Going abroad this Easter? Here’s a last-minute checklist…

Off on your travels this Easter? Great! Here are a few things you should make sure are ticked off your holiday checklist before you get cracking…

European Health Insurance Card

If you’re travelling in Europe you’ll want to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Don’t worry, it’s free. The EHIC is the replacement of the old E111 and it entitles you to the same level of free medical care as the residents of the country you are visiting receive. So if you slip on the slopes or bump your head in the bar, you won’t – in most cases – have to pay for your treatment. However, wielding your EHIC does not necessarily mean that any medical care you receive will automatically be without cost. Not all European countries offer completely free health services…

You can pick up an EHIC, or renew an expired card, for free at www.ehic.org.uk.

Get wise on the FCO website

So you’re in Greece minding your own business before, all of a sudden, the car you’ve parked behind bursts into flames. What’s worse is that this quickly-combusting banger is right next to a timeless historic artefact. Clearly this is time to call the emergency services. But…what’s the number?

If you’d have spent five minutes visiting the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office website before you left, you’d know that dialling 999 from a British mobile in Greece will automatically redirect you to the local emergency services.

In fact, the FCO website offers a wealth of useful local information for destinations across the world. Is the water safe to drink? Are there any bizarre local customs you should be aware of? Do you need any vaccinations before hitting the runway? The FCO website will tell you.

Don’t forget the travel insurance…

Travel insurance is essential. As travel insurers ourselves, we know all too well that holiday thrills can easily be accompanied by holiday spills. And there are few things worse than getting caught out on your travels. Without doubt, the most important part of any policy is the medical section. Medical costs can easily spiral into thousands of pounds, particularly if something really unexpected goes wrong and you need emergency treatment.

Now, we’re all in favour of going on holiday and leaving your worries behind. But it’s essential to be prepared – unless you plan on packing trousers that have very deep pockets, if you know what we mean. A good travel insurance policy will also keep you financially protected against trip cancellation and curtailment, the loss of baggage or valuables and travel delay.

Take a look at cost-effective travel insurance with World First.

Travelling with a medical condition? Tell your insurer.

Good medical cover is extra important if you’re travelling with a medical condition. And if you do have pre-existing medical conditions, it’s essential to declare them to your travel insurer before you purchase your policy. If you don’t, you risk invalidating your entire policy. Which could be an expensive mistake.

Unfortunately, many insurers inflate their premiums for some conditions. They may even refuse to cover you if your condition is seen as ‘high risk’. Is that fair? At World First we don’t think so. That’s why we offer cost-effective cover and 24/7 emergency assistance for thousands of conditions.

So what do you do if you’ve taken out a policy without realising you need to declare your medical conditions(s)? We’d recommend contacting your insurer by phone or email to talk through your situation. Email is preferable because it means you’ll have written records of your communication. Your insurer will be within their rights to inflate your premium, but if you feel they’re being unreasonable and you think you can find a better deal elsewhere you can get a 100% refund on your policy if you’ve taken it out within the last 14 days.

Take a look at medical travel insurance with World First.

Tags: easter holidays, easter travel insurance, Travel insurance, World First, world first travel insurance

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 9:13 am and is filed under Travel insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.