Check that the cancellation cover on your travel insurance covers the pre-travel period

Having to cancel a holiday, whatever the reason, is bad enough. But what makes it worse is having to cancel, then finding that you don't have a claim for  a refund under your travel insurance.

We find that a surprising number of people opt for cancellation cover that only becomes active the day they travel. When you think about it, the likeliest time to cancel is between booking and travelling, so it's common sense to ensure that your cancellation cover is valid for that period.

Read more here

Winter holidaying this year? Here's how to choose the right travel insurance policy.

Onestop4's Annual Multi-Trip policy is ideal if your trip to the snowy slopes is just one of your holidays in a twelve month period. It's perfect for ski fans aged 65 or under because you'll be covered free of charge for up to 31 days winter sports activity each time you travel. That's pretty much unheard of at no extra charge. And of course all your other non-winter holiday trips will be covered as well.

If, on the other hand, you only need cover for the one holiday, our Single Trip policy gives you the flexibility to keep costs down by just selecting cover for the activities you need and excluding the rest.

There's also our Fit-4-Travel policy - the right option for anyone with a pre-existing medical condition before taking off on any kind of holiday.

Here's a quick guide to the remarkably comprehensive specialist winter sports cover you'll get whichever Onestop4 policy you choose:

• Cover for on-piste skiing and snowboarding, plus off-piste skiing and snowboarding when accompanied by a professionally qualified guide
• Generous equipment cover for accidental loss, damage or theft
• Cover for hired equipment
• Compensation for winter sports lessons, hired equipment and lift pass if you are prevented from taking part in winter sports due to accident, illness or injury during your holiday
• Compensation for winter sports lessons, hired equipment and lift pass if you are prevented from taking part in winer sports by adverse snow conditions or an avalanche in your resort resulting in piste closure
• Avalanche which causes delays to your outward or return journey

Get full details of all our policies at onestop4.co.uk or call free 0800 848 8448 for a confidential chat with one of our travel and health experts.

On a cruise this winter? Plan your healthcare needs first

There are doctors and pharmacies aplenty on board a cruise ship, but it's the costs that may make you queasy. Over the counter remedies are far dearer than at your local shops, and a consultation with a doctor can cost around £300, plus the cost of the medicines!

Our tips are:

• Take a medicine chest with plenty of everyday products for tummy upsets, colds, headaches etc
• Get your GP to prescribe enough of anything prescription medicines to take to last the whole journey
• Double check that your travel insurance covers all pre-existing medical conditions, otherwise you could find yourself marooned in mid-ocean without insurance
• Get an EHIC card - they're free from NHS Choices, so avoid the websites that try to charge you

Check out our Cruise Insurance policy, especially if you're planning a long winter cruise. It can cover anyone up to the age of 99, all pre-existing medical conditions are covered subject to screening acceptance. We also extend cancellation cover to the whole holiday, including flights, hotels and excursions, so you're less likely to be out of pocket. And the maximum duration of the holiday under our policy is a very generous 183 days.

Ebola could affect your travel plans more than you think

South Africa, Kenya, Cape Verde, Seychelles and Mauritius are among the popular destinations that have closed their borders to anyone who was recently in an Ebola affected country.

Travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia is extremely unwise of course, and the UK Foreign Office advises against such journeys until the epidemic is over.

But trips to popular African destinations like South Africa, and holiday islands including Cape Verde, the Seychelles and Mauritius can also be affected. All these countries have closed their borders to anyone arriving from the Ebola zone - and to passengers whose passport shows they have passed through those countries in recent weeks. In fact similar restrictions are in place for most countries worldwide, including the popular Caribbean resorts such as Antigua and Jamaica. The period varies, it's 30 days in the case of Cape Verde for example.

Don't travel if these restrictions apply to you. Your travel insurance policy won't be valid, and chances are you'll need to be repatriated at your own expense.

And now, with so much rumour and misinformation swirling around the subject, here's a quick guide to what travellers need to know about Ebola.

First and foremost, as the official World Health Organisation fact sheet confirms, Ebola is a very difficult disease to catch. The virus cannot spread by air or water, and can only be transmitted by physical contact with blood, sweat or other bodily fluids from an infected person or animal. WHO also states that there is very low risk of the disease being contracted during air travel.

Is Ebola spreading? The good news is that Nigeria and Senegal have now been declared Ebola free by WHO. However a worrying sign is that Kenya (which has never had a single case of Ebola, like most African countries) closed a border crossing from Uganda on 10 October following reports of an Ebola-related death there. There is also a confirmed but unrelated outbreak of a different version of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tourism to parts of Africa unaffected by Ebola is certainly being hit by fear of the epidemic. According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, reported in the Daily Telegraph on 20 October, there is "alarm in the market" because people misunderstand how the virus spreads and where the affected countries are. In fact Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are closer to London than to South Africa.

It's essential to remember that if you cancel a holiday because of misplaced fears about Ebola, your travel insurance company won't consider your claim valid.

Taking your technology on holiday? Check your insurance first

Your gadgets are not necessarily covered by your travel or home insurance policies.

A recent Daily Mail story points out that most travel insurance has a single item limit on technology. And this won't even cover the cost of replacing the average smartphone. 

"No problem, I'm covered by my home insurance". Think again. Items taken out of the home are not usually included unless you pay an extra premium for extra cover.

Onestop4's Fit-4-Travel policy could be the solution. It provides up to £300 cover for any single item and up to £3000 in total for all possessions - well above average for travel insurance. Still not enough for all your technology? We suggest you either look at specialist gadget insurance, or ensure that your items are covered on an "all risks basis" within your home content insurance policy.

And do check your bank account. Some added value accounts now include travel and gadget cover.

With onestop4’s recent launch of the Fit-4-Travel policy to now also include cover for UK Expatriates who are residing in the EU, it’s important to understand what as an Expat you should look out for when buying travel insurance.

Whilst some other insurers do offer a travel insurance for EU residents living outside of the UK, we believe our product to be one of the most comprehensive and inclusive policies on the market, offering a range of unique features we feel are important for EU residents purchasing travel insurance. 

Our Fit-4-Travel insurance provides the cover you need and in our experience are most likely to need, as a traveller living in the European Union. Our knowledge and experience allows us to specialise in also offering travel insurance to older persons with serious medical conditions who are residents in EU countries outside of the UK. We pride ourselves on providing cover for travellers who struggle to find high quality travel insurance elsewhere.

It’s our experience that you are more likely to require treatment for a medical issue, or need to cancel your travel plans because of either your own, or someone on whom you trip depends, their health, deteriorates sufficiently requiring you to cancel your proposed trip. So when you compare other insurances with an excess of €250 you will be pleased when you see the excess we charge is €50 for medical treatment or cancellation and for a small premium of €9 or £9 (plus taxes if these are applicable to your Country of Residence) can waive the excess completely. This means you have at worst a low limit, or better still a nil limit on the cost that you must pay for treatment yourself or stand in the event of a cancellation.

Our cover includes a Medical Screening Service which can be undertaken online yourself or you can call us on  +44 (0) 1689 892 227 and we will then ensure we do cover those conditions that you declare and provide peace of mind, so that should you need to use the insurance whilst travelling you will be covered. It is important that you declare all health conditions when asked about your health, failure to do so would invalidate your policy. We operate an “all in” policy, so we cover all your health conditions and not just a select few.

If you find that you require ski or golf cover, or are planning on getting married abroad, then these optional additional covers can be purchased as optional extras and added onto your policy, thus allowing you to tailor your cover for your trip.

Our Fit-4-Travel insurance is designed to meet the needs of modern living to include today’s ever expanding British expatriate population living in the EU.  Our policy includes short trips within and outside your adopted European country of residence which have no age limits, giving you the freedom to travel whilst still knowing you are covered by a high quality British travel insurance policy you can trust. Alternatively we have an Annual policy which may make better financial sense if you travel a few times a year. Travel back to the UK is covered as though you were travelling in your home location or current Country of Residence – which is the lowest rated of all areas available for travel.

Fit-4-Travel Insurance is unique in providing cover for trips that include 2 nights pre-booked and paid accommodation in your adopted country of residence. This means that you can explore a new area or get to know the country your living in better, whilst still being covered by our insurance.

When buying travel insurance if you live outside of the UK it is important to make sure you are clear what you are purchasing. From our research some ‘Expat Travel Insurance’ may in fact refer to long stay or backpacker policies rather than for people who have residence in a European country outside of the UK. You may also find that many medical conditions are not able to be covered.

Onestop4 provides cover for UK Residents and UK Expatriates who are residing in Europe including: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and who are planning to travel from and return to their home location (meaning the country you have been permanently living in for at least six months of the twelve months before you buy this policy.)

If you prefer to buy your policy in £ sterling rather than € Euros then this option is also available to you.

Fires in Chile’s popular tourist city of Valparaiso force thousands to evacuate

Over 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate the popular port city of Valparaiso in Chile. Forest fires spread to the city on Saturday night and the fast moving fire has so far killed 12 of the city’s residents.

Over 1,200 firefighters have been tackling the blaze and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has put the army in charge of evacuation declaring the city a disaster zone and putting security forces on the streets to maintain order and prevent looting.

Valparaiso is a popular tourist destination and strong Pacific winds which have hampered the emergency response and have pushed the fire deeper into the city’s surrounding neighbourhoods. This has led to fears that the fire could spread to the centre of the city and the Unesco World Heritage Site old centre, which includes the former house turned museum of world-famous Latin American poet Pablo Neruda.

Large parts of the city are without electricity and there are fears for residents’ health due to smoke inhalation.

Fires are frequent during the hot summer months in central Chile. This is the second emergency the country has faced this year, as only 2 weeks ago a 8.2 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit northern Chile.

If you have been affected by the evacuation of Valparaiso due to the forest fires then International Travel and Healthcare clients are supported by emergency assistance providers Specialty Assist and Global Response, both based here in the UK.   If you require evacuation, repatriation, medical assistance the following numbers will be able to help you:   Clients travelling with a Fit-4-Travel policy who require emergency assistance should contact Global Response on: +44 (0) 203 538 0492 Clients travelling on one of our Single Trip, Annual Multi-Trip or Cruise policies should contact Specialty Assist on: +44 (0) 207 902 7405