Money Advice Service

To get the right cover at the right price, you can either use best buy tables or do a bit of research yourself.

Think about cover, not just price

As is true of most insurance policies, the cheapest deal is not necessarily the best.

There are all sorts of different policies available.

Make sure you get the right policy, even if it costs a few pounds more. Otherwise you might not be able to claim when you really need to.

Read the key benefits and features information provided by your provider before you buy so you know what you’re actually getting.

You will have 14 days after you received your policy details in which to cancel if you find the policy is not suitable for you.

If you’re not sure what kind of cover you need, read our guide:

Read our guide Travel insurance – choose the right policy and cover

Too busy to shop around?

If you don’t have a lot of time to shop around, best buy tables can be a useful shortcut to who’s offering the best deals.

Make sure the policy you choose will meet your requirements in the event of a claim.

Try an insurance broker

Ask a broker for advice on finding a suitable travel insurance policy that meets your needs.

It doesn’t cost you any more money and it can be particularly useful if you have complex needs, for example because you have an existing medical condition.

Find a specialist broker on the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website

Got some time? Use the comparison sites and shop around

If you can put in a bit of time and want to compare some travel insurance prices you can shop around online.

However, remember not to focus on price alone and always check that the cover offered is sufficient for your needs.

It takes some research, because you’ll want to compare as many quotes as possible, but you can potentially save money.

Try consider the following:

  • Your bank
  • Supermarkets
  • Your credit card company
  • Typing ‘travel insurance’ and other key words into your search engine
  • Comparison sites – though many insurers won’t feature if they don’t sell their travel through comparison sites

Keep an eye on the excess when you compare policies

Make sure you compare like for like. This is especially important for the excess.

A policy might look like it’s the cheapest until you work out that the excess is very high.

Also, for travel insurance claims, excesses are applied on a ‘per section’ basis.

For example, if you’re mugged on holiday you might have to claim under the medical expenses section, personal belongings section and money section of your policy.

In this case three excesses could be deducted from your payout.

This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.