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Travel Insurance

How to stay healthy while travelling

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If you’re travelling, especially if you’re far away from home, you might want to take some steps to protect your health. Of course, we can’t always control how or when we get sick, but there are some crucial tips to consider to ensure that you’re prepared in case you do fall ill.

Get the right vaccinations

Different countries around the world require a number of vaccinations. Before your trip, make sure you visit a travel vaccination clinic and get all the recommended jabs for your chosen destination. These may include vaccinations for hepatitis, typhoid, yellow fever, tetanus and rabies, depending on where you are going.

Avoid some foods

The number one issue that travellers complain about is food poisoning. While mild, it can be very unpleasant. To avoid food poisoning, don’t eat food that has been standing out in the sun or hasn’t been cooked properly. In some places, you might also want to avoid salad and food that has been washed with tap water.

You can’t drink the tap water in many countries around the world, so unless you know for certain that it’s ok where you are, opt for bottled water instead.

Get enough rest

Travelling is very exciting, and you will naturally want to be doing as much as possible while you’re away. However, getting no rest is a recipe for disaster. If your body doesn’t have time to rest, your immune system will weaken, and you’ll be much more prone to picking up any bugs or viruses that are going around.

Get comprehensive travel insurance

There’s no failsafe way to ensure that you will stay healthy while travelling. Purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance plan is the only real way to ensure that if you do get sick, you’ll be able to get treatment as soon as possible. Many travel insurance plans include treatment at the best private hospitals, so you’ll have peace of mind that you’re receiving the best care possible.

Visit Compare Insurance today to find the buy travel insurance online for your trip.

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Travel Insurance

How to keep valuables safe when travelling

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If you’re venturing on holiday, whether that is abroad or within the UAE, you are going to want to find some ways to keep your valuables safe. If you are travelling with a smartphone, an expensive camera, or any other electronics, it is of paramount importance to keep these safe. Not just because of the monetary aspect, but to ensure you can still reach help if you need and to reduce having to claim on your international travel insurance.

Here are some ways to keep your valuables safe while travelling:

Use a money belt

For some smaller valuables, you can use a money belt to keep your valuables close to your person. Simply zip up cards, cash, your passport and even your phone in your money belt and keep it under your clothes. This deters thieves and means that they won’t slip out of your pocket. The only downside with money belts is that you usually can’t access them once they are on.

Lock your stuff away

Be sure to take a padlock with you, and lock everything away. If you are staying in a hostel, they should provide lockers, or if you are in your hotel room you could lock things in your suitcase. Similarly, if you are carrying around valuables, a discreet lock can stop pickpockets getting into your bag. Don’t make it look like you’ve got a lot to hide though!

Choose reputable hotels

Hotels with good reviews, lots of security, and modern locks are much less likely to have thefts than run-down hotels with easily breakable windows. Spend a little extra time doing hotel research to ensure that you find one that you feel comfortable in.

Invest in the right travel insurance

Having comprehensive travel insurance can be a game-changer. If you spend a little more money to cover your valuables, you will be much less anxious about them – and subsequently, you’ll enjoy your time abroad a lot more! It can cost extra to cover any additional items, so make sure that you read the terms and conditions carefully before buying, but it is definitely a worthwhile investment in unforeseen circumstances.

If you stick to these tips for keeping your valuables safe when travelling, it’s much more likely that you’ll have a hassle-free trip!

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Travel Insurance

3 ways having travel insurance can save you money

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When planning a holiday, cheap travel insurance is one of the things people may consider leaving out. It is easy to consider it a cost you don’t need, but it can be seriously costly to assume you won’t need insurance. Here are just three important ways that having travel insurance can save you money.

1. Cover for medical care

Perhaps the most important reason is cover for medical care. Being ill on holiday can cause a real damper, made worse by not being able to afford the treatment you need. Illness and injury are things you cannot predict, and no matter how confident you are that it won’t happen to you, it easily could. Medical care costs vary in different countries, but one thing that’s true for them all is that it can be extremely costly. These costs could eat into your spending money, or even send you home in debt. You should also consider you may need to cut the holiday short and head home, depending on the severity of your condition.

2. Replacing lost items

Losing items happens all the time. Whether you leave a bag on a bus, a holdall in a hotel room or a camera in a cafe, you could end up losing valuable items. It could even be that an item is damaged or lost by your airline or travel provider. Whatever happens, these can be costly to replace, whereas travel insurance can save you by helping replace those items.

3. Rebooking cancelled trips

There are a number of reasons trips can be cancelled. For you, it might be illness or an unexpected occurrence. It could be that the holiday provider has gone under or that extreme weather conditions have made it impossible. Either way, you do not want to lose out on all the money you paid for the trip. Having travel insurance could help cover these costs, ensure you get your money back or fund a re-booking.

If you are planning a trip and need travel insurance just visit Compare Insurance today. We can help you find the best travel insurance deal, another way to save you money on your holiday.

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Car Insurance

What is the most expensive car to insure?

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If you imagine what the most expensive car to insure would be, what springs to mind? If you thought of a Ferrari or Porsche, well done. Even though the top eye-watering car insurance bill is changeable, you can be sure that Tesla and Mercedes-Benz will also be on that list. Extra bonus points to anyone who pictured a BMW i8. The consensus of the wise (well, the internet) seems to be that this super-fast vehicle is top of the list when it comes to the most expensive insurance premium.

Why is this?

Alongside its wallet-emptying friends, the BMW i8 is very, very expensive. Prices vary but hover around the £100,000 mark. The car insurance premium needs to be high to cover the cost of replacing the vehicle if the worst were to happen and it was damaged, or written off, in an accident.

What would make the car insurance even more expensive?

To afford such a fancy car, the chances are that you are well into grown adulthood. The younger you are, the more statistically likely it is that you are going to be involved in a car accident. So, if you really want to ramp up the cost of your car insurance go out and buy one of these sports cars for an 18-year-old.

Could the premium get any more expensive?

So, you have a very expensive car with an inexperienced 18-year-old driver at the wheel – what else would ramp up the insurance cost? If the teenager used the car for work, for example driving all around the country as a salesperson, this would significantly increase the premium. Purely for the fact they are more likely to have an accident as they are using the car more than average.

Surely that’s it?

Well, almost. Just one more thing. If the teenage travelling salesman lived in a high-crime area and parked the vehicle on the street, the premium would likely skyrocket even higher. Fortunately, these scenarios are unlikely to occur altogether.

Whatever your circumstances, be sure to get vehicle insurance online and compare the insurance market carefully on a reputable site such as www.compareinsurance.ae

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Travel Insurance

Should I get travel insurance?

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When you are travelling abroad, getting insurance is vital. Travel insurance online covers anything that could go wrong while you’re away. The exact inclusions depend on your policy, but they can accommodate lost luggage, health emergencies, and flight cancellations.

If you’ve been on plenty of holidays and nothing has gone wrong, you might be wondering ‘do I need travel insurance?’. The answer is yes – and we’ll explain why in this article.

If you travel a lot, you’ll need it at some point

Although travel insurance can be expensive, something is bound to happen on a trip at least once in your life. If you have travel insurance, getting everything sorted will be much less of a headache! And you might even make all the money that you spent on insurance back once you submit a claim.

Travel insurance is not the same as health insurance

Even if you have health insurance in the UAE, travel insurance is a necessity if you are going abroad. Your UAE health insurance will only cover you when you’re in the country, so when you are abroad, it’s important that you have a separate policy in the event of a health emergency.

Travel credit card protection should be questioned

Some credit cards do offer a level of protection, that’s true. However, this protection is limited. Some will only cover costs if you booked your trip with that card, and the coverage is generally very low. While credit card coverage is a good backup, it’s not something that you should rely on solely.

Travel insurance covers some things that you may not have even considered

Travel insurance covers many things that you may not have even thought about. If you need to cut your trip short, your travel insurance policy may be able to compensate you for the money that you’ve spent on returning home. If you’ve missed your flight, you might be able to get some money back for this as well.

And that’s without mentioning the medical emergencies it can cover. On rare occasions, people are airlifted and taken to other cities with better medical facilities. If you have insurance, you’ll be covered if this happens to you – if you don’t, you’ll be paying it back out of your own pocket!

All in all, it’s essential that you get travel insurance, even if you’re only going away for a few days.

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Travel Insurance

When do I need extreme sports travel insurance?

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Harnessing the thrill of extreme sports and matching it with the joy of travel is a great way to spend a holiday and having the right travel insurance means you can enjoy your high octane adventures without too many worries.

What is extreme sports travel insurance?

Each insurance provider will have their own set of definitions and it’s important to check your policy meets your needs. There will be some common ground, so we’ve put together a quick round-up of what extreme sports travel insurance might cover.

High adrenaline activities

These are the things that spring to mind when you think of extreme sports and might include

• bungee jumping
• rock climbing
• white water rafting
• hang gliding
• sky diving

Other less obvious activities might also be considered extreme by your travel insurance company

• tubing
• banana boat ride
• swimming with dolphins
• horse riding

What may seem every day to you could be considered high risk by your insurer, so if you think you may do these kinds of activity it’s important to check you’re covered.

Other sports have dedicated policies, things like golf, water sports and winter sports need cover that allows for damage to essential kit, as well as increased risk of personal injury.

What sort of thing are covered by extreme sports travel insurance?

Again, this will vary according to your provider, but you’ll generally find the following inclusions

• Medical expenses – costs of treatment, hospital stays and ambulance fees
• Repatriation – to get you home in the case of medical necessity, or if you’ve missed your flight because of your treatment
• Personal injury – if you are left permanently disabled a lump sum may be payable
• Personal liability – to cover compensation costs if you damage property by accident or injure somebody by accident

I’m the spontaneous type – what should I do if I decide to do something extreme while I’m away?

If you’re not sure what activities you’ll be doing it’s a good idea to have your full policy document with you so you can check what is or isn’t included. If your chosen adrenaline fix isn’t on the list, a quick call to your insurer should get you covered, so you can amend your travel insurance and enjoy your thrills with complete peace of mind.

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Travel Insurance

A simple guide to travel insurance policies

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The variation in travel medical insurance can be as complex as deciding where to go on holiday. Be incredibly wary of policies that appear surprisingly cheap and make sure you fully understand what you are paying for! A cheap policy generally means poor levels of cover and high excesses. There are good deals out there, they just require a little more time and diligence to find. The following guide aims to make this a little easier for you.

Are you an avid traveller?

If so, it doesn’t make logical sense to take out a new policy every time you make a trip abroad, so look into multi-trip policies. These will cover all the trips you may make in a calendar year. If you tend to holiday more than the average person/family, it would be foolish to look past the various multi-trip options. Bear in mind, however, that these policies often include limits regarding the length of each trip.

Read the exclusions!

If you’re not a fan of reading more than you have to and normally skip the small print, you may want to revise this. Travel insurance policies all include a list of sporting activities or pursuits that are automatically covered, but lookout for the one’s that aren’t! This isn’t necessarily ad-hoc and is a common staple of many travel policies. However, some have exclusions for relatively ordinary activities such as hiking. This is where you could get caught out, so read the policy properly.

Protection against airlines and operators

Providing coverage in case an airline or holiday operator ceases to trade is not something that many people think about, but that doesn’t stop it happening and leaving travellers out of pocket. This is often not included in your average travel policy, so again, make sure you analyse your potential policies correctly.

There are many more methods for making sure you take out the most appropriate policy, so do your research, tailor your coverage, and make sure you don’t get caught out if something goes wrong!

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Health Insurance

Should I get health insurance for my child?

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As an adult with one eye to the future, you may be considering family medical insurance, also referred to as medical insurance. But what about your children? Is it worth getting health insurance for the whole family?

What are the benefits of children’s health insurance?

Health insurance would give your child access to medical care within a private hospital. If the worst were to happen and your child needed treatment for a medical condition, it is likely that with insurance they would be seen quicker than if they went through the normal channels of public healthcare.

Other benefits include access to expensive drugs that may not be otherwise available. You may also be given the option to pick and choose your specialist consultant, rather than have that choice made for you.

What are my options?

This is where comparing the health insurance market really comes into its own. As is common with any insurance, the increasing cost of the premium reflects the scale of your cover. It is important to compare many different options to suit the needs of your child, but the options are usually tiered into basic, medium, and comprehensive.

Depending on affordability, you may also be able to add on extra coverage for things such as teeth, eyes, and physiotherapy. Remember, what is included in your chosen policy is as important as what is excluded. Check the small print regarding the exclusions to keep yourself informed.

Their own policy or a family policy?

By comparing the insurance market, you’ll see that it’s possible to insure your child on a stand-alone policy. However, it is more common to take out a family policy. Each policy will differ in what conditions are covered and who can be covered, but adding a child or children should be straight forward. Some policies, for example, allow you to add a child from birth free of charge, and start charging a premium after their first birthday. It is also worth considering that many family policies discount pre-existing conditions when adding a child from birth, thus keeping your premium reasonable.

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Health Insurance Travel Insurance

3 travel insurance myths busted about pre-existing health conditions

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A lot of people are confused about just what medical conditions and which part of their medical history they have to declare when taking out a travel insurance quote. There is a misconception that only medical conditions a person is currently taking medication for need to be declared at the point of signing up for travel insurance, but this is not true. In this article, we bust some of the myths surrounding travel insurance applications and your medical history.

Myth 1: If I declare any pre-existing health conditions it will make my travel insurance more expensive.

Although this is partly true, declaring current health conditions you are suffering from doesn’t always mean a massive hike in your travel insurance bill. It all depends on what type of illness you have, and if it is likely to require emergency treatment in the near future. This is due to the fact that the insurance company will need to make sure you are fully covered for a medical emergency, and if you do fall ill whilst abroad then won’t have to worry about paying large medical bills.

Myth 2: There’s no need to declare a condition I have recovered from

A lot of people are unaware that it is important to declare any health problems in their past even if they have fully recovered from them. Just because you are healthy now, doesn’t mean that your previous illness could not return or affect other parts of your body at a later date.

Myth 3: I don’t need to declare a one-off medical episode

Yes, you do, if that condition has been confirmed as a medical condition, even if it isn’t causing any ongoing health concerns, it is always better to be truthful in case it flares up again. Otherwise, you could be left with large medical bills should you fall ill whilst travelling and it is connected to your previous one-off medical episode.

Summary

These are the three most popular myths surrounding declaring your medical history when applying for travel insurance, and hopefully this article has made things clearer with regards to what you need to declare to avoid problems further down the line.

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Car Insurance

Why you need to avoid lying on a car insurance application

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Have you ever bent the truth in order to save money? Although most people would not own up to blatantly lying when applying for a car insurance policy, withholding certain truths can have major consequences should the truth come out later on.

The consequences of lying on an insurance application to car insurance companies near me are serious

There is no way to soften this, but lying, withholding information or deliberate misrepresentation when completing an insurance form is insurance fraud. This is a serious matter and could lead to a criminal conviction and even imprisonment if you are found guilty in a court of law. At a bare minimum, you will find it incredibly difficult to get insurance for your car, and if you do, it will be much more expensive.

Your policy may be cancelled

If an insurance company feels as though you have not been entirely truthful on your application, they have every right to cancel the policy. This will then cause you a problem when you try to get insurance from another company, as you will be expected to disclose information on voided, cancelled or refused policies that have arisen in the past.

Your policy may be voided

A more serious scenario is if an insurance company has proof that you purposely withheld or changed vital information in order to get a cheaper policy. If this happens then the insurance company may void your policy from the start date, so it would appear as though the policy never existed. In addition to which, voiding a policy will automatically cancel any claims in progress, and that means any costs involved will have to be covered by you.

Policy refusal

The insurance company can also refuse to renew or even issue a car insurance policy due to non-disclosure or untruthfulness on an application. Things that people often lie about on an application include previous claims and previous convictions.

The bottom line

Lying on a car insurance policy application form is not worth the risk, as being found out later on can have dire consequences, leaving you uninsured, out of pocket and with a criminal record.

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