depends on your destination, trip length, medical history, and planned activities. Start by considering whether you need single-trip or annual multi-trip cover. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, ensure your policy provides the necessary medical coverage. Look for protection against trip cancellations, lost baggage, travel delays, and personal liability. If you're going on a cruise, winter sports, or adventure holiday, consider optional extras for added protection. Always compare policies carefully to find the best balance between cost and coverage, ensuring you’re fully protected for your trip.
To ensure your pre-existing medical conditions are covered by travel insurance, you’ll need to declare them during the medical screening process when purchasing your policy. You will need to answer a series of health-related questions to assess your needs and provide appropriate cover. Failing to declare a condition could make your policy invalid if you need to make a claim. At CheapTravelInsurance.com, we specialise in finding comprehensive travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, giving you peace of mind that you’re fully protected while travelling.
No, there is no upper age limit on our travel insurance policies. We understand that travel is for everyone, regardless of age, which is why we offer tailored cover for all travellers, including seniors. Whether you're in your 50s, 60s, 70s, or beyond, we can help you find the right policy to suit your needs. Our insurance includes cover for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more. Our quotes are bespoke to each person, and we specialise in covering pre-existing medical conditions. At CheapTravelInsurance.com, we believe age should never be a barrier to travel.
A GHIC (UK Global Health Insurance Card) allows UK residents to access state-provided healthcare in European countries at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. It replaces the old EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) and covers medically necessary treatment during temporary stays in the EU and Switzerland. However, a GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance—it won’t cover private medical care, repatriation, or non-medical travel issues like cancellations or lost baggage. For complete protection, it’s always best to have both a GHIC and a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Travel Insurance Checklist
Let’s begin by reviewing the questions you’ll be asked online or over the phone to help assess your needs. These questions are crucial in ensuring we find the best Travel Insurance to provide comprehensive coverage for you while abroad.
A single-trip policy takes effect from the date of purchase, providing immediate cancellation coverage for that trip. An annual policy can begin either on the purchase date or up to 30 days in advance when bought online, and up to 90 days in advance when purchased over the phone. It remains valid for 12 months from the start date, covering multiple trips. However, cancellation coverage only begins from the policy’s start date. For example, if you purchase a policy today but choose to activate it in 30 days, you would not be covered for any cancellations occurring before the policy starts.
If you’re going on a cruise for all or part of your holiday you will need additional cruise cover.
So will you for example be doing winter sports, skiing or snowboarding? If so you will need to add winter sports cover to your policy. Then maybe you will be golfing, hiking or hot air ballooning? Then we already cover nearly 60 sports and activities as standard with our Pack A activities option and we also have a Pack B available which you would need to add onto your policy if you are going to take part in one of those additional activities .
We will need names, date of births, address and medical history.
Yes you can. If you're booking as a group, please note that we’ll need to speak with each individual unless the group consists of family members. This can be arranged by designating a ‘lead’ traveler, with the rest of the group added to the policy. Before accessing the quote, each individual will also need to answer a few security questions related to the lead traveler.
You'll be covered for baggage cover up to £3,000. Cover levels and excess will depend on the policy you choose.
Plus we now offer Smart Luggage cover as an additional add on to your policy or as a stand alone product.
Smart Luggage provides travel insurance coverage for lost or delayed luggage and personal belongings. Whether you're traveling with a suitcase, cabin bag, or carry-on, Smart Luggage offers valuable benefits if your luggage goes missing:
- Instant payouts – Receive real-time payments directly into your bank or PayPal account.
- Delayed luggage compensation – Get £50 if your luggage cannot be located upon arrival at your destination airport.*
- Extended loss coverage – If your luggage remains missing 48 hours after reporting it to Smart Luggage, you’ll receive an additional £500.*
More Travel Insurance Questions
Yes, it’s a good idea to have both yourself and your travel companions on the same travel insurance policy. Each traveler must complete a simple medical screening, declaring any pre-existing conditions. If your companions have no medical conditions to declare, they can simply click "Continue."
Yes, our website collects your personal information using a secure SSL certificate. Information exchanged with any address beginning with https:// is encrypted using SSL before transmission, ensuring complete privacy and security.
When you purchase Travel Insurance from us, your documents will be securely uploaded to your online account, allowing you to access them anytime or print them at home if needed. Shortly after your purchase, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to activate your account and view your documents. To access your account now, simply click "My Account" at the top of this page. If you prefer to have your documents mailed to you, please give us a call.
All travel insurance providers must offer a 14-day cooling-off period, allowing you time to review the policy details and ensure it meets your needs. If you decide the policy isn’t right for you, you can request a full refund as long as you do so within this period.
What is Standard Travel Insurance Cover?
Your standard cover travel insurance will include the following essential coverage:
- Emergency Medical Cover – A minimum of £5 million for medical expenses, including accommodation and repatriation.
- Cancellation and Curtailment – Cancellation protects you before departure, while curtailment covers you if you need to cut your trip short after it has begun.
- Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Baggage – Includes coverage for lost belongings and temporary replacement of essential travel documents.
- Disruptions and Delays – Protection against unexpected travel interruptions.
- Legal and Personal Liability Cover – Assistance with legal costs if you face an incident while traveling.
- Missed Departure – Coverage in case you are unable to make your scheduled departure.
- Hazardous Activities Pack A – Additional protection for adventurous activities.
While these coverages are included as standard, each insurance provider sets different limits and excess amounts based on the policy level chosen (Gold, Silver, or Bronze). Before purchasing a policy, ensure it provides the coverage you need. For example, if your holiday costs £6,000, a policy covering only £5,000 for cancellation wouldn’t be sufficient. Additionally, coverage applies per person—if you paid £3,000 per person for a trip for two, you can only claim up to £3,000 per person listed on the policy.
Multiple Travel Insurance Providers
We partner with leading travel insurance providers to help you find the right cover with ease. Choose from three levels of protection, all including end supplier failure cover. With no upper age limit, we offer quotes for travelers of any age on both single-trip and annual policies. Compare prices from multiple specialist insurers in seconds and find the best policy for your needs.
Ready to get your travel insurance sorted?
Call Free on 0800 542 7167 or Get a Quote Here