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Insurance |
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A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the
loss of baggage, tickets and - up to a certain limit - cash or cheques,
as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them
exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: this
could mean scuba-diving, white-water rafting, windsurfing and trekking,
though probably not kayaking or jeep safaris. Read the small print and
benefits tables of prospective policies carefully; coverage can vary
wildly for roughly similar premiums. Many policies can be chopped and
changed to exclude coverage you don't need - for example, sickness and
accident benefits. If you do take medical coverage, ascertain whether
benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds or only after you return
home, and whether there is a 24-hour medical emergency number. When
securing baggage cover, make sure that the per-article limit - typically
under £500/$700 equivalent - will cover your most valuable possessions.
If you need to make a claim, you should keep receipts for medicines and
medical treatment, and in the event you have anything stolen, you must
obtain an official statement from the police. Bank and credit cards
often have certain levels of medical or other insurance included and you
may automatically get travel insurance if you use a major credit card to
pay for your trip.
Travellers from Britain and Ireland would do well to take out an
insurance policy before travelling to cover against theft, loss and
illness or injury. Travel agents and tour operators are likely to
require some sort of insurance when you book a package holiday, though
according to UK law they can't make you buy their own (other than a £1
premium for "schedule airline failure"). If you have a good all-risks
home insurance policy it may cover your possessions against loss or
theft even when overseas. Many private medical schemes uch as BUPA or
PPP also offer coverage plans for abroad, including baggage loss,
cancellation or curtailment and cash replacement as well as sickness or
accident.
American and Canadian citizens should also check that they're not
already covered. Canadian provincial health plans usually provide
partial cover for medical mishaps overseas. Holders of official student/teacher/youth
cards are entitled to meagre accident coverage and hospital in-patient
benefits. Students will often find that their student health coverage
extends during the vacations and for one term beyond the date of last
enrolment. Homeowners' or renters' insurance often covers theft or loss
of documents, money and valuables while overseas, though conditions and
maximum amounts vary from company to company.
Rough Guides travel insurance
Rough Guides now offer their own travel insurance, customized for our
readers by a leading UK broker and backed by a Lloyds underwriter. It's
available to anyone, of any nationality, travelling anywhere in the
world, and we believe it is the best-value...
read more >> |
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