Amazingly, nearly two thirds of Brits admit to taking out no travel insurance when they go away, while eight percent say they have never bothered. This ?it wouldn't happen to me? attitude puts travellers at unnecessary risk; what would you do if you lost your passport, plane tickets, or one of your party had to have special transport home for medical reasons? It's quite easy to find cheap deals to cover your travelling group, but if you've never bothered before then you'll need a few tips to get the right deal. If you're looking to go abroad, then read these few tips to send you in the right direction when it comes to insurance.

Check What You Already Have

If you're a premium customer with a bank or credit card company, then chances are that you'll already have travel insurance included. This is particularly likely if you're paying a monthly fee for your banking. Make sure you check this out with your bank and read the small print of the deal ? it might not be valid outside of the EU or if you have special circumstances, but a phone call should clear this up. If you don't have a policy already, then it really pays to shop around. It's easier to do now thanks to the web ? all you really need to do is key ?travel insurance? into a search engine, flick a few of the results and enter your requirements. Price comparison websites are particularly useful, so if you filter through a couple of these then you'll be on the right track.

Any Special Circumstances?

Be careful if you or anyone in your travelling party has special circumstances ? it's possible that prices will be higher as a consequence. Special circumstances include a history of serious illness, pregnancy or being over 65 ? all of which present higher risks for insurers. Specialist insurers such as SAGA may be able to help you here, but should you not be able to find a decent quote, you may be able to forego your clause about any history of illness ? just remember it'll be on your head should anything go wrong. Also if you are travelling in the EU, make sure you have an EHIC card. This will provide you with the same amount of cover as a citizen of the country you are visiting, which will mean you will get free or discounted treatment should you fall ill or be injured.

How Much Cover Do You Really Need?

Getting an EHIC card for the EU is fine for medical treatment, but then it won't actually protect you for loss of baggage, or flight cancellation. Furthermore, not all European countries have substantial state owned hospital infrastructure, which may mean you end up at a private hospital for emergency treatment. In this case, you may have to pay in order to be treated, and in any case you may have to pay for emergency flights back to the UK. Despite these issues, it's important that you don't overpay. It's extremely unlikely that your medical expenses would ever exceed more than ?2,000,000, while personal liability cover should be around the ?1,000,000 mark. Take out around this amount of cover with extra for loss of baggage or flight cancellation and you should be ready to go!