It’s amazing how many people don’t take the time to go out and get the facts before they assume their homeowners insurance has them covered while they’re on vacation. That’s what they pay their premiums for, right? Well, yes… and no. You’d be amazed at how many gaps pop up in your homeowners insurance coverage when you start talking about going on vacation. That’s why it’s a good idea to pick up holiday insurance as backup to make sure your very merry Christmas doesn’t turn into a holiday you’d rather forget!

Homeowners Insurance

Here’s the short story on your homeowners insurance. It’s HOMEowners insurance. Not VACATIONowners insurance, not traveler’s insurance, homeowners insurance. It’s designed to protect your home, which means over vacation your insurance will make sure:

a) If your house becomes the victim of Christmas crime (criminals love the holidays just like everybody else) you’ll be able to afford to fix your windows and doors and replace anything they might have walked off with.

b) If your house goes up in flames because of something that you didn’t do intentionally, you’ll have somebody standing by ready to help you pay the often exorbitant rehab fees to get things put back together.

c) If your pipes burst while you’re gone and water damage completely destroys your home’s interior while you’re out of town, you’ll be able to put the soggy, wet mess back together again.

d) If someone steals the speakers out of your trunk, your car blows up or some other dastardly event destroys everything you were storing in your back seat, you’ll be able to afford to replace it all.

You’ll notice that your luggage, plane tickets and money orders are nowhere on this list. That’s why you need to supplement your homeowners insurance with…

Holiday Insurance

Also known as traveler’s insurance or vacation insurance, holiday insurance is there to plug all the gaps your homeowners insurance leaves wide open. Your holiday coverage is designed to cover the contents of your luggage if it gets looted when you’re traveling (including the camcorder you stuffed in your coat pocket). If you’re taking thousands of dollars worth of clothes, toys and electronics with you (cough… Christmas presents… cough) you’re going to want holiday insurance backing you up.

Of course, keeping your belongings safe from the criminal underworld isn’t the only thing your holiday insurance will do for you. You know all those pesky little fees they like to slap on you for canceling your reservations at the last minute? All the expenses that pop up when you miss your flight and have to book a new one? The hassle and aggravation of unexpected layovers when weather and mechanical failure interfere with your flight plans?

All of that’s covered by your holiday insurance, making it an awesome complement to your homeowners insurance and a very worthwhile investment toward your holiday peace of mind. Hey, you’ve got enough driving you crazy this Christmas. Isn’t it nice to be able to take at least one thing off the list?

Tony Peck is the Director of Business Development at QuoteScout.com, where it’s all insurance, all the time. To learn more about your homeowners insurance, holiday insurance and your Christmas vacation, visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.

Checking your insurance cover before driving abroad

But to many people the most important thing about Christmas is that it brings with it opportunity for holidays. Holidays at a time of a major global financial crisis of the standing of the credit crunch could be very challenging. Yet many people cannot afford not to have one. Come what may, theyll have a holiday and may even proceed abroad to make it remarkable.

One of the numerous fallouts of the credit crisis is that increasing number of people opt to travel abroad by driving all the way in their car. This means each family that decides to drive to a holiday destinations must check to be sure that a number of things are in place to make their journey hitch-free.

At the time of Easter earlier in the year one of the issues raised was the question of car insurance. Car insurance products on the market are several and of varying level of coverage. The most essential is the comprehensive car insurance policy which often guarantees drivers wider and adequate coverage. But when travelling abroad the situation could differ considerably. Whereas in the UK comprehensive car insurance could, to a very large extent, take care of drivers needs, in other countries, even within the European Union, the policy is automatically devalued to a third party cover.

In addition drivers would need to have with them other documentations like driving licence and evidence of car registration. In the past many drivers from the UK were found to have left these documents behind and headed abroad on holiday.

Importance of breakdown cover

Of relevance is breakdown insurance cover, which could save motorists a lot of money – home or abroad. But nearly two-thirds of UK drivers dont take with them details of their breakdown policies when travelling abroad, a study revealed recently.

Highlighting the importance of breakdown cover this week, reports quoted the AA insurance company as saying that two million drivers in the country without the policy collectively lost ?120 million last year. This amount was arrived at based on what each driver paid whenever roadside assistance was called for in the event of a sudden breakdown. The figures further revealed that motorists without basic breakdown insurance risk paying, as call-out charges, three times as much as they would pay if they had the cover.

It might seem tempting to save a few quid now and gamble that your car will carry you through the downturn without crunching to a halt – but driving without breakdown cover is like roadside roulette, AA spokesman Andy Taylor explained the enormity of the risk in a sentence.

In as much as its fun driving your car abroad its highly recommended that drivers do all that is necessary to make their holidays worthwhile. Perhaps shopping around, early as possible, for the most suitable deals on the market could be one way to begin such preparations.

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The fact is that some travel insurance providers are unwilling to insure senior citizens. Their reluctance is based on their assumption that those aged over 65 are more prone to accidents and falling ill whilst on holiday, which is why travellers over 65 can find themselves having to pay as much as three times more than a younger person.

However, dont despair. There are still plenty of insurers and policies to choose from that can offer you a great deal if you shop around and follow the 3 following tips:

1. Dont buy insurance from a travel agent. Although your tour operator or travel agent may offer to arrange insurance for you, they themselves are not insurers. Another insurance company will actually provide the policy, which will probably not be the best for your needs, nor particularly competitively priced. A specialized travel insurance provider is better placed to offer you a better deal.

2. Cut out policy options you are unlikely to need. A lot of standard policies will incorporate cover for things you just will not need, so be sure to remove them. For instance, why pay for the privilege of being covered to bungee jump, scuba dive etc, if you have no intention (or stomach!) to do them?

3. Take out a single-trip policy. Unless you are planning to travel abroad a number of times during a year, you will usually find that a single-trip policy is better suited and better value for travelers aged over 65.

The Internet is a great resource for those looking for the best value over 65s travel insurance. You will find a host of specialist travel insurance providers online that can offer you that piece of mind cover at a very reasonable price. Just take your time, and be sure to get a few quotes to compare.

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And with a wide variety of different sports to cater for all tastes – from rock climbing and white water rafting to hang gliding and mountain biking – as well as a wide range of terrains on which to explore, theres something for everyone.

However, such exhilaration could turn out to be expensive unless you are prepared for any emergencies. Because of this, it is important to arrange some insurance before you travel, if not to put your mind at ease before you take the plunge or to the skies.

Indeed, travel insurance can be a very useful element to pack as part of your trip, whether youre heading abroad to participate in extreme sports or are embarking on a backpacking excursion. Some of the most common factors that are covered by policies are:

Flight cancellations
Delayed departure or baggage
Medical expenses – these can vary depending on your country of visit
Repatriation as a result of an injury
Theft or damage to personal possessions – including any travel documentation
Legal assistance
Rental car excess and personal liability

This can help to cover you in case of emergencies, but cover can differ depending on the circumstances, so its important to check all details of your policy before you travel.

There are several factors which will affect the cost of your policy, so its best to make your insurer aware of these from the start, including:

Participation in high-risk activities or sports
Pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma
Travel to countries that are considered high-risk

There are many different travel insurance policies available, each offering varying levels of cover against a range of circumstances, and can be tailored to your travel plans. Backpackers and overseas workers often take out annual travel insurance for the duration of their excursions as it usually works out cheaper than purchasing separate policies for each leg of your trip.

Having an insurance policy in place before you travel can come in handy should you run into difficulties during your trip, and combined with other plans – such as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – can help to put your mind at ease and allow you the chance to enjoy your holidays just that little bit more.

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At some point next year you will be arranging to take your family on vacation. However, what you shouldn’t be tempted to do is avoid taking out some form of insurance just because you think it costs too much or a waste of money. By going online you can find some great deals which means in turn that you are able to get cheap holiday insurance for the whole family.

Yes you may think that saving a few dollars is a god send and will give you a little extra cash to spend on your vacation. But there are certain reasons why you should take out even inexpensive vacation insurance for this time. Below we take a look at just some of the reasons to opt for cheap holiday insurance rather than nothing at all.

1. When you travel abroad you will find that most countries don’t offer health care for free. By taking out holiday insurance you will be able to pay any unexpected bills should a member of your family need to visit a doctor or spend time in hospital.

2. Along with holiday insurance providing you with cover for any emergency medical expenses it provides cover for other things. You may discover that if your luggage is lost or delayed in arriving at your vacation destination it provides cover against such issues. Plus it will also help to provide cover should any items that you take with you on holiday such as your camera, mp3 player or games consoles become damaged or stolen.

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Many of us are scrapping our flights abroad this summer and are instead opting for driving holidays on home turf in a bid to save cash. However, do we have the car insurance cover in place for these trips?

Research from Saga shows that many Brits are not prepared for long distance journeys. Around three quarters do not pack any kind of emergency equipment or even take details of their breakdown policy; while more than a quarter forget to check their tyre pressures; and a third do not check oil levels before departing.

Things get even worse when setting off on a holiday by car in the UK compared to similar holidays abroad, with a significantly higher proportion of motorists making car maintenance checks before travelling overseas.

How your insurance cover can help

Car insurance can be a saving grace, assuming your policy is adequate.

With a comprehensive policy it is possible to take out breakdown cover alongside traditional insurance. This could offer roadside assistance and even onward travel in case you need to get to a destination in a hurry. Some breakdown policies will even offer overnight accommodation which is useful for driving holidays as you’re likely to be a long way from home.

Assuming you don’t want to turn around and end your holiday, it’s also worth taking out a policy that provides a courtesy car. If your car needs extensive repair time, many insurers will provide a courtesy car for as much as 14 days while repairs take place.

Look for a policy that offers cover for personal effects left in your car too. Imagine if your vehicle was stolen for example, with all of your clothes and baggage inside. If you are travelling abroad then check that your insurer provides the same level of cover in the European Union as it does in the UK.

Tips for driving holidays

Before you leave don’t forget to carry out spot-checks on your car. Ensure that the oil and brake fluid levels are appropriate, top-up the windscreen washing fluid and check tyre pressures. Ideally you could even consider getting the car serviced before you travel.

Make sure you have plenty of emergency equipment on board too. Pack a warning triangle along with fluorescent clothing, warm blankets, tinned food and a torch in case you are stranded during the night.

Finally, check with your car insurance provider to ensure you have appropriate levels of cover in place. If you’re not happy with the terms of your policy then compare car insurance online to find a more appropriate deal.

During times of economic recession in many aspects of travel may be affected in unexpected ways. We have become accustomed to the easy availability of cheap flights, accommodation and car rental and online booking for all holiday as a "DIY" – often at the last moment – from the comfort of our homes. However, during the summer of 2009 something new happened to affect the tourism industry into trouble. Many tourists heading to southern tourist spots of Europe, including popular destinations in Spain and Portugal, were caught during a critical shortage of rental cars. There were reports of frantic passengers (including those who had made reservations) to arrive at your destination airport and being told that there are no cars available, or being forced into a vehicle bigger or luxury vastly inflated prices. The few cars that were available were of rental prices of two or three times higher than normal. Due to the recession, and the assumption that fewer people are going on holiday abroad, a sharply reduced percentage of rented cars were made available to rental companies in places like Spain and Portugal during the peak summer travel 2009. The demand for rental cars remained strong, however, surprising everyone in the industry and causing headaches for car rental companies – and crushing disappointment and concern for thousands of tourists. It was learned, contrary to the predictions of many, one of the last people that things were ready to give up their holidays in the Mediterranean was an annual summer! The dismal British summer also contributed to the problem as the sun of many private British decided to make last-minute reservations for flights and accommodation – only to discover after the fact that it was impossible to book a rental car. If you feel the need to get out of the rat race for peace and tranquility and are tempted to book that romantic villa located in a remote and isolated, it is desirable to ensure your rental car in advance – and perhaps even before to reserve no more. Would also be worth doing some research to see if there are proper means of public transportation in the area, and the cost of a taxi to go around – just in case. Travel Insurance is an essential part of planning any trip or vacation and it is foolish to travel without it. However, travel insurance is unlikely to be of some help if you are left or left out of pocket by having to cancel or change flights or a system due to lack of availability of rental cars at your destination. We can only hope that the problems of summer 2009 will not recur, but why take a chance in the future. Plan ahead and check availability of rental cars before booking your vacation!

Jean Andrews is a freelance writer living in the UK. She regularly contributes articles for Travel Insurance Agencies Ltd who offer great deals on UK Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance for residents of Eire.