• When you're going on holiday is tempting to forget about holiday insurance......
• Unlike motor insurance it's not a legal requirement.
• But occaisionally, things do go wrong and for a small price you can buy yourself peace of mind.
• Holiday insurance will cover medical expenses, loss or damage to your money & belongings, cancellation or curtailment of your holiday.
  What to look for in holiday insurance

• Its not always easy knowing who to buy from and how much cover you need....
• A good place to start are travel award winners:
  The Post Office
• To get a range of quotes quickly, a price comparison site will check up to 50 insurers with your details and give you the cheapest quote. Try:
  gocompare.com
  comparethemarket.com

• The European Health Insurance card (EHIC) is the replacement for the E111 which is no longer valid.
• It provides medical treatment that becomes necessary as a result of illness or accident at a reduced rate or sometimes free of charge.
• The Department of Health, working with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), provides the EHIC free of charge.
• Countries where the EHIC may be used are: Any European Union (EU) country, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. However not all UK residents are covered in Not all UK residents are covered in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
• Only treatment covered by the state scheme is included.
• Anyone who is UK resident may apply.

• According to a government website, many people do not take out private travel insurance. They believe that their credit card accident cover, home insurance, or private health cover is sufficient. However, it is unlikely that these will give adequate cover. You should be aware that the costs of an emergency abroad are high; a medical evacuation to the United Kingdom, for example, will cost you tens of thousands of pounds, so getting proper insurance is vital.

• There are limitations on the cover provided by the EHIC.
The medical treatment is not always free - just offered at a reduced rate. It will provide treatment only normally included in the country's health system.

• Private medical insurance provides much higher levels of cover. And remember the EHIC is only valid in the EU plus a few other non EU countries.

Private insurance will also cover loss to your personal luggage, money & passport, cancellation, curtailment, travel breakdown cover, personal liability, legal fees.