Long holidays 'need special insurance'

Travellers planning on going for an extended holiday need to make sure they opt for the right insurance for their trip, an industry expert has warned.

American Express explained that many holidaymakers planning long trips often get confused between annual travel insurance and gap policies.

While annual travel insurance covers a person for multiple trips in a year, there is often a limit to the number of days that a person can be abroad for any one vacation.

In contrast, gap policies allow holidaymakers to stay away from the UK for an extended period of time without invalidating their insurance.

Finally, American Express said that holidaymakers should check that the countries they plan to visit are covered by their particular policy and that they are protected if they plan to undertake dangerous activities like bungee jumping or skiing.

"If you fall ill on holiday the last thing you will feel up to tackling is paperwork and bureaucracy to get medical attention," Joanne Field of American Express commented.

A recent report from Norwich Union suggested that one in four UK holidaymakers left the country with no insurance whatsoever.

Travel Insurance - Holiday Extras insured over 750,000 people last year and were voted BEST Insurance provider and BEST website by the travel trade.