When holidaying on home-soil do you need to take out travel insurance to cover your trip? We look at what cover you might need when you holiday in the UK.
If you’re planning to holiday in the UK rather than travel abroad, you might think there’s no need to buy travel insurance. However certain types of cover can prove invaluable even when you’re holidaying so close to home. We take a look at what travel insurance you might need for a UK holiday.
Cover your possessions
It might seem unnecessary to take out travel insurance to cover your belongings when you’ll only be staying in your home-country, but it’s worth thinking about the total value of all the things you plan to take on holiday with you.
As many of us nowadays have expensive things that we carry with us every day such as iPods and mobile phones, you should consider how much these would cost to replace if you lost them or if they were stolen while you were away.
Before you take out travel insurance to cover your possessions however, it’s a good idea to look at your current home contents policy. You may find that several of your prized possessions are already covered by your home insurance, in which case you don’t need to take out separate travel cover.
However you may find that many of the things you plan to take with you such as a tent or diving equipment aren’t covered by your home insurance, or that your policy only covers up to a certain amount which your holiday things exceed – in which case taking out travel insurance for your trip may well come in useful. Insuring your holiday cash may also be worthwhile in case of loss or theft.
In case of cancellation...
Cancellation is another event you may want to cover with travel insurance. Whether you’re holidaying at home or on the other side of the world, if your holiday is cancelled the costs may be difficult to recoup.
For example, when holidaying in the UK you may have booked a hotel, cottage, or flights if you’re travelling further afield. If you or your party fall ill before your holiday, or the weather is horrendous, or an emergency means you aren’t able to take your holiday, you would have to cancel all these bookings.
As many of them would be non-refundable you could find yourself severely out of pocket – but the right travel insurance would cover you in these circumstances.
In case of emergency...
Although while holidaying in the UK you’ll have the peace of mind that should an accident occur, free medical treatment on the NHS is always available, you may still want to cover a possible hospital transfer.
For example if you live in the South of England and take a holiday in the Lake District, an accident or illness requiring hospital assistance would mean you’d have to stay in a hospital away from your family and friends. UK travel insurance however can cover a hospital transfer back to the South.
Overall, it’s up to you whether or not you take out travel insurance for a UK trip – but depending on your circumstances, you may find that having some cover may be better than none.
