Travel insurance is a vital safety net while you’re away. We hope you never need to claim - but if you do, you’ll be glad you have it. With the right policy in place, you’ll be covered for potentially expensive medical treatment, trip cancellations, lost luggage and much more.

Your options start with a choice between single-trip cover and annual multi-trip cover, depending on how often you travel. Then you can look at whether you need add-ons like cover for winter sports or adventure travel.

Whatever your travel plans look like, the right insurance can help you relax, knowing you’ve got all types of costly risks covered. Take a little time to get familiar with your options and compare plans, and you’re all set for your next trip.

Single trip travel insurance covers the duration of one specific holiday or journey, from the day you leave home until you return. The length of time policies cover a single trip for varies between providers, with examples including 90 or 120 days. Do be aware, the maximum length of cover for a single trip might reduce if you are older, so check the small print before deciding.

On the other hand, annual travel insurance will cover you for a whole year, often with no upper limit on the number of trips you take within those 12 months. Terms do vary between insurers though, so do check the small print. For instance, one insurer offers annual cover for an unlimited number of trips in a year, but your cover ends after 183 days of travel in those 12 months. Another insurer also allows unlimited trips in a year, as long as each one is no longer than 31 days.

And remember, staying longer than your policy covers – even by a day – could invalidate your insurance and leave you without protection.