Travel insurance offers financial protection for unforeseen events whilst travelling or while on holiday. Having financial protection in place will give you peace of mind that many expenses arising from these events will be covered by your travel insurance policy.
Travel insurance offers financial protection if you require medical assistance while on holiday. It will cover emergency medical treatment abroad. It will also offer cover if you need medical evacuation to a local healthcare facility or repatriation home in a medical emergency.
Disruption to your travel arrangements is also covered, in varying degrees,by travel insurance. Additional expenses due to cancelled flights, delays, or lost baggage should be covered. If you need to cancel your holiday due to illness of a close family member, for example, travel insurance will offer financial protection.
Personal liability cover is generally included in travel insurance ie. if you cause an accident or injure another person while on holiday.
When choosing a travel insurance provider in Ireland you should consider the following providers.
Take our 90-second online assessment and get the best travel insurance quotes on the market. Our vetted travel insurance partners are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and will outline the various options available to you.
There is a huge range of protection offered by the travel insurance providers and the types of cover and extent of cover can also be different between insurers.
A number of non-traditional insurance companies such as An Post have entered the market in recent years.
AIG offers a wide range of policies to cover single trip, multi trip, long stay, winter sports, family holiday, backpacker, and golf insurance policies available.
They also offer car hire excess policies.
AIG’s premier plus level policies offer unlimited medical expenses cover, giving you complete peace of mind.
An Post offers single or multi trip cover for families, couples, or individuals.
They offer good cover for families with up to seven children under 18 covered on one policy, as well as young adults aged 18-22 who are in full time education.
An Post gives an up to 30% discount if you purchase travel insurance online.
AA travel insurance offers single, multitrip, backpackers, and winter sports travel insurance.
Access to an English speaking GP 24/7 is included in all policies which could provide reassurance if you need to get medical advice.
Blue insurance offers single, multitrip, and backpackers travel insurance.You can also include winter sports cover as an additional option.
Blue insurance also offers car hire excess and gadget insurance so it might be worth getting additional cover from the same provider if you wish to purchase additional cover for car hire, or gadgets etc.
Multitrip.com offers cover for single, multitrip, backpacker, family and skiing holidays.
Multi trip.com also offers specialised cover for weddings, cruises, over 70’s, and business travel.
Over 70’s travel insurance is available to those with pre-existing medical conditions and offers this age group up to €20 million in medical expenses cover.
Insureandgo.ie offers single and multi trip cover for individuals, couples, or families.
Their long stay travel insurance offers protection for trips of up to 12 months duration for business or personal travellers.
Cornmarket travel insurance offers protection at three levels – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Cornmarket offers free winter sport cover for 50 sports as standard in all their policies.
Allianz offers a comprehensive range of travel insurance products with cover at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels.
Allianz offers insurance specifically for business travellers with additional protection such as cover for business equipment and gadgets, as well as assistance towards travel for a business associate to complete your trip should you have to come home early.
Aviva offers travel or holiday insurance at two levels – Holiday and Holiday Plus, as well as Backpacker insurance.Winter sports cover and car hire excess cover are available as optional extras.
Aviva offers unlimited Chubb assistance in association with Chubb European Group which offers emergency medical assistance, evacuation, and repatriation when needed as well as interpreter services and legal advice abroad.
Laya offers travel insurance for single trip, multitrip, backpackers cover, and car hire excess.
Laya’s cover offers additional extra protection for Winter Sports, Golf Travel. Weddings, and Natural Catastrophe Cover.
Having paid for that expensive trip or holiday, nobody wants to have to fork out a lot for travel insurance on top but travel insurance will more than pay for itself if something goes wrong.
It is important to consider other factors as well as price also so that you get the best cover for you:
Comparing travel insurance policies on price is important, especially, if you are purchasing, for example, a simple insurance policy such as a single trip policy to Europe and you have health insurance.
However, it is also important to ensure that the cover you are offered is appropriate for the trip you are taking and that it is the best cover for your circumstances, rather than comparing on price alone.
The medical expenses limit varies widely between policies and it is important to pay attention to the upper limit, especially if you are travelling to the US, for example, where healthcare is extremely expensive.
Medical evacuation and repatriation cover can also vary between policies and it is important when comparing policies to check what you are paying for.
Emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation, and repatriation are a key point of comparison between travel insurance policies as the levels of protection offered vary substantially between policies and the expenses involved are substantial.
The financial protection offered towards having to cancel or curtail your trip can vary between policies.Ensure that the amount offered in your policy is enough to compensate you for the cost of your holiday, should you be forced to cancel.
Again, ensure that the protection offered for missed flights and connection is high enough to cover the expense of making alternative travel arrangements.
If you need to curtail your trip, cover can vary between insurers. Ensure that the protection offered is enough to cover this unforeseen expense.
The excess is the amount you pay out of pocket before you receive any benefit from your insurance policy. The excess can vary between policies.
It is important to check how much the excess on the policy is as you will be faced with this expense if you need to make a claim.
Travelling is stressful and things can easily go wrong. Being covered for the unexpected can make your travelling experience less stressful.
At a minimum it is important to go with an insurer who offers phone support 24/7.
Some insurers offer medical advice from a nurse or a GP and some policies provide for an interpreter. The last thing you need in an emergency is to be unable to access support.
From a lost passport, to mislaid baggage, to a broken phone or being pickpocketed. All of these events can curtail our holiday. It is important to check what you are covered for and to ensure that the limits in your travel insurance policy are enough to cover the cost of replacing your possessions.
If you have pre existing medical conditions, it is important to ensure that you understand what is included in your policy and that the cover is appropriate for you rather than just purchasing the cheapest policy.
If you are travelling with children, or with older relatives, it is essential to ensure that the travel insurance you purchase is suitable for their needs. It is essential that your travel insurance is sufficient that they can get care if they need it while on holiday.
