Now that Christmas and New Year are over, it’s time to start planning your holiday. With the credit crunch biting hard it’s a good idea to start shopping around for good value travel insurance. Don’t just go for the cheapest, take time choosing which cheap holiday insurance best suits your requirements and check the cover first before you buy.

There are many types of cheap holiday policies available- single trip travel insurance covers you for a one off trip, annual multi-trip travel insurance is probably better value if you’re a regular traveller and travel more than once a year, whilst backpacking travel insurance is ideal if you’re planning a trip lasting more than a month. 24/7 travel insurance provides you with all three cheap holiday insurance types and offers the protection and peace of mind that you need when travelling abroad. 24/7 travel insurance has been set up with one main aim – to provide online customers with flexible cheap travel insurance cover at the best price possible.

Without adequate cheap holiday insurance, the costs for emergency medical treatment and repatriation costs could land you with a hefty medical bill running into many thousands of pounds as these figures demonstrate:

£35-45,000 – air ambulance from USA’s East coast

£12-16,000 – air ambulance from the Canary Islands

£15-20,000 – scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort from Australia

Figures supplied by FirstAssist Services Ltd.

In Britain we’re used to a good standard of state healthcare which may differ from the healthcare offered in other countries. Medical treatment abroad is likely to be of a lower standard but having cheap holiday insurance will ensure you receive the best medical care available in the event of a medical emergency.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which replaced the old E111 form on 1st Jan 2006 may entitle you to free or discounted medical treatment in a European Union country but remember, it’s no substitute for holiday travel insurance as it does not cover baggage, repatriation or cancellation.

Remember your cheap holiday insurance policy may become invalidated if you had an accident or if a situation arose and you went against recommended travel advice. Always check the Foreign Commonwealth Office for information regarding your holiday destination before you travel.

When choosing your cheap holiday insurance policy make sure it covers you for cancellation and curtailment. Imagine your disappointment if after months of saving up your hard earned cash, an unexpected medical condition or a situation arose causing you to cancel your holiday or you had to curtail your trip. So be smart and purchase value for money cheap travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday.

It’s also a good idea to check that your cheap holiday insurance policy covers your personal possessions and valuable items in the unlucky event they do then get lost or stolen. Misplacing your expensive digital camera can be distressing, sadly the photos capturing your holiday memories cannot be retrieved but at least you may get some comfort in knowing there is a good chance your camera can be replaced by making an insurance claim. Check your household contents insurance policy first as your personal possessions may well be covered already, as some cheap holiday insurance policies will give you a discount if you remove personal possession cover.

If you plan on participating in adventurous activities on your trip, make sure you have read your cheap holiday insurance policy summary (Keyfacts) and policy wording beforehand to check you are actually covered to do these. You should also ensure you are covered for personal liability- causing damage to property or a fellow holiday maker can lead to a very expensive court case and medical bill.

With the use of the internet these days it is so much easier to compare cheap travel insurance on websites such as Moneysupermarket or confused.com, so you don’t have to buy expensive travel insurance from your travel agent.

24/7 travel insurance offers great deals on all cheap holiday insurance types. Single trip discount travel insurance is available for under £5* so well worth a look!

For cheap travel insurance get a quote from 24/7 travel insurance

* Premium £4.86 includes Insurance Premium Tax based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ single-trip policy for 3 days to Europe, travelling within 14 days of departure. Cover details and prices are correct at the time of going to press (January 2009) and are subject to change.