Latest news with #holiday
The Sun
18 hours ago
- The Sun
Eight travel insurance mistakes to avoid that could cost thousands – including tricks to buying cover and what to pay
IF you've planned a holiday but scrimped on travel insurance, you could lose thousands of pounds. Travel insurance covers you if something goes wrong on holiday. 4 4 The most common claims are for transport delays, followed by medical costs and lost baggage, according to Holidaymakers put in 574,000 claims in 2023, according to latest figures from the Association of British Insurers, up 59 per cent from 362,000 in 2022. While it might be tempting to get the cheapest cover or avoid buying it altogether, you could end up footing the bill for a holiday nightmare all by yourself. The key is to make sure you get the right cover - otherwise your policy could be useless. MEL HUNTER explains the most common travel insurance mistakes that can trip people up. MISTAKE 1: NOT TAKING IT OUT There are lots of different types of travel insurance, from single trips, annual cover, family trips, holidays in Europe, and more. Costs vary depending on your age, holiday destination, and any medical conditions. A single-trip policy for a 61-70 year old costs £21 on average, but £15 for a 26-34 year old, for example. While a single-trip policy for an adult holidaying in France would be £16, but £43 for Thailand. More than half of holidaymakers have gone away without travel insurance, according to Co-op insurance. But that's an expensive mistake to make, considering the size of payouts dished out. The average medical bill claim was £2,148 last year, according to LV= General Insurance. Around £359 was paid out for lost or damaged luggage, and £1,390 for cancelled holidays. Christian Bennett from insurer said: 'Travel insurance is essential, and it goes far beyond medical cover.' MISTAKE 2: LEAVING IT TOO LATE 4 With suitcases to pack and flights to catch, it's easy to forget about travel insurance. One in four holidaymakers book it on the day they travel, according to consumer body Which? But leaving it until the last minute is a big mistake. You are only protected from the moment you buy your policy. So if your airline or holiday company cancels your trip or someone in your family falls ill before you take out insurance, you won't be covered. Christian said: 'You should get your cover sorted as soon as you book your flight or holiday. 'If you wait until closer to departure to arrange your travel insurance and then find yourself in the unfortunate position of not being able to travel, you may not be able to recover the cost of your trip.' MISTAKE 3: NOT KNOWING THE DETAILS OF YOUR POLICY Read the T&Cs before taking any policy out, so you know what you are covered for. Only a fifth of holidaymakers research their travel insurance properly. But it may come as a surprise to know that water sports, gadgets like laptops and cameras, and even cycling, may not be covered. It can be difficult wading through piles of paperwork, but key things to look out for are cancellation policy, baggage and medical cover, as these are the most common things to go wrong on holiday. Make sure your policy will cover all your costs if you need to claim. A basic policy may only pay out £1,000 per person if you have to cancel your trip, while a higher level might go to £10,000. Baggage cover can range from £1,000 to £3,000. Medical cover usually pays out up to £1 million at least, but it's crucial to read the small print of what it does, or doesn't, cover. MISTAKE 4: GIVING TOO LITTLE DETAIL ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY People underestimate the level of medical details they need to give. You should tell your insurer about every visit to a doctor in the past two or three years, along with any chronic conditions or upcoming treatment. Say if you've had cancer, heart attacks or strokes, even if they happened a long time ago. Include if you or someone on the policy is neurodivergent or waiting for an assessment for conditions such as ADHD or autism. Grant Winter from Goodtogo Travel Insurance said: 'Failing to declare pre-existing medical conditions can result in your policy being invalid. 'That means your claim may not be paid in full, or declined completely.' Update your insurer if there's any changes to your health for annual policies. If you are travelling in Europe, you should also get separate GHIC cards for everyone in your family on top of insurance. They cost nothing, and entitle you to medical care at the same cost as someone who lives in the country – which may not be free. MISTAKE 5: NOT HAVING ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO MAKE A CLAIM If you don't have the evidence to back up your claim, it may be rejected. That's why taking pictures, keeping receipts and notes is so important. For luggage, take a picture of all the items you intend to pack, from clothes to perfume. If your luggage goes walkies or items get lost or stolen, you can show you packed them. Photograph important documents like your passport, hotel and flight bookings, medical and insurance documents. Store them online, password protected, in 'the cloud'. That way if your device gets stolen, you'll still have copies. MISTAKE 6: GETTING SINGLE TRIP COVER INSTEAD OF AN ANNUAL POLICY 4 An annual travel insurance policy covers all your trips away for a whole year, and costs £67 on average. A single trip policy just covers individual trips and typically costs £25. It is priced by the number of days you are away. Picking a single trip policy only usually makes sense cost wise if that's the only holiday you take in the year. Alicia Hempsted from MoneySuperMarket said: 'An annual policy tends to be more cost effective if you're going away at least three times a year.' Use a comparison website like MoneySuperMarket or Compare the Market to compare costs for single trip and annual policies. MISTAKE 7: SPENDING TOO LITTLE, OR TOO MUCH While travel insurance may seem like an annoying extra cost to factor in, scrimping could be even more costly. Some 18 per cent of holidaymakers buy the cheapest travel insurance they can find, according to But cheapest doesn't mean best value for money - and there are important checks to make first. Check the provider is covered by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). This means it has to meet minimum standards, like dealing with claims fairly and promptly. Search its register using your insurance provider's firm reference number (FRN), which should be on its website. Check the reviews for possible insurers. Look at Defaqto ratings, which go from one star for the most basic products to five for the most comprehensive. It could be cheaper booking directly with an insurer instead of through a comparison site. Some insurers, like Direct Line, aren't on comparison sites so contact them directly. These days we travel with a pile of expensive gadgets. But the value of these items can easily exceed the protection offered by most standard travel insurance policies. That means if you lose these items, you may not be covered for the full value. If your laptop, phones, camera and iPads fall outside the per-item limit for baggage cover - around £250 - you'll need extra insurance. A specialist gadget policy may be available as an add-on. It typically adds £10 per person to a single trip policy and £20 per person to annual cover. Alicia said: 'These policies can also cover repairs as well, which would be helpful if you needed to get your phone repaired while you're abroad.' What should you look for in a good travel insurance policy? TRAVEL insurance policies can vary a great deal, but here are some "must haves Medical expenses - A good policy will give cover of £1million or more for travel in Europe and £2million or more for the USA Repatriation service - The costs of getting you back to the UK for medical reasons should be covered automatically by your policy Cancellation and curtailment - A good policy will cover you for £2,000 or more if you have to cancel or shorten your holiday Missed departure - Covers additional accommodation costs and travel expenses up to £500 or more if you miss your flight due to circumstances out of your control Delay - You'll usually be covered for £250 or more if your travel plans are delayed due to circumstances out of your control Baggage cover - Covers you if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Look for policies that have cover of £1,500 or more.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
Aldi's sand-free middle aisle bargain will change your seaside hols forever – & it's £18 cheaper than John Lewis version
THERE is nothing worse than a sandy towel when sunbathing, but Aldi has solved the problem for holidaymakers. The UK supermarket has launched its new affordable summer essentials in the Specialbuys collection. 7 Aldi's summer essential Middle aisle magpies will be excited to know of the latest treasure which will release on July 6. Aldi has launched its new Sand-Free Blanket in a bid to make sunbathing even more relaxing and at the same time affordable. Available for just £6.99 the beach towel is sure to be a summer must-have, especially considering it is a fraction of the price of some of similar products in other high street retailers. Holidaymakers have a choice between ocean blue and sunset orange to add a bit of colour to their packing list. John Lewis have their version of the summer essential which is priced at £25 and comes in a range of colours. And yet, while both other similar quick-drying functionality the Aldi version is a whopping £18 cheaper. How it works To ensure hassle-free sunbathing for holidaymakers, Aldi's beach towel repels sand from its surface. It does this through its micro hole technology which means coarse sand grains, which can irritate the skin and make sunbathing unbearable, can easily fall off the surface. 7 7 What's more the product is lightweight and compact and so it is easy to pack in a beach bag, and saves room for other holiday essentials in the ever-restrictive suitcases. And in case of bad weather (it is the UK after all) the towel comes with pegs and a holes to ensure it stays in the same place. 7 More summer essentials to come The middle aisle is always the place to find some absolute bargains, and Aldi have held nothing back this summer. The supermarket has offered a solution to end the passive aggressive war of the holiday deck chair with its new Backpack Chair or Lounger. For only £24.99, holidayers can either have a chair or sun lounger primed on their back in an easily transportable way. It is almost half the price of similar products available on Amazon and Decathlon. So there's no need to squabble with other tourists for a sun lounger, as Aldi shoppers can now bring their own. And when the sun inevitably moves, so can you. Aldi are also offering shoppers a 2-in-1 Beach Shade for an affordable £19.99. 7 What may cost more than £40 at some retailers, costs less than half of that in Aldi and means protecting yourself from the elements is easy. It comes equipped with eight pegs and two ropes for securing it in place and can fit two adults inside. Aldi has solved some casual summer gripes without needing to tight the purse strings.
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Mum reveals desperate sunlounger hogging attempt after getting up in the dark hours before pool opens
A MUM has shared how she got up at 6am to beat 'sunbed warriors' at a popular Spanish holiday hotspot. Venice Wallace, 29, has shared she got up in the early morning and in the dark, to try and reserve the best spot for family when on holiday. 4 4 She commented how she would be ready "go to war" for the sunbeds in her Tenerife hotel, when recently on holiday with her son, aged four, and her partner, Luke, 34. Unable to find a good bed for the first seven-days of her holiday, Venice then decided to set an alarm to be able to put her towels down and secure a bed at 6am. The property manager from Essex said: "We were there for 11 days and there were no rules around the sunbeds. "It was just a free for all and I've never experienced that. "Every morning, we'd get up quite early and I'd look over the balcony to see all the sunbeds covered in towels. "So, when we would go down at like eight or nine in the morning, we'd never get a front row seat to the kids' pool with the slides." Venice explained how when she then decided to get up early to secure some of the loungers, "there was no arguing or anything". She added: "I never would have done it, but now that I'm a mum I understand it. "You need to be able to see your children." The mum shared a video on TikTok - which was captioned "Venice 1, everybody else 0" - of the ordeal. Sunbed wars take place at hotel used in filming of tv show Benidorm Since positing, it has gained over 1.6million views. Some viewers praised Venice for her boldness. However, others were quick to judge and blamed her for being "part of the problem". One said: "I swear on my life that if I'm coming down to find 'reserved' sunbeds like this with no one in sight, I'm removing those towels. "Mad? Go see what the staff have to say about it." The 29-year-old added that she gained a lot of hate in the comments from Spanish locals, but as she speaks Spanish - she has since argued back in more recent videos. 4 She said: "A lot of Brits give us a bad name, so they were saying 'we hate the tourists', 'don't bother coming here!' "The population of Spain are attacking you in the comments but they don't know that you grew up in Spain and probably speak better than their ancestors." Another popular spot in Spain recently announced that it would be removing sunbeds and parasols from its top beaches. In and around Palma, more than 1,700 loungers are being removed by the government as locals have complained they cannot find sunbathing spots. The news follows a time where people are becoming increasingly frustrated over the amount of sun lounger space and availability. Often, videos are uploaded to social media showing holidaymakers battling for spots - or in Venice's case - rush to secure a spot at ridiculous hours. Plus, another holidaymaker was recently slammed after she said that it's 'normal' to bagsy sunbeds before breakfast and to hog the best spots. 4
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Watch hilarious moment Halle Berry's bikini bottoms fall OFF as star, 58, dances to boyfriend Van Hunt's new song
HALLE Berry accidentally flashed her boyfriend while dancing to his music as her bikini bottoms fell clean off. The 58-year-old Oscar winner was on holiday with Van Hunt in Switzerland when she decided to show off her moves in a white two-piece. 5 5 5 5 Wearing tie-side bikini bottoms, a white top and square shades, Halle looked carefree as she danced around their luxury suite to Van's latest track. As she got into the groove, disaster struck and her bikini slipped off. Halle jumped out of the shot as Van, 58, could be heard laughing from behind the camera. She shared the hilarious clip on Instagram with a well placed emoji covering her modesty. The Catwoman star added the caption: 'When your man's music is so good you just can't help yourself!' She added: 'Check out Van Hunt's new EP A Heart Full Of Questions streaming on all platforms.' The swimwear slip-up isn't the only thing Berry's been opening up about. Just a day earlier, she got candid on Jenna & Friends on the Today show - and dished out details on her love life. The Catwoman actress revealed that Van has already proposed to her - wanting to make her 'Mrs Halle Van Hunt.' But the star, who's walked down the aisle three times before, didn't say yes just yet. 'So I put out the proposal, and it's still on hold as you can see,' Van said, as Halle laughed. Halle Berry, 58, bounces on trampoline in just a cheeky swimsuit as she's sprayed with a hose 'It's just out there floating. You know, maybe you can encourage her.' Explaining her hesitation, Halle admitted it comes down to her history with marriage. 'Well, I've been married three times,' she said. 'Van has been married once, and so no, we don't feel like we have to get married to validate our love in any way. We don't.' Still, she hinted a wedding could happen but only on their terms. 'But I think we will get married just because, out of the people I've been married to, this is the person I should have married,' she added. 'And I feel like I should, we should get married, but it's not because we feel like we have to. I think it's something that we would like to do just because we want that expression.' Halle said friends have been rooting for them, too. 'I think everybody's been really happy, at least for me personally, people have been like, 'You finally found…!' I've always wanted what we have,' she said. 'I always saw myself in a committed, loving relationship with like my best friend, someone that I respect and I love.' Halle shares daughter Nahla, 17, with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, and son Maceo, 11, with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, to whom she was married from 2013 to 2016. She was also previously married to baseball star David Justice (1993–1997) and singer Eric Benét (2001–2005).
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Rats were running everywhere on our 'zombie apocalypse' holiday - we couldn't take any more and went home
A couple were forced to abandon their holiday at a luxury resort after reporting seeing rats 'running absolutely everywhere'. Helen Davidson and her partner had booked three nights away at Tattershall Lakes Country Park, Lincolnshire, earlier this month. However, just two months into their long-awaited trip, they decided they would have no choice but to cut their trip short and return home due to allegedly witnessing an influx of rats. Ms Davidson, of Grantham, explained they had never been to the site before but they 'heard good reviews about the place, and a lot of friends have been, and the other half wanted to go fishing'. At a cost of £610 for three nights, their lodge was in the Lancaster Crescent part of the site and booked from June 17th to June 20th. Ms Davidson said that it was during the morning of their first day at the resort that she 'first saw a few rats, about two or three darting about' but that she initially 'didn't think anything of it'. Recalling the 'apocalyptic' moment, she said: 'They were just going under everyone's lodges. Then about 7 o'clock that evening it was like the zombie apocalypse, they all just came out - they were all up that side of the bank on Lancaster Crescent.' 'They are just not scared of humans.' The 46-year-old added: 'Probably that evening there was about 10 to 15 of them out there, running absolutely everywhere.' The couple and their neighbours for the holiday also reported watching the rats 'run underneath each other's caravans'. Ms Davidson, who described the situation as 'horrible', added: 'We were gone by 8 o'clock the following morning. 'You don't mind seeing the odd one or two as you are near the lakes but that was ridiculous.' Ms Davidson emailed Tattershall Lakes Country Park upon her return home but said she received a response that said the couple should have 'expected to see some small rats because it's in a countryside location.' Believing she will be unlikely to get her money back, Ms Davidson now feels that more should be done to prevent rats from getting to the lodges, and is concerned about the health impact it could have on families with young children. Holiday park operator Away Resorts, who the couple booked the trip through, are now investigating Ms Davidson's complaints. A spokesperson for Away Resorts said: 'We're very sorry to hear about Helen Davidson's recent experience at our park and want to apologise for the upset caused. 'We take all guest feedback extremely seriously and understand how upsetting this situation must have been. While our parks are in rural settings where wildlife can sometimes be present, we have strict pest control measures in place and work closely with professional contractors to manage any issues swiftly.' They added: 'We are actively investigating this matter in full to ensure any necessary actions are taken. We remain committed to maintaining the high standards we uphold across all our resorts.'
