Domestic travel insurance

Some people think that you only need travel insurance when you travel abroad – wrong! Domestic travel insurance can protect you for cancellation costs, delayed or lost luggage, personal liability and more. Policies can range from cover for cancellations only, all the way up to more comprehensive policies. We can help find the right policy for your trip.

Good reasons to get domestic travel insurance in Ireland

Domestic travel insurance is important for a number of reasons. These include:

• Protection against cancellations. Cover if you have to cancel anything you’ve pre-booked due to things outside of your control, such as a sickness or death in the family.
• Cover for your luggage/belongings. Without your clothes and personal items, your trip could go south pretty fast. Getting cover for luggage and property can help you buy the things you need should yours become lost or stolen.
• If you’re hiring a car. Adding rental car excess cover onto your policy is generally cheaper than purchasing a separate insurance policy from the rental company.
• Cover for other travel delay hiccups. A delayed flight could lead you to being forced to fork out money for an expensive taxi or paying for late check-in. Travel delay expenses help cover the costs of these things.

How to find the best domestic travel insurance

The best domestic travel insurance policy is the one that offers high benefit limits for the situations that matter most to you, and that also covers you for a wider variety of situations.

Here are some ways you can identify which policy is the best one for you:

• What are the benefit limits? A benefit limit is the maximum amount of money you can be repaid for any specific area of cover. For many travellers, the most important areas of cover will be trip cancellation and lost luggage. Look for policies with unlimited cancellation cover and enough lost luggage cover to replace all of your luggage and personal belongings if they get stolen.
• Are you going to a wedding or other special event? If a transportation delay will cause you to miss a special event (such as a wedding, funeral or 50th wedding anniversary), the best policy will cover your expenses to make last-minute arrangements to be there on time. Other policies might pay you back for some of the money you spent on the event if you miss it, but they are unlikely to do anything to get you there on time.
• Do they give you separate benefit limits for separate areas of cover? The best policies will structure it this way, whereas average policies will offer you one benefit limit for multiple areas of cover. For example, the emergency expenses benefit covers you if you suddenly become ill on your trip and you need to return home or spend extra on emergency accommodation. However, some policies bundle this together with trip cancellation cover, meaning you don’t actually have as much trip cancellation cover as you originally thought.
• Does it automatically cover special activities? Many policies may make you pay extra if you want to be covered for riskier activities like motorcycle riding and cruising. If you will be doing any of these activities, the best policy will cover them automatically or at very little extra cost.

How to find cheap domestic travel insurance

Finding a cheap domestic travel insurance policy shouldn’t be difficult. Here are a few simple ways you can reduce your domestic travel insurance premium:

• Buy a bare-bones policy. Some insurers offer budget policies that only cover you for the most costly risks, like needing to cancel your trip or cut it short due to an emergency. Obviously, you won’t be covered for as much, but if you’re looking to save, this is the easiest way to do it.
• Increase your excess. You can reduce your premium by agreeing to pay a higher excess on your claims. Just don’t increase your excess to a level you’d have a hard time paying if you do need to make a claim.
• Bargain shop. Insurers often run special promotions. If you look hard enough, you may find coupon codes, giveaways and loyalty incentives.
• Buy a joint policy. Many insurers will give you a discount if you and your travelling companion (be it friend or partner) take out a policy together. You’ll each receive full benefits in most cases.
• Don’t add options you don’t need. Some people need extra cover, especially if their trip involves expensive hobbies. But if your activities didn’t cost much, you can go with a more no-frills policy instead.
• Shop around. It definitely pays to weigh your options. Once you’ve determined what you need, comparing policies becomes much easier. Review your options carefully and pay attention to each policy’s features, limitations and exclusions.

Annual domestic travel insurance in Ireland

If you’re a frequent traveller, or travel three or more times per year, purchasing annual multi-trip travel insurance can be much more cost-effective than buying a separate policy for each trip you take around Ireland.

Annual multi-trip domestic travel insurance provides cover for all the holidays you embark upon within Ireland and Europe across a 12-month period. There’s usually a maximum limit on the length of each individual trip, but otherwise these policies provide all the benefits you would expect in an ordinary travel insurance policy.

What’s not covered with domestic travel insurance

Insurers usually have a list of circumstances that will invalidate your cover. These are called exclusions. Here are some you may encounter:

• You didn’t disclose a pre-existing condition. You’ll be denied for claims related to pre-existing condition unless your insurer approved it ahead of time. If you have an ailment, tell the insurer before signing up.
• You were careless with your belongings. Don’t leave your stuff unattended. If it’s stolen, the insurer won’t replace it.
• You acted recklessly. Say goodbye to your claim if you’re drunk, high on drugs, or if you break the law.
• You ignored medical advice. If the doctor advises you don’t travel, you should probably take heed. It’s dangerous to your health and your claim.
• You cancelled your trip for no good reason. Your insurer won’t reimburse you just because you changed your mind about travelling.

Domestic travel insurance FAQs

• Q. Should I get travel insurance for my caravan holiday around Ireland?

  A. The answer really depends on what you have planned for your holiday. If you’ve pre-booked a lot of your holiday expenses – caravan sites, tours etc – cancellation cover can still be useful. Other benefits, such as cover for theft, stolen or damaged personal items and trip disruption costs, could also come in handy, so it’s up to you to decide whether you need cover.

  Caravan insurance might also be beneficial as it covers loss or damage caused by accidents, fire, storm, theft, malicious damage and more. If you already have caravan cover, it’s worth reviewing your cover before hitting the road.

• Q. Does the cost of insurance change based on where you travel in Ireland?

  A. No. Most insurers charge exactly the same no matter where you are travelling in Ireland. This is good news for those flying across the country or staying somewhere fancy, because it means you won’t be paying any extra even if your trip costs more. Even those travelling to remote locations are likely to pay the same as they would if they were going anywhere else.

• Q. I am over 65. Can I take out cover?

  A. Yes. Some insurers will cover you if over 65 years of age. In some cases you may be required to submit details of your medical history in order to take out cover.