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Travel Insurance

Travel checklist: things to do before going on a trip

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Are you planning a trip abroad at some point in the future? We bet that you’ll want a holiday somewhere soon! If that’s the case, make sure that you refer to this travel checklist for some useful tips of things to remember.

Pack appropriately for the destination

Of course, everyone packs their case before a trip, but try to do some research into the destination that you’re visiting and make sure that your case is full of appropriate attire and gear for the destination! For example, if you are going trekking in the jungle, you will want to make sure that you have mosquito spray. or if you’re going backpacking get backpacker travel insurance But if you are visiting the UK, you should pack an umbrella!

Pay all bills that you need to before going away

Nobody wants to have to negotiate an unpaid bill while on holiday. Ensure that any outstanding bills are already paid before you get on the plane and try to pay some in advance if possible. Make a detailed list of when your electricity, gas, water and internet bills are due, so you don’t forget any.

Turn all plugs in your house off

Make sure that you turn off anything that you can before going on holidays, such as plugs and lights. You will obviously need to keep some things, like your refrigerator, plugged in, but everything else should be turned off completely and not just left on standby. This will help you save some money on your insurance policy.

Keep updated with current affairs at your destination

This has become more important since COVID began, but it’s always a good idea to keep updated with current affairs before travelling somewhere because they can affect your entry requirements. In the lead up to your trip, check for any incidents of note or any border changes. If you do see anything worrying, contact your airline.

Make sure that you have insurance

Every time you go travelling abroad, you should have travel insurance. You can compare travel insurance plans and find the best one for you here.

If you’re looking for a travel insurance policy that works for you, get in touch with our team at Compare Insurance today.

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Travel Insurance

Is it safe to travel abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic?

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We’ve been living with Covid for over a year now. Life as we know it has changed a lot, and many of us are wondering if we could sneak away for a holiday. Here are some things to consider if you’re thinking about travelling abroad during Covid-19.

Testing and quarantining is important

Most countries require you to take a test and quarantine before entering. This is really important – you need to make sure that you aren’t bringing any new strains of the virus into another country, or infecting people that you see on the way. If you do decide to travel, make sure that you take at least two tests and quarantine when you arrive.

Be aware of travel restrictions

Travel restrictions could change at any minute, and your travel insurance may not cover them. For example, travellers from the UAE must now quarantine for two weeks in UK hotels at their own cost. If you travel during the pandemic, you should be prepared to face random quarantines and extra costs which you may not get refunded for, especially flight cancellation insurance.

Know the risks of you catching Covid

Covid does disproportionately affect the old and people with underlying conditions. However, people who are young and fit have still become gravely ill due to this virus. If you can’t afford to pay for potential hospitalisation abroad, make sure that you find a travel insurance provider who has Covid cover (there aren’t many of them, but you can use our schengen insurance tool to look for them). If you aren’t insured and can’t afford to pay out of pocket, then you shouldn’t be thinking about travelling.

Plan your destination wisely

Some countries are in a bad situation due to the Covid pandemic, so tourism is the last thing on their mind, while other countries are concerned about the loss of tourism as an income source. If you must travel, choose a country that is dealing with the pandemic well, and that wants to welcome tourists back.

Use PPE

It goes without saying that, if you travel, you should wear a mask at all times in public places and keep your hands sanitised.

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Car Insurance Health Insurance Travel Insurance

Do I need insurance for domestic travel?

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Are you going on holiday in the UAE? If you’re not leaving the country, you may be tempted to skip travel insurance. However, you should still make sure that you are covered for other eventualities. Here’s why you need domestic travel insurance.

Your health insurance will cover health issues

If you fall ill abroad, you need travel insurance to access healthcare. This isn’t the case if you’re staying within the UAE as long as you have adequate UAE medical insurance policy (if you don’t, be sure to check out our health insurance comparison tool and purchase insurance – it’s essential that you have it!).

You may need insurance for stolen luggage

There are virtually zero domestic flights in the UAE (and the few that do exist are very expensive!), so if you are travelling by bus, it may be prudent to take out insurance that covers your possessions. You may also want to cover your possessions for theft from your hotel room. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a travel insurance policy – you could take out separate contents insurance for your luggage.

Don’t forget car insurance

Most people travel around the UAE by car. Whether you are using your own car or a hired vehicle, make sure that you have comprehensive car insurance to cover any breakdowns or accidents.

Travel insurance may cover delays or cancellations

Travel insurance may be useful if you experience any bus delays or cancellations, or any issues with your hotel. However, bus journeys are generally too cheap to warrant taking out insurance for, and hotels normally have their own kind of insurance policies in place. While travel insurance when venturing abroad is always a good idea, in the UAE you may be able to get away with separate insurance policies.

You will likely already have health insurance and car insurance (if you are driving your own vehicle), so you could pay separately to have your luggage insured and make sure that everything is secure at your hotel. This will probably help you save money rather than taking out a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

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Travel Insurance

Best places to visit near the UAE

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Are you looking for some weekend breaks to take from the UAE? The small nation benefits from excellent air links to other countries in the Middle East and beyond. Here are some easy and inexpensive weekend breaks that you can take from Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Before booking, remember to purchase worldwide travel insurance – you can use our comparison tool to find the best deal for your short break.

Qatar

Qatar is a tiny nation to the north-west of the UAE. It’s only a short flight, so you can easily visit just for a day or two. Qatar is one of the richest nations on the planet, so it’s a great place to visit for luxury travellers. Some of the best things to do in Doha, its capital, include visits to the Katara Cultural Village, the Barzan Towers, and a trip out of the city to see the desert.

Oman

Oman neighbours the UAE and can be reached by air or road. Muscat is a thriving city that is very welcoming to tourists, and the surrounding nature of Oman is absolutely epic. Don’t miss the many Wadis, including Wadi Shab, the Omani Desert, and the epic Sultan Qaboos Mosque.

Istanbul

Turkey is a large country, but Istanbul is well connected to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Istanbul sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and is a deeply historic city, making it one of the best places in the world to explore. Don’t miss the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, as well as views from the Galata Tower. Be sure to take a walk around Taksim, the new district of Istanbul, and try some delicious Turkish food!

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is a short flight from the UAE and is a popular tourist destination for travellers. It’s very authentic and is a great place to visit if you want to enjoy a completely different culture. The city is beautiful – make sure you take a cable car up to see the amazing views – and the Georgian countryside is marvellous too.

There are lots of places to visit near the UAE, but it is crucial that you compare holiday insurance whenever you go abroad – no matter for how short a time it is! Search our policies today to find the best deal for you.

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Health Insurance

What’s the difference between health insurance and medical insurance?

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When you’re looking for insurance that looks after you physical and mental wellbeing and welfare, you need to be aware of the acute difference between medical insurance and health insurance. These types of insurance aren’t interchangeable, but their respective terms are often used interchangeably, so it’s a good idea to know exactly what each insurance type entails to enable you to find the right coverage from the top health insurance companies.

Medical insurance

Medical insurance is strictly applicable to being hospitalised and any treatments undertaken in a hospital. This means that any aftercare is not accommodated for, leaving it up to you to cover any additional expenses or ongoing treatment outside hospital grounds. It’s a much less flexible option than health insurance, although far better than having no insurance at all.

Health insurance

Health insurance is far more comprehensive, covering your health in totality, from appointments at the GP to aftercare, such as rehabilitation if you’ve had an accident where you’ve been severely injured and any prescription medication. Health insurance is therefore a better choice if you have ongoing health problems, as you don’t have to consider a longer-term financial impact for a pre-existing condition or severe accident or illness.

How do I know which choice is right for me?

Health insurance and medical insurance work for different people, based on factors including:

– Age: health insurance is better for those over 50, who are naturally more susceptible to unexpected illness.
– General health: if you have a history of medical conditions, then it’s wise to get health insurance.
– Financial security: if you’re fortunate to be in a position where your finances are secure, then medical insurance is adequate to cover the basics.

It’s important to note that health insurance also covers the areas that medical insurance policies offer, though it’s worth checking with your provider to ensure that all hospital treatment is covered before you commit to a policy.

Speak to us today

For medical insurance and health insurance in UAE, get in touch with CompareInsurance today to find the policies and insurers that suit your health needs.

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Car Insurance Health Insurance Travel Insurance

2 things you should avoid doing when buying insurance

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When buying insurance, from covering your car to covering yourself abroad, it’s very important that we take the time to truly look into what we are purchasing. Many of us get into the habit of just trying to get it over and done with, especially when getting insurance is something we absolutely have to do.

However, insurance isn’t just something that we buy for peace of mind or because we have to. No, it’s something that we, unfortunately, might have to make a claim on and it’s vital that we choose correctly should that unwanted circumstance arrive.

So here are two things we should avoid doing when buying insurance:

1. Always going for the cheapest option

While this is very tempting, it can seriously backfire when making a claim. Many insurance companies offer similar cover at a fraction of the price to others and when this is the case, it’s only natural to go for the cheaper choice.

However, sometimes policies are much cheaper for a reason and it’s usually because they have a lot less to offer you. While going for the cheapest option may feel great when paying, if you do need to make a claim the chances are it’s going to cost you much more if you opted for a policy with a lot less cover.

2. Sticking to the same provider

Top 10 cheapest car insurance companies often give incentives to customers so that they renew any type of insurance cover with them rather than a competitor. This, coupled with the ease of renewing rather than switching, means that many of us choose to stay with the same provider when we could be much better off elsewhere.

From better cover to slightly cheaper rates, another company could offer you everything you’ve previously had and more. While it may be a hassle to set yourself up with a completely new company, this shouldn’t outweigh the potential benefits of doing so.

Buying insurance isn’t the most exciting thing in the world but in many cases, it is necessary and it’s because of this that we should take the time to really look into what it is we are buying. Avoiding the top two points can be a great start.

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Travel Insurance

Fun activities that your travel insurance can cover

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Are you an adventurer? Whether you’re into diving, trekking, or mountain biking, there are plenty of places all over the world that will have trails, dives and tracks that will suit your needs. If your ideal holiday includes some of these activities, read on for more inspiration!

Remember that all of these activities are often classed as ‘extreme’ on family travel insurance policies, so make sure your travel insurance covers them for a worry-free trip.

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a popular past-time all over the world. We have some great spots in the UAE for diving, but other amazing locations include Australia (the Great Barrier Reef and the Ningaloo Reef), Indonesia, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Many people love diving when they are on holiday – it’s something out of the ordinary, and it’s a great chance to try a new skill. Make sure that your insurance policy covers scuba diving before you take to the water, however, and read the small print. You may find that you are only covered for dives up to a certain depth, or with other conditions.

Rock climbing

Some destinations are epic for rock climbing. Think the Scottish Highlands, Krabi in Southern Thailand, or Yosemite National Park in California. It’s a really fun activity that can help you see more of the natural landscape of the place that you are holidaying in. However, rock climbing is often an add on to your travel insurance, due to its hazardous nature, so make sure that you’re covered before strapping on the ropes!

Skydiving

Skydiving is on many people’s bucket list. Some of the best places in the world to skydive include Byron Bay in Australia and diving over The Palm islands right here in the UAE!

Tandem skydives are the most common type, and while these are a popular holiday activity, they aren’t actually covered on many insurance policies. Make sure that you check before you take to the sky – while skydiving is very safe, accidents have happened and it is always better to be sure.

If you are planning on doing any potentially hazardous activities on your holiday, make sure that you check your travel insurance policy first. Then you can relax and enjoy!

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Travel Insurance

Surprising things that travel insurance DOES cover

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If you’re going on a trip, purchasing travel insurance is an absolute must. Single trip travel insurance helps you go away with peace of mind, knowing that any issues that come up won’t leave you out of pocket. Most people buy travel insurance to help them in case of any medical concerns, or if their trip gets cancelled. But there are some surprising things that are included in travel insurance policies.

Note: This is not the case for all policies, so do read the information carefully before purchasing your insurance.

Illness of a travel companion

If you’ve booked a trip with somebody and they are taken ill and can no longer go on holiday, you can likely get your money back. After all, if you’ve booked a romantic trip for two in the Maldives, you aren’t going to want to go on your own while your partner is ill, right? Most insurance policies will offer a full refund for the whole party even if only one is sick.

Losing a job

If you lose your job, don’t fret – you might not have to spend big bucks on an expensive holiday. Some travel insurance providers cover redundancies in their policies, as well as if you are required to work and can no longer take holiday time. Check with your provider, and confirm if you think that there may be any risk of you losing your job.

Pet medical expenses

If you are travelling with your pet, you might not need to fork out for expensive pet-only insurance. Some insurance packages have add ons just for pets. This will cover costs like pet illness when away, as well as pet return if something happens to you while you are abroad.

Renting a car

If you’ve ever rented a car abroad, you’ll know that they often try to upsell you to their car insurance. Often, this is very costly – and you might not need it. Travel insurance often covers damage to rental cars up to a certain amount.

If you think you might require assistance in any of these forms, give your travel insurance policy a thorough read and see if it will cover you – if it doesn’t, get in contact with your provider to enquire about upgrading.

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Car Insurance Health Insurance Travel Insurance

What do you need to know before using an insurance comparison website?

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It doesn’t matter what kind of insurance package you’re looking for, whether it’s medical and health insurance, travel insurance, or car insurance – one of the best ways to find a great deal is by using an insurance comparison website.

There are two vital pieces of information you need to know, however, before you get started.

1. What kind of cover do you want?

This is an important question that it’s essential to answer before you begin searching for policies. Insurance policies are now so broad in their spectrum, with insurers offering bespoke levels of cover for every individual client. This means it can be difficult to simply find a “one size fits all” policy. Ultimately this benefits you, however, as it means you’re only ever going to be paying for the insurance cover that you actually need, and you won’t have aspects to your policy you’ll never use.

To get the benefit of this, you need to know exactly what sort of cover you require. If you’re searching for business car insurance, for example, you need to have a rough idea of how many miles you think you’ll drive, the amount of excess you’re willing to pay, and any additions to the policy you’ll want to add, such as breakdown cover or contents insurance.

2. How much can you afford to pay?

The other vital piece of information you need is what your budget looks like. Comparison websites work by giving you a broad range of quotes to choose from, so you will see both the cheaper and more expensive end of the insurance spectrum. You shouldn’t always just choose the cheapest cover, however, as this can be a false economy. That means it’s important you have a good idea of exactly what you can comfortably afford to spend, in order to make sure you’re able to find the best deal for your circumstances and obtain the best private health insurance.

It’s always best to choose a policy you’re confident you can consistently afford, rather than one that’s too cheap to provide you appropriate cover, or too expensive to mean you’re not always going to be able to pay your premiums.

With this important information settled, you can find your perfect insurance quote at Compare Insurance today.

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Car Insurance Travel Insurance

Driving in the desert: what you need to know

If you are driving in the UAE, and have an off-road vehicle, you may, at some point, want to drive in the desert. Here’s what you need to know if you are planning to drive in the desert.

Make sure that you are covered

A lot of general travel insurance doesn’t cover off-road insurance, although if your car is an off-road vehicle (and it should be if you’re considering driving in the desert!), you may find that it is an easy add-on.

However, some off-road cover has restrictions, considering the cars’ general capabilities and things like its age, the miles that it has travelled, etc. If the car has been previously damaged, it may not be applicable for automobile insurance.

Basically, have a thorough read of your car insurance policy, and if you don’t understand anything, contact your insurance provider and get them to go through it with you.

Make sure that your car is in good shape

Your car insurance provider may require a recent service in order to insure it. This is because they want to be sure that it won’t break down in the desert. Even if they don’t, it’s definitely a good idea to get your car serviced before heading out – you don’t want to break down either, do you?

Stock up on essentials

When driving in the desert, you’ll need to make sure that you have enough petrol, water and food to help you out of any emergencies. You may drive long stretches with no petrol stations, so make sure that you have plenty of fuel to keep going. If your car breaks down, you’ll be thankful for the food and water! Also, try to make sure that your phone has the best coverage possible, or opt for a satellite phone for emergencies.

Learn basic repairs

Being able to inflate and deflate your tires, check your water and oil levels, and perform other basic repairs could be a game-changer if you get stuck anywhere. Before heading out in the desert, make sure that you have an idea of how to sort out small things in your car.

Driving in the desert is great fun, but it’s not without its risks. Follow all of the advice above for a hassle-free trip!