Saving Money on Your UK Travel Insurance

While foreign travel may be all the rage, many people still choose to take the majority of their holidays in the UK, to cut costs or just for the convenience of holidaying locally. Travel insurance is still vital for trips in the UK - many people go without insurance coverage for domestic holidays, but costly perils such as theft and holiday cancellations are as much of a threat to UK travellers as they are for those going abroad.

If you're going to get UK travel insurance, you'll want to get it at the very best price - here are a few of the steps to take to ensure that you get a good deal...

Shop around, and check online

If you are looking to get the best UK travel insurance at the lowest price, online research is the first place to begin. Price comparison sites are a good place to start, but it is always worth researching the insurers themselves - due to the fees charged by price comparison sites, insurers can often cut you a better deal if you approach them directly.

Go for annual insurance

If you travel more than a few times a year in the UK, annual travel insurance is likely to be by far the best option. Not only will the cost of the insurance be less than buying several single trip policies, many insurers will throw in free extras (such as free sports and business insurance) than can make annual policies a real bargain. Finally, there is the convenience of having your UK travel insurance sorted out for an entire year, rather than buying insurance each and every time you travel.

Get the family package

If you have a family, it's well worth checking to see if you can get a family deal. Many insurers will cover children for free if both parents get annual travel insurance, which can offer significant savings.

Only get the cover you need

There's no point in paying for cover that you will never use, and you should make sure that your insurance policy is tailored to your needs. You can usually choose from various levels, but many UK travel insurance providers will allow you to customise individual elements of the insurance policy. So if you want a lower level of cancellation coverage but something higher for luggage, your insurer will be able to arrange this.

Watch for the small print!

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you know exactly what you are and are not covered for. Areas which can catch people out include exclusions for pre-existing conditions (and what is defined as a pre existing condition!) and what circumstances the insurer will pay out in the event that you have to cancel your holiday.

It may sound like a lot of effort, but once you've got a good annual UK travel insurance policy, you never have to worry about it again. Just keep renewing it each year, and you can travel round the UK safe in the knowledge that you've got cheap and comprehensive insurance protection against all kinds of travel mishaps.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Journey's Travel. Their commercial travel insurance website, Insuremore, offers UK travel insurance for families, couples and singles with a quick and easy online claims feature.