Always make sure that you have adequate insurance and take out your insurance BEFORE you confirm the booking of your holiday. If you or any of your family members or relatives or friends travelling with you has a health problem or a disability problem, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that you obtain the insurance company's authority to travel before you confirm your holiday. In other words before you sign a booking form.

Most insurance policies will exclude "pre-existing conditions". In other words if you have had a heart condition or high blood pressure, even though you may be fit and well now, if something were to happen to you whilst you were on holiday relating to any illness that you have previously suffered from, then you may not be covered UNLESS you have a prior agreement with your insurance company that your particular previous condition will be covered if it occurs again.

POTENTIAL INSURANCE PROBLEMS

1.Disclosure of pre-existing illness or chronic or terminal illnesses

You must disclose any pre-existing condition, not just of yourselves and the people with whom you are travelling, BUT ANY PERSON WHO IS RELATED TO YOU WHO IS NOT TRAVELLING BUT UPON WHOM YOUR TRIP DEPENDS. So for example, if you have a terminally ill relative who is very close and that person dies before you go on holiday and you wish to cancel your holiday, you must disclose that terminally ill person to your insurance company.

2.Sporting Activities

Most travel insurance policies do not cover sporting activities, therefore if you are taking part in skiing, water skiing, elephant riding, scuba-diving, bungy jumping etc. you will have to get additional insurance so make sure you take it out before you travel.

3. policies do not cover sporting activities, therefore if you are taking part in skiing, water skiing, elephant riding, scuba-diving, bungy jumping etc. you will have to get additional insurance so make sure you take it out before you travel.

3.Valuables

Make sure you have sufficient insurance cover and that it covers any valuable items you are taking with you. Check the upper limits on your policy and make sure it is the right policy for you.

4.Unattended Luggage

Unattended luggage is often not covered by insurance - read the small print and do not leave your luggage unattended.

5.Length of Holiday

Make sure that your insurance policy covers you for the entire duration of your holiday. There is often a cut-off point of 31 days - so if you are staying longer check to make sure your insurance policy covers you.

6.EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)

Check that your insurance company does not exclude you from medical insurance if you do not have an EHIC. Make sure you get an EHIC, which has now replaced the E111.

PREGNANCY

There may be problems relating to the cancellation of holidays because after the date of booking one or more of the booking party has wished to withdraw from the contract or cancel the contract because of a pregnancy which was not in evidence at the time of booking.

It is therefore ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you take out the insurance policy at the time of booking the holiday and make sure that the insurance policy has a section which covers cancellation in the event of an unplanned pregnancy. Many people do not take out insurance at the time of booking their holiday, they buy it just before they travel and yet this is a classic example of why it is absolutely essential to take out insurance at the time of booking the holiday.

The same situation applies in respect of any form of unforeseen accident or illness which causes a cancellation. It is the only way that you as a consumer are going to recover the cost of your holiday.

FREQUENT TRAVELLERS

If you are a frequent traveller, in other words if you take more than one holiday abroad with your family, you may find it cheaper to take out an annual travel policy for you and your partner and family. This can often be done through an add-on to your household contents insurance at a small increase on the annual premium. You should investigate this with your insurance provider.