Travel Insurance - when to start annual policy?

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We have just booked our holiday for the last week in August and need to sort out Travel Insurance. We normally buy an annual policy, so we are covered for trips abroad to visit family etc. so I'd rather it started as late as possible, because we just might squeeze two summer holidays into it.

If I purchase travel insurance TODAY, but I set the start date of the policy to be the day we set off on holiday, am I covered for anything which happens between now and then? I'm thinking (for example) one of us falls ill next week, or we crash the car (heaven forbid....).

Will the insurers say it occurred outside the period of insurance, so we aren't covered?

Or will the fact that we've insured the period of the holiday be sufficient, and the timing of the "event" which precluded us from travelling be irrelevant?

I know what you mean but it doesn't work that way! To be covered for cancellation etc you need to start the policy now.

yep, you need to start the policy now if you want cancellation cover.

Hmm... I hoped you wouldn't say that.

I am saying the same. Start it now.

With annual insurance, if you want to be covered for cancellation, you have to start the policy today.

For single trip insurance, you start it from the date you go away and cancellation before that is still covered.

What everybody else said.

Unless you want to risk doing without cancellation cover & only have illness/loss etc cover.

Have you got EHIC cards?

Thanks for the advice. We've now decided to go for a single trip policy, so I booked it today, and cancellation cover starts immediately.

Yes, have EHIC cards although DH doesn't see the point of them

tell him it could be very expensive if you did get ill/have an accident!

if you don't have EHIC "then some insurers won’t pay for any medical treatment, as the small print of these policies states all travellers must have a valid card"

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/10102709/Do-we-need-an-EHIC-card-to-travel.html

& I think some others will only pay a limited amount - ie what a local pays, not the full cost of private treatment.

EHIC are free - where's the problem? BTW they expire after 5 years, check they are in date.