Annual start date after first day of travel

Else42

Hi there - we travel to Europe regularly and normally have annual travel insurance. As the Easter holidays are closer together in 2025 and 2026 there is a potential to squeeze two Easter holidays into one policy. But the catch would be it stats from 5th April 2025 and end 5th April 2026 but we would be travelling on the 4th April 2025 for our first holiday.

we would have a flexible ticket for euro tunnel on the 4th and a refundable hotel, so if cancelled I these would be an issue. The main accommodation starts on the 5th and would want main cover for health to start from there. Small risk of if we get hurt from euro tunnel to first hotel wouldn’t be covered but low risk and a matter of hours. 

Will insurance companies still insure and honour claims if start date is a day earlier than the cover?

oldernonethewiser

Else42 said:

Hi there - we travel to Europe regularly and normally have annual travel insurance. As the Easter holidays are closer together in 2025 and 2026 there is a potential to squeeze two Easter holidays into one policy. But the catch would be it stats from 5th April 2025 and end 5th April 2026 but we would be travelling on the 4th April 2025 for our first holiday.

we would have a flexible ticket for euro tunnel on the 4th and a refundable hotel, so if cancelled I these would be an issue. The main accommodation starts on the 5th and would want main cover for health to start from there. Small risk of if we get hurt from euro tunnel to first hotel wouldn’t be covered but low risk and a matter of hours. 

Will insurance companies still insure and honour claims if start date is a day earlier than the cover?

I can't see any reason why they should.

Annemos

I think there might be another issue. As when a new Policy is taken out, one usually has as a condition, that the start of the insurance policy has to be when you are in the UK. 

What has been recommended on this Forum in the past, is to stay with the same Insurer with back-to-back annual policies. And tell them that you have a holiday that will straddle both and are they OK to cover that holiday?  

So assuming you do have an annual policy in place for 24/25. Go with the same Insurer for 25/26 and double check they will cover the holiday that straddles both. 


These days I try very hard not to have a straddling trip!

DullGreyGuy

Else42 said:

Hi there - we travel to Europe regularly and normally have annual travel insurance. As the Easter holidays are closer together in 2025 and 2026 there is a potential to squeeze two Easter holidays into one policy. But the catch would be it stats from 5th April 2025 and end 5th April 2026 but we would be travelling on the 4th April 2025 for our first holiday.

we would have a flexible ticket for euro tunnel on the 4th and a refundable hotel, so if cancelled I these would be an issue. The main accommodation starts on the 5th and would want main cover for health to start from there. Small risk of if we get hurt from euro tunnel to first hotel wouldn’t be covered but low risk and a matter of hours. 

Will insurance companies still insure and honour claims if start date is a day earlier than the cover?

Are you renewing with the same company? Or intending to buy a new policy?

A renewal with the same company is most likely ok as it's a continuation of cover but still to be safe you should check. Buying a new policy or switching company will be problematic as they almost universally require the policy to incept whilst you are in the UK

katejo

Annemos said:

I think there might be another issue. As when a new Policy is taken out, one usually has as a condition, that the start of the insurance policy has to be when you are in the UK. 

What has been recommended on this Forum in the past, is to stay with the same Insurer with back-to-back annual policies. And tell them that you have a holiday that will straddle both and are they OK to cover that holiday?  

So assuming you do have an annual policy in place for 24/25. Go with the same Insurer for 25/26 and double check they will cover the holiday that straddles both. 


These days I try very hard not to have a straddling trip!

I don't have a straddling trip but have booked a trip starting AFTER my current policy is due to expire in late January. I am likely to renew with the same company (depending on their renewal quote) but I am never confident about my cover if I were to change to a different insurer. Let's say I develop a new medical condition in February and need to cancel my March trip. Could a new insurer refuse to pay out on the basis that I bought their policy 2 months after booking my trip?  I am holding back from booking any further trips until I have a definite renewal in place. 

Annemos

I will leave it to DullGreyGuy to give expert advice on this scenario of Katejo. 

As I say, DGG might be able to enlighten us. But I do wonder if you ring up your Insurer and they say it will not come under the new Annual policy, then could they offer you instead a Single Trip Policy for this holiday? (That cover starting the day after the old one expires.) But that would likely be more expensive than an Annual. 

Edited.....(That single cover starting the day after the old annual one expires.)

saajan_12

Else42 said:

Hi there - we travel to Europe regularly and normally have annual travel insurance. As the Easter holidays are closer together in 2025 and 2026 there is a potential to squeeze two Easter holidays into one policy. But the catch would be it stats from 5th April 2025 and end 5th April 2026 but we would be travelling on the 4th April 2025 for our first holiday.

we would have a flexible ticket for euro tunnel on the 4th and a refundable hotel, so if cancelled I these would be an issue. The main accommodation starts on the 5th and would want main cover for health to start from there. Small risk of if we get hurt from euro tunnel to first hotel wouldn’t be covered but low risk and a matter of hours. 

Will insurance companies still insure and honour claims if start date is a day earlier than the cover?

This seems like a false economy. You wouldn't get cancellation cover until the the annual policy starts, so any issues that come up between now and Easter 2025 would not be covered. Also a trip is usually defined as starting and ending in your home country and the entire trip usually has to be wihtin a policy (including as renewed with the same insurer and the same level of cover). If you don't have any annual insurance when your first trip starts, it may not be covered at all. 

If you're not planning on going on further trips during 2026, then would a single trip work out better for that one? If you are going again, then rolling annuals might be about the same anyway. 

katejo said:

Annemos said:

I think there might be another issue. As when a new Policy is taken out, one usually has as a condition, that the start of the insurance policy has to be when you are in the UK. 

What has been recommended on this Forum in the past, is to stay with the same Insurer with back-to-back annual policies. And tell them that you have a holiday that will straddle both and are they OK to cover that holiday?  

So assuming you do have an annual policy in place for 24/25. Go with the same Insurer for 25/26 and double check they will cover the holiday that straddles both. 


These days I try very hard not to have a straddling trip!

I don't have a straddling trip but have booked a trip starting AFTER my current policy is due to expire in late January. I am likely to renew with the same company (depending on their renewal quote) but I am never confident about my cover if I were to change to a different insurer. Let's say I develop a new medical condition in February and need to cancel my March trip. Could a new insurer refuse to pay out on the basis that I bought their policy 2 months after booking my trip?  I am holding back from booking any further trips until I have a definite renewal in place. 

I don't think so, they jsut wouldn't cover any issues that were known before you bought their policy. But any new issues after purchase would be covered. 

DullGreyGuy

Annemos said:

I will leave it to DullGreyGuy to give expert advice on this scenario of Katejo. 

As I say, DGG might be able to enlighten us. But I do wonder if you ring up your Insurer and they say it will not come under the new Annual policy, then could they offer you instead a Single Trip Policy for this holiday? (That cover starting the day after the old one expires.) But that would likely be more expensive than an Annual. 

Edited.....(That single cover starting the day after the old annual one expires.)

A single trip starts the moment you buy it, I doubt any insurer has a system that allows you to defer its start and even if you could the saving would be tiny for the delayed start but cost of having a unique proposition will increase premium well above the saving. 

katejo said:

Annemos said:

I think there might be another issue. As when a new Policy is taken out, one usually has as a condition, that the start of the insurance policy has to be when you are in the UK. 

What has been recommended on this Forum in the past, is to stay with the same Insurer with back-to-back annual policies. And tell them that you have a holiday that will straddle both and are they OK to cover that holiday?  

So assuming you do have an annual policy in place for 24/25. Go with the same Insurer for 25/26 and double check they will cover the holiday that straddles both. 


These days I try very hard not to have a straddling trip!

I don't have a straddling trip but have booked a trip starting AFTER my current policy is due to expire in late January. I am likely to renew with the same company (depending on their renewal quote) but I am never confident about my cover if I were to change to a different insurer. Let's say I develop a new medical condition in February and need to cancel my March trip. Could a new insurer refuse to pay out on the basis that I bought their policy 2 months after booking my trip?  I am holding back from booking any further trips until I have a definite renewal in place. 

Sound like you are talking about having a break in cover in which case its not a renewal and you won't get the benefits of continuous cover. 

Buying insurance after the trip is purchased isn't a problem. Buying insurance after you've started to feel ill or a close relative has become ill is the problem and ultimately we never know when we may be hit by the proverbial bus hence sites like this will recommend either continuous annual trip coverage or buying single trip as soon as you book the holiday. Personally, if you're talking about a package holiday with a low deposit and your of an age/health that insurance is expensive then it may be better to wait until the higher proportion of the holiday costs become due but its a small gamble (ie no point paying £500 premium whilst your potential loss is just a £300 deposit)

katejo

DullGreyGuy said:

Annemos said:

I will leave it to DullGreyGuy to give expert advice on this scenario of Katejo. 

As I say, DGG might be able to enlighten us. But I do wonder if you ring up your Insurer and they say it will not come under the new Annual policy, then could they offer you instead a Single Trip Policy for this holiday? (That cover starting the day after the old one expires.) But that would likely be more expensive than an Annual. 

Edited.....(That single cover starting the day after the old annual one expires.)

A single trip starts the moment you buy it, I doubt any insurer has a system that allows you to defer its start and even if you could the saving would be tiny for the delayed start but cost of having a unique proposition will increase premium well above the saving. 

katejo said:

Annemos said:

I think there might be another issue. As when a new Policy is taken out, one usually has as a condition, that the start of the insurance policy has to be when you are in the UK. 

What has been recommended on this Forum in the past, is to stay with the same Insurer with back-to-back annual policies. And tell them that you have a holiday that will straddle both and are they OK to cover that holiday?  

So assuming you do have an annual policy in place for 24/25. Go with the same Insurer for 25/26 and double check they will cover the holiday that straddles both. 


These days I try very hard not to have a straddling trip!

I don't have a straddling trip but have booked a trip starting AFTER my current policy is due to expire in late January. I am likely to renew with the same company (depending on their renewal quote) but I am never confident about my cover if I were to change to a different insurer. Let's say I develop a new medical condition in February and need to cancel my March trip. Could a new insurer refuse to pay out on the basis that I bought their policy 2 months after booking my trip?  I am holding back from booking any further trips until I have a definite renewal in place. 

Sound like you are talking about having a break in cover in which case its not a renewal and you won't get the benefits of continuous cover. 

Buying insurance after the trip is purchased isn't a problem. Buying insurance after you've started to feel ill or a close relative has become ill is the problem and ultimately we never know when we may be hit by the proverbial bus hence sites like this will recommend either continuous annual trip coverage or buying single trip as soon as you book the holiday. Personally, if you're talking about a package holiday with a low deposit and your of an age/health that insurance is expensive then it may be better to wait until the higher proportion of the holiday costs become due but its a small gamble (ie no point paying £500 premium whilst your potential loss is just a £300 deposit)

I am not talking about a break in cover at all. I will either renew or buy a new policy as soon as the current one is about to expire. It may be with a different insurer.