Travel insurance is particularly vital when is comes to medical treatment. There is no NHS equivalent abroad and therefore medical bill can escalate out of control. Having a heart attack in the USA could run up a bill around £50,000 and breaking a leg in Europe could cost you £18,000. You would be expected to foot the bill personally unless you have adequate travel insurance to cover the costs.

What a good travel insurance policy should include

Tips to find the best travel insurance deal

• Search the Market: Always shop around before you buy your travel insurance. Policies and prices do vary from insurer to insurer so it is vital that you search the market to find the most suitable insurer for your requirements. Travel agents will often try to sell you their travel insurance when you book your holiday. As with all insurance products, the best place to get travel insurance is directly from an insurance company, particularly via the Internet. The Internet will allow you to compare insurers quickly and buy the right policy at a competitive price.
  
• Read the Small Print: Ensure you read the policy documents, especially the small print, to make sure that you understand what is included and excluded. If you are in doubt, ask your insurer before you depart.
  
• Annual vs. Single Trip: If you are heading overseas on two or more trips a year, it often makes financial sense to buy an annual policy rather than several single trip policies. This is particularly true if you're planning a ski trip as annual policies usually include winter sports cover automatically.
  
• Winter Sports & Hazardous Activities: Check the policy wording to make sure you are covered before you embark on skiing or any hazardous activity such as jet skiing, water skiing, scuba diving and sailing. Many insurers (although not all) will not provide such cover on standard policies. If you are unsure whether you are covered contact your insurer to double check.
  
• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions: Inform your insurer of any pre-existing medical conditions. Failure to do so could invalidate your policy in the unfortunate circumstances of having to make a claim.
  
• European Health Insurance Card: If you are travelling to Europe, get the European Health Insurance Card It entitles you and the rest of your family access to free or reduced cost emergency medical treatment in the European Union. The EHIC should not be treated as a substitute for travel insurance; it should be taken in addition to a good travel insurance policy. It will not cover all your medical treatment and will not cover any repatriation costs or non-medical related issues. Each member of the family should have their own card.
  

• Some home contents insurance policies will cover your possessions and baggage while you are away if you have opted for 'all risk' cover. If this is the case it is worth informing your travel insurer as they may offer you a discount if you opt out of baggage cover.
  
• It is a good idea to forward your travel insurance policy details and insurer contact instructions to your personal email address or mobile phone so that you can recall them in the event of an emergency abroad.
  
• Some insurers give you a credit card-size policy card to carry in your wallet permanently. The card contains important details such as policy, emergency assistant and claims numbers.
  
• Keep your luggage and belongings in sight at all times. Failure to do so could result in the insurer refusing to payout on a claim.
  
• Insurers tend not to cover you for travel to countries that have been declared unsafe to travel to by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). For up to date advice on countries not to travel to and for global information prior to travel visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel.

If you are planning a trip to Europe to escape the winter 'blues' don't soley rely on your European Health Insurance Card. Make sure you have invested in a good travel insurance policy that will cover you for all eventualities.

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