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Need some help please.... we are going camping to france next week for the first time and not sure about the travel insurance?

Many thanks for all your help. We are all sorted now, just got to try and fit all this and 3 kids into a car 

Don't even think of going without it. You need health insurance for all members of your party. Also vehicle breakdown and repatriation insurance. You haven't got much time left so get moving. You may have run out of time to get the E111 cover. Other can be arranged over the phone.

harryB

You can apply online or by phone for EHIC (E111 that was):

https://www.ehic.org.uk/InternetPROD/home.do or via other sites if you Google for EHIC.  Our cards took 4 days to come through, but if you phone you might get them faster ..... 0845 606 2030.

Breakdown cover might be cheapest via your motor insurers - they may get a bulk discount and pass some of that on to you.

As somebody else has said, you may have personal effects covered under your house contents insurance whilst abroad - worth checking as you can then exclude that cover under your travel insurance (medical expenses, money, liability etc) and get a cheaper premium. 

For us it's worked out just a tad more expensive to have annual travel and breakdown cover and then there are no worries - all paid for monthly so we don't really notice it.  Then all trips within Europe are covered with no hassle.  Likewise the Green Card for the car - Saga don't worry and just provide automatic cover but with other companies you need to tell them you are going and make sure you have full cover.

Credit card companies like to be told too ....... the dates of your stay, where you are going and a mobile/contact number so they can get in touch if they need to.  The 'fraud' arm of one of my credit card companies contacted me recently due to an unsual transaction ... a washing machine bought online!  You can imagine how they might react to a few 'unusual' payments abroad - they can put a query on the card and until they've spoken to you it can cause grief at French supermarkets etc.  So, depending on the card, it's best to let them know when you might be away.  There's little more embarrassing than holding up a long queue of people.  It's never happened to me, but I've seen it happen to others on a number of occasions.  Some credit card companies will also give you an International Fraud tel no to store in your mobile as they will not guarantee that your telling them in advance will prevent the fraud department putting a query on your card.   :-)

HTH

Oozat

Anybody found a good travel insurance company for young 'ens (well we're in our very early 40's with a young family) that accepts pre-existing conditions but doesn't rip you off. Our regular annual policy people won't take pre-existing conditions.

Thanks.

N

I have a pre-existing condition & use insure and go but I can't recommend them.

They covered my pre-existing condition for no extra charge but ..... first of all they started the (annual) cover a month late. Good job I spotted that!

Then I recently rang them to update them on the pre-existing condition and it sounded very much to me as if they didn't have a note of it. And I had to insist on telling them the updated news, the call centre bunny was very much of the opinion I didn't have to  update them.... untli I sent him to ask a supervisor.

 Then they didn't return calls and I've spent a worrying week chasing after them. Now it is covered at an extra £50 p.a. ... apparently just the extra because if the update, but I think some of this is what they should have charged me in the first place. I've got all this in writing from them and I've the times of all calls (so they can find their recordings!), so if something *does* go wrong and they go bad on me you'll be seeing me in the press.

If they hadn't got back to me this week I was going to try Direct Line, who we do all the other stuff through at the moment.... largely because I need cover quickly and they're reasonably efficient with everything else.

And next year when I renew, I'll be seeing whether the "club" for people with my condition recommend anyone who is kind to people like us. All underwriters have their individual quirks and you'd hope the relevant membership organisations have picked up on that.

Hi There

I have just taken out both travel insurance and breakdown insurance with Morethan at a very good price.  Might be worth a try.

Hi,

I got my travel insurance from www.moneysupermarket.com for £11.60 for myself, my wife and our 9 year old daughter.
This was recomended to me in my post here by Essexmum.

Thanks, I hope you fine it useful to.
Mike

We get our travel insurance with sainburys.

Just been talking with someone involved in car accident in Spain- one of them died, all others ended up in hospitals. Bill so far £15.000- no travel insurance!

The E111 is not travel insurance. It covers minor things like a trip to the dentist or tummy aches.

If you are a member of CC, they do Red Pennant insurance, it covers you and your car and caravan. If needed they will arrange for your car and van to be brought home. Having veh cover and personal cover with the same company makes sense. It's not cheap, but I recon it's the best!