One of the most important features of travelling abroad is buying comprehensive travel insurance. While finalising the destination, you must look at cost-effective covers that insurers offer, especially for weekend holidays or peak travel time such as summer or winter breaks.

A comprehensive travel insurance will cover many aspects of your travel and protect your family from any financial or medical emergency. Travel insurance is mandatory for trips to the UK, the US, Austria, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France and Germany (Schengen). Even where it is not mandatory, it is always beneficial to get one. If you are planning to take more than two holidays a year, take an annual policy as it will be cheaper than a single trip policy. Special travel insurance policies, valid for one year, are designed for frequent international travellers. For a single trip policy, check the maximum number of days covered as it can vary from 15 to 45 days depending on the insurer.

Buy the cover from a reputed insurer and check the fine print such as services, claims process, payment options, network of hospitals, etc.

Medical cover

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive. Do ensure that the expenditure limits attached to your health insurance cover is adequate. A comprehensive travel insurance cover will not only take care of your medical cost abroad, it can bear the cost of flying you back at home under medical care.

Remember to declare pre-existing medical conditions before the travel since these are not covered. Also, most travel insurance policies exclude acts of terrorism, war or war-like actions, suicide and self-inflicted injury.

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Non-medical expenses

Look for a cover which pays for non-medical exigencies such as loss of passport, natural calamities leading to trip cancellation and delays. Take a policy which can cover a part of the costs for missed flight connection or extra stay. In case of lost baggage, the insurer will pay for your clothing and other belongings. Do check the real value of your luggage before opting for a luggage cover as your cover should ideally cover the real value of your luggage.

Insurance companies offer a wide range of specialised travel insurance plans such as family floater, senior citizens, students and multiple trips plans for business travelers. The premium to be paid depends on the age of the insured, number of travellers, country of visit, number of travel days and the kind of coverage opted for. An online policy will be cheaper.

If there is any kind of emergency, call your insurance helpline immediately. They will send you a claim form, which you need to fill up and send with all supporting documents. After the surveyor approves all your documents, your claims will be processed. So, look at all the options and take a comprehensive travel insurance for tension-free travel.