An unecessary extra, or worth having?

Left to fend for themseleves, one group of students were left stuck up a mountain. Rescued by mountain forces, they show the need of students to take up travel insurance before they go on holiday.

Travel Insurance may seem like an unnecessary extra cost, especially
when planning the trip of a lifetime. However, if the dream holiday
turns sour, it may be the one lifeline that could save your life.
With Christmas just around the corner, many students have probably
already booked their trips abroad for the four-week holiday. Whether
your forte be on the slopes, or you’re dying for some time in the sun,
travel insurance may seem like an extra unnecessary addition to
vacation costs.

Although many students will simply omit travel insurance, believing it
to be something they could do without, it is – especially with an ever-increasing desire to go on ‘dare devil’ holidays – an essential
consideration to travelling abroad. With this in mind, the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office (FCO) is issuing essential travel advice to those
planning an adventure holiday this winter.

The Foreign Office Know Before You Go campaign is urging students
to prepare properly before they travel as students put themselves at
risk of having their trip of a lifetime ruined through not taking some
simple steps to keep themselves safe.

With an estimated third of British holidaymakers tempted by adrenalin-
filled activities whilst on holiday such as skydiving, bungee jumping
and abseiling, this can only be a good thing, especially as a vast
majority do not realise that they may not be covered by their standard
travel. “Know Before you go” aims to change this.

Following recent tragic cases… involving students on gap years
including 21 year old Emily Jordan, who died while river boarding in
New Zealand, the FCO is urging students to prepare fully and research
the company providing the adventure experiences before they embark on
holidays.

Alice Draper at the FCO said: “Adventure activities are really popular
with young people but it’s essential to take out travel insurance
before you go and read the small print to check that all your
adventure activities are covered. Lots of insurance policies have
exclusions which mean that certain activities may not be covered,
which can leave you with a huge bill.”

“For example if you break a leg skiing, a trip in the ambulance and full treatment could cost you up to £10,000. Taking some simple
preparations, such as ensuring your insurance policy covers you for
everything you are likely to do, could mean the difference between an
adventure break to remember and one you’d give anything to forget.”

If that isn’t persuasion enough… take the example of Chris from Leeds
Metropolitan University, who was travelling with a friend in South
America when he decided to go horse riding.

“I had no idea that I was allergic to horses and subsequently had an allergic reaction to the hair.  Within a few hours I had a serious rash on my leg.”

This may seem like a minor problem, but being a foreign traveller in underdeveloped countries means big bills to pay.

“I was taken to hospital and had to go on a course of antibiotics and hospital staff wanted me to stay in the hospital overnight.” This short stint in hospital turned out to be very expensive. “I hadn’t even thought about my insurance and had eat into my travel savings, paying nearly £1000.”

Chris had to cut his travels short due to this unforeseen expenditure.
Travel insurance can make a huge difference to expenditure should the
worst happen.

Aggie Morrell from Leeds University… was on a family skiing holiday in La Plange, France. A few days into the excursion, her and her family were faced with a terrifying situation.

Speaking to the FCO Student Ambassador on her experience, she has stated “My sister, cousin and I decided to go off-piste and we completely lost track of time. By the time we had returned to the ski lift, they were shut and we were stranded up a mountain for several hours.”

The three students were left to fend for themselves, thousands of feet
up in the French mountains with no means of communication.
“The French services took quite a while to find us but we were
eventually air-lifted off the mountain and taken to hospital. None of
us had any serious injuries, thankfully, but we were at risk from
frostbite, hyperthermia and pneumonia. I’m so glad I had travel
insurance; it really was worth the initial investment. Potentially, I
could still be paying off the £20,000 it cost for the helicopter and
transport! After such a traumatic experience, the last thing you need
is a huge bill to make it 100 times worse!’

‘Know before you Go’ also advises that… as well as checking you have
the correct insurance, you do your research into the company you are
taking part in the activities with.  They suggest that you ask to see
their qualifications and company insurance –and if they’re not happy
to comply, you should consider going with another company. It is,
especially when your health is on the line, always better to be safe than sorry.

So if you’re planning on an adventure holiday this year, make sure
that you prepare properly before you jump on (or out of!) that plane.

Visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel and www.gogapyear.com for more details.

FCO advice 

• It is essential to take out travel insurance when taking any trip abroad, no matter how short your trip. And when participating in high risk activities such as sky diving, skiing or snowboarding, you must ensure your policy covers these
• Remember when skiing or snowboarding that alcohol can affect you quicker at high altitudes and most insurers won’t pay out if you injure yourself or others whilst under the influence of alcohol
• Stick to the rules given by your instructor or guide and research your destination atwww.fco.gov.uk/travel in case local laws and customs differ from the UK
• Take photocopies and/or store copies of your important documentation (passport, insurance details, credit card number and cancellation details) online using a secure online data storage site
• If travelling in Europe, take your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). This card entitles you to reduced cost or free healthcare in most European countries. Remember though, that EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance – you must have both to be fully covered

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