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When preparing to travel with a family, there can be a multitude of different things to sort out – from tickets to taxis to the airport, as well as packing clothes, equipment and toys in between.

In amongst all the hassle of packing, arranging and ensuring your young ones will have enough to keep them occupied until you get to the hotel or resort at your destination, the thought of arranging insurance for your holiday might slip to the back of your mind.

Checking that you have adequate travel insurance before your trip is essential in order to ensure that you and your group are covered in the event of accidents and theft during your holiday.

Annual travel insurance policies can be purchased for longer periods of time, should you be making multiple trips during a short period of time.

Such deals can often work out cheaper than single-trip travel insurance and can help cover all members of your group during your holiday your family from a range of factors.

When searching for cover it is important to shop around, research different policies and the type of cover that they offer and, most importantly, to read the small print to check for any snags which could affect any claims.

Factors will depend on location and any planned activities during the holiday. Whilst activity holidays can be fun for all, but it is important to make sure you’re covered for sports such as jet-skiing and other activities that have an increased risk of injury.

It is also essential to ensure that your possessions are covered for the duration of your trip in order to protect against any financial loss as a result of theft, luggage and passport loss, travel delays and any other legal expenses.

There are also a wide range of companies that specialise in and offer family travel insurance. These policies can be catered to meet the needs of your holiday and help to cover costs should you or your children require any medical assistance during your trip.

By: David Collins

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A family booked a rental cottage last summer, arrived safely and just loved the cottage. However, on the second day of their two week stay, the mom got a call to say her father was seriously ill and not expected to live. The family packed up and returned home, and sadly, her dad died a few days later. After the funeral, the renter called the cottage owner and asked what sort of refund she could expect as they had only used 2 days of their 14 day booking. The owner refused to pay any refund with the explanation that she relied on the cottage rental income to pay the costs of her cottage and it was always fully booked through the season. She was not able to find a replacement rental party at the last minute and as the rental agreement stated; if that was the case no money would be returned. Of course the rental group did not have travel insurance, which would probably have covered trip curtailment due to the illness and/or death of a close relative. The rental cost the family over $4000 and they were not able to recover a penny of that money.

Many people believe that trip insurance is only necessary if there is a flight involved; where delay, lost baggage, and the risk of the airline going bust, is covered; and medical cover is required in a foreign country. It’s not considered important, or not considered at all, to buy insurance to cover a trip taken by road to a self catering property in the same province or the same country.

Think again! Most cottage bookings are made several months in advance and many things could happen after you have booked to change your circumstances. Illnesses of any member of the traveling party, redundancy or a call to jury service are just a few of the situations that would be covered by a travel insurance policy. A few insurance companies also offer a ‘change of mind’ clause, allowing you to cancel for any reason after a booking has been made and paid in full. This normally pays out an amount sufficient to cover any cancellation fee the rental agency or owner may apply.

When you book your vacation rental property, check the property owners or agencies cancellation policies carefully. If it is not clear, ask the question. In general, most private owners and rental agencies will attempt to rebook a property if it is cancelled, and refund your money for the period they have rebooked, less a cancellation fee.

The premium paid for trip insurance becomes less significant, the more you are paying, however it is worthwhile at any price, for your peace of mind.

By: Heather Bayer

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