Planning a holiday? Well, vacations are definitely fun if planned well. Travel insurance is an essential part of planning a trip. It will ensure that you, your family and belongings are safe in case an emergency strikes. Here are some tips to help you choose the best travel insurance plan:

1. Check your existing cover

When shopping for a new travel cover, check the existing travel cover that you have. It is possible that you are covered for certain things or the entire tour without even being aware. Some of the banks offer free or standard travel insurance for their customers. It is certainly worth checking this prior to actually start shopping around.

2. Medical Cover

This is definitely the most essential part of travel insurance. It is extremely important to know you are going to be OK in case of any medical emergency that may befall in a far-off land. So before you actually invest in a travel insurance policy, check if medical insurance is offered and the amount of cover offered. Get a detailed list of all that’s included and excluded.

3. Luggage and Personal Items

You need to keep two major things in mind. Ask the insurer if it provides an ample level of cover for your luggage. Any decent insurer will provide cover for baggage. Also check the limit for a claim for individual items. Beware of very cheap travel insurance plans which will offer you the same. Also make sure you ask what the cover includes.

4. Excess

Did you know the cheaper policy you buy, the higher the excess is? For instance, if the excess on your policy is estimated at INR 20,000 and you claim for INR 30,000, the insurer will pay only INR10,000. You need to be extremely careful to examine prior to committing.

5. Cancellation Policy

Although it is not good to cancel a plan or cut short a well-planned holiday, sometimes, it is very necessary. The decision may also end up some out of pocket expenses. So when buying a travel insurance plan, make sure you get one that offers cover for cancellation. It should include a cover for any excursions that you have already organized and paid for. Also make sure it covers the overall cost of getting you back.

6. Single or Annual Trip

Are you planning to take 3-4 holidays or more in the coming year? It is better to get yourself an annual policy. This will certainly save some cash. Here, you need to keep a check on the maximum number of days covered for a single trip. Each company and policy covered has its own rules and regulations. Some may offer cover for 45 days while others won’t go beyond 21. In case, you plan to go backpacking, it is better to go for a specific backpacker’s travel insurance plan.

7. The Destination Cover

It is important to ensure that the destination covered. Most insurance providers are not huge fans of the world map. So you may not get covers for Egypt, Morocco and even some of the European countries. Keep this in mind when you’re heading to multiple sites or choosing a yearly plan.

8. Read Prior to Riding

In case, you are looking for a relaxed chilled out holiday that includes you pooling your way up in swim-up bar, there is no need to have an insurance plan. However, you if you are in an adventurous mood and looking for something thrilling on your trip, consider a plan. Many policies cover activities such as bungee-jumping and kite-surfing, you need to speak to agents for covering high risk activities such as skiing and horse-riding. These may cost extra.