International travel is probably at its peak now, with people travelling for both business and pleasure. With so many air miles being used up, accidents or other mishaps are bound to take place. With this in mind, the careful traveller needs to think carefully about taking out travel insurance. But how do you choose the insurance that best suits your needs?

There are three different groups of travellers, each with their own, very special needs; Senior travellers, Backpackers and Families and Business Travellers.

Senior or more mature travellers have to choose wisely. Some travel insurances simply do not cater for the elderly traveller at all. Obviously these can be dismissed straight away. Others just make the cost of insurance ridiculously high. Again, look elsewhere. Some companies, of course, attach limitations depending on age. Different packages are presented for under 70s and under 80s.

Then there is the vexed question of pre-existing medical conditions. Now, of course, all conditions cannot be catered for because of the expense which could be prohibitive for the insurance company. But you can find companies which cover for quite a few pre-existing conditions.

You simply need to shop around.

Young people are often the ones most discriminated against as far as premiums are concerned.

Gap years between school and university were all the rage not so long ago. Maybe it's not so popular now? Never-the-less, young people still like to travel. Many go for 6 months to a year or even longer, backpacking around foreign lands.

Travelling in foreign countries, especially if you are alone, can be a hazardous, but immensely rewarding experience. But planning is essential if you are not to come to grief. Letting people know where you are should also be a first priority. A friend of mine has just returned from a cycle ride through Khuzestan. He's a young lawyer, so should have known better!

He kept in touch via the internet, sending back blogs of his experiences almost every other day. His trip took almost a month and covered nearly 3,ooo kilometres of varying terrain. He tells me that there were some scary moments, but most people he met were very helpful and pleasant.

Accidents are always possible, however! Without some sort of insurance, you could not only be very ill for much longer than necessary, but could also be paying for your misfortune for many years afterwards.

Families and Couples, especially those with very young children, must be fully aware of the necessity of travel insurance.

Can you imagine your feelings if your toddler fell off a cliff and the rescuers would not attempt a rescue until you showed them your insurance documents....and you didn't have any! What if you or your children were taken very seriously ill and the hospital refused entry...because you weren't insured and could not prove you could pay? Your little boy or girl is floating out to sea on a 'peddle boat' and the rescue team refuse to push their boat out until they see your insurance document....and yes, you don't have one!

Beggars belief, doesn't it? But unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence.

Business people, of course, have a very different outlook on foreign travel. Often it is something to be endured. Most hotel rooms in whichever city you're in look much the same as any other.

Often important papers or expensive electronic equipment have to be carried so that preparation for that all-important meeting can be done on the laptop. Their insurance needs tend to be for damaged goods rather than personal damage. However, both are actually needed.

Unfortunately, insurance of any kind is a necessary evil! But if you choose the right one for your needs, at least you will have peace of mind. Of course, you hope you won't need it.

Without it, however, you either have to be extra careful or be very lucky, because it is not only your own actions that you have to be thinking about.

Other people's actions could land you and your loved ones in trouble just as easily.

So, all in all, it's definitely important to be insured. What you must do is to make sure you have the right insurance for your particular circumstances.