Annual insurance goes one step further than regular travel insurance, in that you sign up one time and are then covered for the entire year and for an unlimited number of holidays. The only catch is that the cover is limited by travel duration, generally around 45 days at a time. This is fine for most travellers, however, as people generally only go on holiday for a week or two at a time, or in the case of the business traveller, a couple of days at a time.

The main advantage in signing up for an annual travel insurance policy is the cost versus taking out a singular policy each time you travel. If you are a regular traveller and take several holidays a year, taking out a single policy time and again costs significantly and is also a pain. Of course, it’s easy if your travel agent simply adds on the cost to the holiday, but it all mounts up.

The other main beauty of annual travel insurance is that you can sign up online and therefore make considerable savings, with online travel insurers having fewer costs than those with offices and the associated administrative staff.

You should take out travel insurance even when visiting the EU, or any country that has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK, as the level of care offered in reciprocal agreements is lacking. In short, you only get emergency medical care and anything else will need to come out of your own pocket; be it ambulances, airplanes, medication, hospital rooms and outpatient care. Annual travel insurance can include all of this.

Having repatriation included on any travel insurance policy is a must. If you happen to be travelling to a country that lacks the medical facilities needed to deal with your condition or injuries, you will need to be flown back to the UK to be treated. Repatriation is quite complicated depending on the extent of your condition and can ultimately run into several thousands of pounds.

Repatriation is generally included with an annual travel insurance policy for the regular traveller, where emergency rescue or evacuation worldwide is taken care of. Standard high-street policies may not include this vital coverage. Annual insurance will also generally cover you for cancelled or missed travel connections, loss of baggage, theft of personal belongings, and accidents.

Annual travel insurance packages can be tailored to include the US. The US has some of the highest medical costs in the world and there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. Falling ill or having an accident while travelling in the US without travel insurance means you could be paying for it for the rest of your life.

Additionally, annual travel insurance can also be had for the entire family by simply filling out just one single online form. As to when to start the travel insurance; have your policy start before you book your flights and holiday so that you are already covered in case you need to cancel the trip.