Why you don’t need double cover

When travelling abroad it’s a good idea to make sure you have adequate travel insurance, but what you don’t know is that you could be paying twice for some parts of the cover. According to AA Insurance, one third of travellers are paying twice for their personal property, as they have already got cover on their home contents insurance for personal possessions outside the home. That means worldwide cover for their luggage, money and valuables, so they may not need that cover on a travel insurance policy.

If you’re travelling with Christmas gifts, your travel insurance will have limits for your possessions if they are lost or stolen. This could mean that you get nowhere near the value of your losses. However, most home insurance providers automatically increase cover for Christmas gifts during the festive season, and if your possessions are covered outside the home, you can travel with your gifts, knowing that you’ll be able to make a claim and receive a decent payout if they are lost or stolen.

For travellers who rely on their travel insurance alone could find a different situation and could lose out when it comes to making a claim. For those with home insurance, though, it’s worth checking to see what is covered so you don’t end up paying twice. And if your personal possessions are covered outside the home, it could be worth asking your travel insurer to exclude personal possessions cover to keep your premiums down. This could save as much as 15 or 20 per cent off the travel insurance premiums.

The best advice is to check with your home insurer before you take out travel insurance. If you’re planning to travel with Christmas gifts and high value items such as digital cameras and Ipods, you could find that your home insurance provides more comprehensive cover than your travel insurance.