Archives: 2008 August

You may have heard people talk about adventure travel. You could have seen an advertisement or caught a piece of a travel show about this kind of fun and unique outdoor vacation, but you may not know what it really is all about. You’re curious if you are missing out on something everyone else is enjoying. Just what is an adventure holiday?

The term ‘adventure holidays’ actually encompasses a lot of traveling options, not just taking an African safari. There are a number of kinds of adventure outdoor vacations that are available in today’s holiday market. The scope of the adventures that are available are as different as how average people would define the word adventure.

For some, an adventure holiday involves camping in a new location and seeing a new region or country. Others think there needs to be some water involvement, maybe kayaking of white water rapids for it to be a real adventure. The reality is these are both adventure vacations as would be going on a hot air balloon trip or even hiking a mountain. What a real adventure outdoor vacation is all depends on what is an adventure in your mind.

UK motorists thinking about driving their vehicles whilst abroad are advised to take extreme caution before setting off.

Such is the advice given by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance which states that unless drivers take steps to ensure that they have adequate insurance cover before leaving to go on a foreign driving holiday then they could be faced with costly repair bills. According to the company, just under a fifth (17 per cent) of people are planning on driving their car abroad during the next 12 months. Overall, France was shown as being the most popular destination for a foreign driving break, with some 4.58 million drivers looking to take their vehicles to the European country over the next year. Meantime, 1.89 million are set to visit Ireland, with 1.7 million going on a road trip to Germany. Spain, Italy and Belgium were also shown to be sought-after locations for drivers.

Additionally, it appears that people are planning a comprehensive journey, with about half of all those travelling abroad predicting they will cover more than 1,000 miles driving while away, meanwhile 19 per cent are predicting to drive between 501 and 1,000 miles.

However, before driving off to hit the road for Paris, Rome, Berlin or any other European destination, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance not only urged drivers to get fully comprehensive car insurance but also to get in contact with their provider to advise them of their intentions to go away prior to their departure. It would appear that although many insurers provide cover for driving on the continent, policyholders are required to notify them that they are going to do this. If this is not done, Sainsbury’s reported motorists would likely see their cover reduced to only incorporate third party, fire and theft.

With the market of travel insurance being so competitive and the costs regularly reviewed and improved, what has always been a necessity when travelling can now be viewed in a pleasant light and no longer considered as a burden for the average traveler and holiday-maker. If you can’t afford travel insurance then you can’t afford to travel and besides, it is far more liberating to know that, just in case you’re out of luck, most traumatic events while travelling can be remedied or assisted by the cover you purchase before you leave. This far outweighs the disappointment of wishing you had spent a little extra on travel insurance.

Even more important than getting travel insurance is ensuring that you purchase a suitable policy and you understand exactly what is and isn’t covered therein. Do not hesitate to voice any queries and always read your policy wording carefully before purchasing your travel insurance. You will find countless reviews online sent in by holiday makers who have lost money because they either didn’t have insurance in the first place or neglected to familiarise themselves with the fine print on their policy meaning they thought they were covered in certain situations when in fact they weren’t.

These are some of the mistakes that might render you unworthy of a claim: having a different name on your travel documents to those on your passport (for example if you still have your passport in your maiden name and have booked your flight in your married name); not getting a police report to back up your claim; injury incurred while under the influence of alcohol and leaving baggage unattended in a case of theft.