A TRAVEL expert has revealed some of the biggest mistakes Brits make on holiday which could be costing hundreds of pounds at a time.
According to a YouGov poll, one in five holidaymakers don’t take out travel insurance for their foreign getaways.
This is despite the fact that one in three has had their valuables – with an average value of £55 – stolen on a past trip.
Richard Gray, head of digital marketing at Insurance2Go, has shared his best money-saving trips to avoid losing out next time you go on holiday.
Get travel insurance
There are risks that come with taking your pricey phone, laptop, cameras and tablets away with you, so making sure they are covered by travel insurance can put your mind at ease.
It’s important to note that general travel insurance will often let you add gadget cover to your policy for high-value tech, or international coverage may already come with your at-home plan.
But usually you will probably require a separate travel policy for your gadgets to be fully insured – because most travel insurers have single-item limits or a maximum limit on how much you can claim.
Richard explained: “Regardless of the option you select, it’s vital to check your policy paperwork for details of the cover provided.
“For example, there will most likely be a single item claim limit – the maximum you can claim for any given gadget.
“Try this test. Add up the value of all the phones and gadgets you go on holiday with. We think a typical family of four probably travels with approximately £1,700 worth of kit.
“Now ask your travel insurer whether they will cover that, how much they will pay out of each item and what the excess is. I bet you’ll be surprised.”
Stick to hand luggage
Losing your suitcase on holiday is one of the worst things that can happen – to avoid your valuables getting caught up in that, sticking important items in your carry-on luggage is key.
Richard said: “Ideally, your hand luggage should contain essentials such as your toothbrush and other toiletries, spare underwear, phone and laptop chargers and a couple of outfit changes.
“If your checked-in luggage does happen to get damaged, lost or delayed, you have the legal right to claim compensation from the airline by reporting the issue to them immediately.”
Share contact details
It may sound simple, but if your luggage does go missing, then having your contact details on it could actually mean it eventually finds its way back to you.
Additionally, it also reduces the chances of your bag being picked up by someone else and helps it stand out from the crowd so you can whisk it off the luggage carousel and get on with your trip.
Richard said not to rely on the sticky tags with your information on them as they can be easily ripped off.
He explained: “More people are using AirTags, Tiles or SmartTags to attach to their luggage. We’ve heard a few people now being reunited with their luggage at airports because of these ingenious little devices.
“Purchasing a well-made, strong luggage tag will help you distinguish your luggage among the sea of other suitcases at airports.”
Make sure you only put your email address and phone number on the tag though, as writing an address can leave you open to home burglaries.
Stay extra safe
Even when you get to your hotel room, you should remember to hide your valuables in less obvious places.
Unusual ways to do this include rolling notes into an empty lip balm or placing valuables into empty bottles – just don’t forget about them.
Use a travel wallet
Similarly, you might want to just sit back and relax on your sunlounger, but staying organised – particularly when it comes to travel documents – can be a lifesaver.
Richard advised: “Purchasing a folder to store your essential documents will not only make travelling easier, but will also minimise the chance of losing items such as your passport.
“The perfectly organised travel folder will be home to not only your passport, but your flight details and tickets, cash in multiple currencies, hotel keys and insurance policies.
“This is especially handy if you are travelling as a large family, to keep everyone’s items in one easily accessible and safe location.”
Beware roaming charges
Don’t get caught out by roaming fees as a number of phone firms have reintroduced charges since leaving the EU.
Here is the full list of mobile EU roaming charges.
