Tired of dark evenings and spending your time Googling destinations with 25-degree weather? Turns out you’re not alone. Recent data shows for one in five Brits (18%), the main reason for booking a holiday is simply to escape the cold.
And with travel discounts appearing across multiple brands this month, we’re more tempted than ever to book a getaway in search of some much-needed sun. However, holidaymakers rushing to secure a quick escape during the January sales are being warned to proceed with caution.
Hannah Mayfield, a money expert working with specialist travel insurance comparison site PayingTooMuch, has urged Brits not to book the first travel insurance deal they come across.
“Along with holiday bookings January is also peak season for travel insurance sales, and it’s easy to be tempted by a flashy deal,” Hannah explains. “But the biggest discount isn’t always the best value or cover for you. This is especially important for travellers with health conditions.”
With almost two in five Brits (39%) booking their trips just one to three months before departure, many sun-seekers are currently looking to snap up the best deals to beat the February chill. But data from Which? shows that around three in four UK travellers have at least one pre-existing condition and could face price hikes of up to 1000%.
In these situations, selecting a travel insurance policy that suits your individual needs is essential.
Hannah advises: “When buying a policy, it’s a good idea to compare travel insurance cover to identify what matters most for you and your specific trip. Travellers should consider a wide range of factors, such as the level of medical cover required, the likelihood of needing cancellation protection along with the policy’s limit per person, and whether an annual multi-trip policy offers better value than a single-trip option. Taking the time to assess these considerations is far more important than simply chasing a discount.”
Many travellers are unaware that low-cost policies can sometimes exclude key areas of cover. “Some policies won’t cover pre-existing conditions, extreme sports, some activitiesor certain destinations. And if you don’t read the fine print carefully, you could end up with no cover when you need it most,” Hannah adds.
To help travellers avoid getting caught out, Hannah has shared four steps to better savings:
- Compare policies and not just prices. Look closely at what’s included, such as cancellation cover, delays, medical expenses, and protection for belongings. The cheapest policy may not always provide the level of cover you need for your trip. For example, if your holiday costs £2,000 per person a £500 cancellation limit just isn’t enough.
- Check how pre-existing conditions are covered. Many insurers require medical conditions to be declared upfront, and cover can vary significantly between policies. Failing to disclose relevant medical information could invalidate your policy and leave you financially unprotected if you became unwell aboard and need to make a medical claim.
- Consider if single-trip or annual cover suits you best. If you travel abroad often, an annual multi-trip policy could save you money. Travellers can benefit from greater flexibility, as annual cover allows multiple trips within a chosen European or Worldwide region without needing to confirm exact travel dates in advance. Always check the number of trips you can take with annual cover and the number of days per trip to ensure it suits your plans.
- Online tools take the complexity out of policy comparison. Dedicated travel insurance comparison sites like PayingTooMuch make it easier to compare policies side by side, helping you match cover levels, benefits and exclusions to your individual travel needs.
“Time-limited discounts can create a false sense of urgency,” Hannah says. “People may rush into buying insurance that doesn’t suit them, thinking they’re getting a bargain, only to face costly consequences later.”
She ends: “January sales can offer great value, but without proper planning and research to ensure the policy meets your needs, that initial saving could become a very expensive problem.”
