Holiday travel insurance - recommendations?

[BrowneIssue]

I'm off on holiday soon and 'cos it's expensive I thought some insurance might be in order. I've never bothered before so I'd like some advice and trust you lot more than anyone else I know!

Off on a cruise, no flights involved. It's holiday, not work. Just me and Her Ladyship. I've got high blood pressure but no other medical issues involved.

Have you anyone you'd recommend?

Are there any questions I need to be asking?

What should I be looking for in the small print?

Edit... yes, I do have prescription medicine I need to be taking.

[Ravello]

Trailfinders generally offer pretty decent travel insurance, including the ability to specify what additional cover you desire. If you're just after bog-standard insurance the Post Office are as good as any others I've tried.

[Fred Bloggs]

I have a Barclays Additions Plus current account, it's covered under that. A good deal actually I reckon.

[alantan]

If it's price, just go to a comparison website

I got whole world for £43 from Preferential Direct last year (Preferential Classic Annual Multi-Trip up to 45 days each trip).

[NickNick]

Trailfinders generally offer pretty decent travel insurance, including the ability to specify what additional cover you desire. If you're just after bog-standard insurance the Post Office are as good as any others I've tried.

I would stay away from trailfinders as they refused to pay out for relocation(flight) costs after terrorist attack for us.

My money is now with Insure and Go and they offer some very good year long deals.

[rpgpgmr1]

go to Moneysupermaket.com , fill in the brief details and back come a load of policies to choose from.
Always check who the Underwriter is ( tend to be AIG on a lot of own brand products from supermarkets / banks etc). Personally I avoid a Lloyds underwriter and prefer a "company" .
If its anything slightly out of the norm then FlexicoverDirect are usually open to negotiation.
Double check terms for possessions/luggage payout as a number of policies exclude luggage saying it should be covered under household contents ( and that affects the premium) .
Sporting activities may be restricted or defined in a hazardous group . i.e. scuba diving may be covered but only if its no more than 10 % of the trip duration , so maybe only 1 day out of 7 days unless buying a specialist policy .
Double check for medical cover terms if going to Australia / Canada ( or their territorial waters ) as most policies say you have to register in their equiv. of NHS under the UK reciprocal agreement BEFORE accepting any treatment.
For Europe the free E111 / EHIC card covers EMERGENCY treatment only ( so no air ambulance to get you back home ) . However some places ( Cyprus ) may insist you pay and claim back from NHS yourself as they are fed up of waiting to be paid.
Finally double check the excess and if it applies to each section as some sneaky companies accumulate the excess per section and a 50 quid excess becomes several hundred quid .

[n5gooner]

My Halifax account covers me and the family.

[BrowneIssue]

The conclusion

The clue to the trickiness was in this term:

I've got high blood pressure

which they call "a pre-existing medical condition". Which means a 'phone call is always required in which you give them details of and they come back with a rather higher quote.

My professional insurers don't do travel insurance but they recommended Ace European, 0800 169 2967, £47.61

Trailfinders

0844 892 0954, £53.46

Post Office

0845 602 5275, £59.75

I have a Barclays Additions Plus current account, it's covered under that.

They said they didn't have an account in the name of "Fred Bloggs", but thanks anyway.

Preferential Direct

0871 221 4008 = 01702 423 393 , £42 <--- winners

Insure and Go

I never got anywhere with them but I cannot remember why now. Sorry.

Moneysupermaket.com

Because I have 'a pre-existing medical condition' that didn't help. However, since I had 'phoned my contents insurance people (Hiscox) to check what they covered who immediately terminated my contents insurance, I was then up tulip creek without a paddle. Moneysupermarket.com was HUGELY helpful in finding me an insurer that would do contents on my home which is on a flood plain. It narrowed down 60 insurers to 3! And so I have gone from Hiscox to Bank of Scotland (who my business a/c is with). So indirectly, thank you for that link, most helpful.

For Europe the free E111 / EHIC card covers EMERGENCY treatment only

Worth highlighting as their web site does not make it clear what it covers.

Finally double check the excess and if it applies to each section as some sneaky companies accumulate the excess per section and a 50 quid excess becomes several hundred quid .

I fell for that about 20 years ago when a friend had to be rescued from a mountain in a si-ing accident. I paid for the mountain rescue, ambulance taxi, x-rays and treatment for her. I got bugger all back on the insurance as each item was under the excess amount. I have opted for £0 excess which cost me an extra £12.

My Halifax account covers me and the family.

I don't think we're related. So, thanks for the offer, what are your daughters like?

[FiveTimes]

might be a bit too late but I've used and claimed TIW

[Pickle2]

You could try half an asprin every day