Make sure that you carefully select your cover dates carefully. It is most important that you include day you leave your house and the day you arrive back in it as these are the days that you are most likely to have a claim on your travel insurance i.e. the day the airline loses your luggage. Also be aware that while you can usually extend your travel insurance while you are abroad before it has expired. If you wait until after your insurance has expired, your insurer will often refuse to provide you with an extension to your travel insurance. It is usually difficult to arrange holiday cover while you are abroad as well.

Winter sports holidays will not necessarily be covered under you standard policy particularly if you are a senior citizen. Check the wording some travel insurance policies may cover you so long as you do not go off piste skiing or snow boarding and some travel insurance policies will not cover you for winter sports holidays at all. Even if you think you are covered for injury it may be worth paying extra for insurance that will cover you for piste closure (although the travel insurance company's definition of what piste closure is should also be checked).

You may need more than a standard travel insurance policy if you are going on holiday for a significant period of time (usually over a month), or if you are backpacking or if you are partaking in an adventure holiday. Check the small print again if you are planning to, or if you think you may be tempted by activities like the bungee jumping, white water rafting or hang gliding you will usually need more expensive insurance. Even for activities like horse/elephant/camel riding or going karting or scuba diving you may have to up your travel insurance.