Be sure to carefully select your travel dates. It is important that you include the dates you are travelling on as these are the dates that you are most likely to have a claim on your insurance i.e. the day you or your airline is most likely to lose your luggage. Be aware that while you can usually extend your holiday insurance while you are abroad before it has expired. If you wait until after your travel insurance has expired, your insurer may refuse to provide you with an extension. It may also be difficult to arrange travel insurance while you are abroad.

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

Winter sports holidays will not usually be covered under you standard policy. Check the small print as some travel insurance policies may cover you so long as you do not go off piste skiing or snowboarding and some policies will not cover you for winter sports holidays at all. Even if you do think you are covered for injury under your policy it may be worth paying extra for insurance that will cover you for piste closure (although you may want to check what the travel insurance company's definition of piste closure is).