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.