UK residents travelling abroad face eye-watering hospital treatment costs in the case of an accident of unexpected illness, according to the latest reports.

The Daily Mail has highlighted some surprising statistics from Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, as it emerges that the average cost of treatment for UK travellers abroad is £1,333. Figures for those treated in the United States are even more alarming, with the average for each medical bill reportedly standing at a massive £4,726.

It was not all doom and gloom, as those without travel insurance to cover medical bills would be looking at something far lower in Greece, where the average is £422. The research, based on claims from last year, also showed that Spain was the country in which most British holidaymakers needed medical assistance. The types of treatment varied dramatically, from an ear infection costing £320 for treatment, to heart problems prompting average medical bills of £8,148.

Scott Gorman, Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance manager, said: “It has been widely reported that healthcare costs are rising far faster than the rate of inflation, not just in the UK but in other countries as well, so ensuring you have adequate cover and peace of mind while you travel abroad is more important than ever.”

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Statistics from Direct Line, quoted in an article from Fair Investment, have revealed that one fifth, or 20%, of UK travellers are falling victim to theft.

41% of reported thefts committed against tourists involved cash, whilst stolen cameras accounted for 20% and 16% involved snatched credit or debit cards. Almost a quarter of thefts took place in the accommodation of the holidaymakers, and 11% of victims were targeted by pickpockets. 10% of those affected had possessions stolen from their car.

A quarter of the thefts took place in Spain, followed by France and then the UK.

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With all this snow and ice freezing up car engines cooling systems, you’ll want to crack open the anti-freeze. However if you’re a pet owner as well as a driver, you’re going to want to make sure that you you screw the lid back on tight or clean up any accidents. According to the RSPCA and the Feline Advisory Bureau household pets, and cats in particular, are very fond of the taste of anti-freeze and will happily lap up any spillages.

Unfortunately it’s also extremely damaging to an animals’ kidneys and ingesting even the smallest amounts can prove fatal. The RSPCA has published a list of symptoms of antifreeze poisoning in pets and recommends that you contact your local vet immediately if your pet shows any of the following:

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With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, the Post Office is reminding holidaymakers to take out travel insurance to cover their belongings should they be lost in transit.

According to the Air Transport Users Council, airlines could mishandle as many as 70 million bags by 2019 as the number of air passengers is set to double. Yet one in four holidaymakers still takes out no travel insurance before heading abroad.

Passengers who neglect to take out travel insurance could end up paying through the nose if their belongings go astray, as many underestimate the value of their luggage. Post Office figures reveal that passengers carry an average £1,113 worth of items in their suitcase; however, many set a much lower value on their luggage. This means that even those who have taken out a travel insurance policy may claim for much less than the contents of their suitcase are actually worth, in the event that their luggage is lost or stolen.

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Cruise passengers have been urged to check their travel insurance after reports that a third do not have adequate cover.

A survey by insurance company All Clear has shown that around 34% of cruise passengers would not be fully covered by their travel insurance policy if they were taken ill at sea.

These passengers would also not be covered for pre-booked excursions that were cancelled due to ill-health, bad weather or changes to the itinerary.

Chris Blackman, head of product development at All Clear, said: ” A surprising number of people seem to rely on the basic medical provision on board ships. However, in all but fairly minor emergencies, this will not be sufficient.

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A year after the collapse of travel firm XL, 10,000 customers are still waiting for refunds.

Many find themselves stuck in a deadlock between the Civil Aviation Authority and credit card operators, both of which are supposed to protect consumers whose holidays fall through, while some customers have not yet received refunds because of difficulties in proving how much they paid for their holiday.

The XL Leisure Group collapsed last September, when it was the third largest travel group in the UK. The company was covered by the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme, through which customers were advised to seek compensation.

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Football fans who plan on attending the World Cup Finals in South Africa next year have been urged to purchase travel insurance early to cover themselves for any cancellations.

M&S Money said that many travellers need to use insurance before their holiday begins in case their flights or accommodations are cancelled unexpectedly. The insurer’s premier travel insurance policy offers up to £6,000 cover for any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs in the case of illness, being called for jury service or if eave is withdrawn for customers working in the emergency services or Armed Forces.

Steve Price, M&S head of general insurance, said: “It’s great news that England have qualified for the World Cup and thousands of fans will now be looking forward to heading to South Africa next June.

“Tickets for the matches will no doubt be hot property, but fans should also think about what they would do if the worst happens. Travel insurance can provide financial support long before you step on to a flight, so England fans would be wise to invest in a comprehensive policy now.”

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Barclays has lodged an appeal against threatened limits on the sale of the controversial Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).

PPI is supposed to cover loan repayments if the holder is unable to work due to an accident or illness or if they lose their job.

In January the Competition Commission passed a ruling to prevent lenders from selling PPI alongside credit cards, loans and mortgages from October 2010. Instead they must wait seven days before contacting customers to sell them the cover.

In March Barclays lodged an appeal against the ruling, which is currently being heard in court. The bank argued that the ban is not justified by the evidence collected as part of the Competition Commission’s investigation.

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The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has urged British holidaymakers to make sure they are covered by travel insurance to avoid racking up crippling medical bills abroad.

3,146 Britons were hospitalised and 5,659 died abroad between April 2008 and March 2009, in the top 20 countries where British nationals needed help from the FCO.

As a proportion of the number of visitors to a country, British tourists were most likely to be hospitalised in in Thailand, followed by Greece, Egypt and India.

The FCO said that the biggest causes of being hospitalised were drink related incidents, such as falling off a balcony, and moped and motorbike accidents.

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Holidaymakers are being warned to check the small print on their travel insurance policies, as it emerges that many insurers do not cover expenses resulting from swine flu in their products.

According to the Rock insurance company, many insurers exclude important areas of cover from their standard insurance policies, including pandemic illness and terrorism – particularly worrying in the light of the swine flu pandemic and the Majorca bombings.

“With the current levels of infection in the UK, it is important that you offer an insurance policy that includes comprehensive cover should [customers] contract the illness either before or during their holiday,” said a spokesman.

Insurer Aviva has already received 400 claims relating to swine flu this summer.

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