New to travel insurance

Tomis000 · 19 July 2017 at 12:06AM

Hi there,

So this will be the first time I have ever considered taking out travel insurance. Primary reason... We've always had UK based holidays and have never paid in advance for hotel booking.

New situation... We've found a beautiful hotel we'd like to book in Lake District in March next year, but the hotel website asks for full payment in advance. This concerns me as the cost is £870 and essentially will sit in their account until we go on the trip. My concerns are... What if the hotel company goes out of business? What if we couldn't make the trip nearer the time due to change in situation? Would insurance cover the costs? Do these insurance policies actually pay out and is it pain free or a pain in the bum?

I'm looking at the MSE recommended multi trip insurance from holiday safe lite for couples.

Many thanks, any advice gratefully received.
Tom.

Quentin · 19 July 2017 at 7:46AM

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4044379

Check out that thread which has feedback on Holidaysafe before you buy!!!

Tomis000 · 19 July 2017 at 10:50AM

OK thanks for that, reviews don't appear too good for that company. Surprised by that as MSE seem to back it so much.

In general, do people recommend getting insurance to covers issues which I mentioned? Laying out so much money upfront concerns me.

Quentin · 19 July 2017 at 11:04AM

Check the policy wording to ensure it will cover you in the event you cancel

(You cannot get insurance to cover all issues surrounding you cancelling)

Pay with your credit card and s75 will cover the hotel going bust

(Those reviews are from disgruntled customers who have no axe to grind! The mse recommendation is based on price - and note the significance of the * next to the link in the MSE article)

Tomis000 · 20 July 2017 at 11:51AM

I always pay for things on the credit card for that reason, but quite unbelievably I'd forgot about that security in this case. If my credit card were to cover the loss if they went bust that may alleviate most of my concerns and I may not bother getting insurance. Many thanks.

Are there other reasons I'm missing why someone should get holiday insurance for a UK holiday?

elsien · 20 July 2017 at 11:58AM

Not able to go due to illness or death of one of you/close family member would be the other main reason for me. If you're paying £850 for the holiday, a tenner on insurance to cover more of the bases isn't a huge amount. (I tend to do very cheap uk holidays so I don't bother with insurance. I might for a larger amount though.)

Edit - do you have a packaged bank account that may already cover you?

agrinnall · 20 July 2017 at 1:57PM

Tomis000 wrote: »

I always pay for things on the credit card for that reason, but quite unbelievably I'd forgot about that security in this case. If my credit card were to cover the loss if they went bust that may alleviate most of my concerns and I may not bother getting insurance. Many thanks.

If the hotel adds a surcharge for payment by credit card (while still allowed to) remember that you don't have to pay the whole amount with your card, any amount put on a credit card will give you S75 protection for the full amount.

Placitasgirl · 20 July 2017 at 2:11PM

Have you checked whether it's possible to book the hotel through a site which offers free cancellation up to a certain time before your stay? Have a look at Trivago, Booking.com, Expedia etc as you might find booking direct with the hotel means different booking terms and conditions.

Tomis000 · 20 July 2017 at 10:39PM

Yes, you're right, and that's why I initially began investigating getting insurance, yet I can't find a deal for a tenner. Holiday safe came up around £35, is there an insurance company you can recommend for a tenner?

Tomis000 · 20 July 2017 at 10:44PM

Yea, unfortunately I've looked at all those sites and it's the hotel's direct website is the cheapest way to book a room. If you pay nothing up front, those sites all list the same room a couple of hundred more expensive. It's a little frustrating as it's the perfect hotel, but I'd rather just pay a deposit and putting down 850 months in advance puts me off. I'm not used to spending 1000s on holidays, maybe this is just the way things are done and I'm being silly.

biplobiht · 7 August 2017 at 1:04AM

Hi, thanks for the topic. I would like to know about bicycle rider insurance! is there any opportunities for a cyclist.

New to travel insurance

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