Travel Insurance Guide

Purchasing travel insurance may seem like a daunting task, but fear not, that is exactly why 1direct.com.au is here to help.

There are many different types of travel insurance available today, and cover has really become all about you, where you’re going and what you intend to do when you get there. For instance, there can be cover for extreme sports, older travellers, car hire excess protection and various levels of medical cover. To decide the best cover for your circumstances, it’s good to dig deeper into what policies do and don’t cover.

Adventure Sports

For many people, a holiday is just not a holiday until you’ve bungee jumped, snow boarded or white water rafted your way to happiness. Some travel insurance policies may not cover these activities. Insurance policies offered by World Nomads, for instance, include all of the above coverage, while other insurers such as ING and Suresave will cover for ski lift and golf green passes and other event cancellations. Be careful when applying, however, as you may need to choose an upgrade in order to receive this cover. 1cover offers a special policy for ski trips within Australia, meaning that you only pay for cover you need, not extras that you won’t, like international MediVac lifting.

Public Liability

This is often overlooked by many people looking for insurance, but can be a life saver if you create damage to something – or someone – else. These can be covered in some policies, such as 1cover’s single, which has coverage of up to $5million. Travel Insurance Direct, along with a few other insurers such as World Nomads, will pay up to $2.5million.

Medical cover

We’ve all heard the stories of people who let their travel insurance lapse – or didn’t take out any insurance – only to be stuck with a $290,000 bill to be evacuated out of the country, or $80,000 medical bills for operations and hospital stays. Understanding exactly how much cover you have is vital. Travel Insurance Direct, World Care and 1cover’s policies all offer unlimited medical cover, but World Nomads offers cover up to $5million, and medical evacuation up to $500,000. Check the policy carefully to ensure you have what you need.

Extras

As more of us travel, frequently having to top up insurance cover can become a pain. Companies such as Columbus have written new policies that cover frequent travellers for up to a year, so you don’t need to organize insurance each time you leave home. They are also quite cost effective, with single rates starting form just $250.
Which ever cover you choose, make sure you read the policy disclosure book carefully before signing up. This must, by law, contain all the information you will need on what the policy does and doesn’t cover.