Travel Insurance Policy Types

Single Trip Insurance

Single trip insurance is recommended if you are not a frequent traveller. Purchasing a policy that covers only the trip you are taking means you avoid paying for extra days that you will not be using.

A single trip policy also allows you to tailor your policy to the exact type of trip you are taking. For example, with the case of dangerous sports a large number of annual multi-trip policies provide a set number of days cover for activities such as dangerous sports. Taking out a policy for only one trip means you pay for only the set amount of days you will be travelling for. It also means you do not have to add on an extra block of days if your trip goes over the standard limit, which could end up costing you more in the long run.

Single trip insurance is ideal if:

• You travel less than 3 times per year
• You take one specialist holiday per year
• You only want to pay for the exact number of days you spend traveling with no chance of excess

Annual Multi Trip Insurance

The advantage for annual multi trip insurance is that you are covered for every trip you make within the year (provided its duration is under a specific number of days – this varies between providers). This is very useful for frequent travellers as it often works out cheaper than paying single trip insurance every time you travel.

Having a policy that covers all trips made annually is a good idea if you are likely to make last minute plans and do not feel you have time to organise insurance before you leave as you will have the peace of mind that you are already covered.

Most annual trip policies have a number of days set aside for activities such as winter sports, this means you are insured for almost any eventuality. The standard number of days can be added to if you are planning on taking a longer break, although this will cost extra it may still work out cheaper than taking out a single trip policy for that particular trip.

Annual multi-trip insurance can also be combined with family travel insurance policies, this can sometimes mean that even family members travelling alone (such as children on a school trip) can be covered under the policy. Again this may work out cheaper in the long run if members of your family travel frequently also.

Annual multi-trip insurance is ideal if:

• You travel more than 3 times per year
• You want to be covered for any eventuality such as deciding to take up the sports on offer during a winter break
• You take advantage of "last minute" deals and so need to make travel plans quickly
• You and your family members travel both as a group and separately throughout the year

Be sure to consider carefully which type of policy suits you best and which will be cheaper in the long run.

Related Frequent Questions:

• When To Get Travel Insurance
• Specialist Travel Insurance
• Top 10 Travel Tips
• Choosing the right levels of cover