If you're about to head off traveling, whether it's a business trip, a beach bum holiday or a round-the-world no-holds-barred adventure, you need travel insurance. Anything can happen, and often does - looking at the annual statistics showing the thousands of travellers who get into sticky situations. It's important to know exactly what your travel insurance covers, so you know if you're getting the right cover for you.

What's Normally Included

The following areas are normally covered by travel insurance, but it's important to know to what extent. For example, if you buy certain budget options, you may well be covered for theft of property, but if your laptop is worth $2000, it's a bit pointless if your policy only covers you up to $500. You should also look at the 'excess' - this is the amount you need to pay yourself in the event of a claim, before any payments are made back to you.

o Overseas medical/hospital expenses: The amount you are covered for can differ wildly depending on which policy you opt for. If you have a pre-existing condition, the company should be aware of it, or your cover may be void.

o Overseas emergency medical assistance: As above, if travelling to countries with high healthcare costs, such as the USA, it's a good idea to have this one marked 'unlimited'.

o Luggage/Personal Effects: Consider the figure given for this - if you are travelling with particularly expensive equipment, it should be covered. This also covers travel documents.

o Accidental Death: Arguably benefiting your loved ones more than you, but worth considering.

o Permanent Disability: Most policies cover this.

o Delayed Luggage Allowance: If your clothes arrive a week after you, you might need some fresh ones.

o Personal Liability: If you cause an accident, you'll need to pay damages.

o Cash: Cover for money stolen from your person.

o Cancellation Fees and Lost Deposits: If for any (good) reason you are forced to cancel or delay your trip, such as illness or poor weather.

o Alternative Transport Expenses: such as in the event of flight cancellation

o Additional Expenses: a whole range of unforeseen circumstances can lead to you incurring extra costs.

o Hijacking: An unlikely one, but expensive policies often cover for this. If you're not worried, don't fork out for it.

o Loss of Injury: Again, some more expensive policies will cover you if you sustain an injury overseas and cannot work upon returning to Australia.

o Travel Services Provider Insolvency: In the unlikely event of your airline going bust before you have a chance to board, some policies will have you covered.

Top 5 things to look out for when choosing travel insurance

Many people find it a pain buying insurance, but make sure you don't get caught out!

1. Ensure that if you're likely to do a dangerous activity, such as paragliding or scuba diving, that you check if you're covered for it - many insurance companies hate such activities as they cost them too much money.

2. Make sure that you have enough cover. Medical costs can be huge in certain countries, while budget insurance deals can leave you paying for half of your stolen camera despite being covered. If you're carrying a lot of expensive gear, make sure you're covered for all of it. Also, check what the excess is. If you have to pay $100 and your MP3 player that accidentally went scuba diving with you was five years old already, think twice.

3. Do you have existing medical conditions? You might not be covered - so own up before to make sure.

4. Other general exclusions include acts of war, loss of property due to extreme carelessness, or self-inflicted injury.

5. And finally, make sure you are covered for the full duration of your trip - a common error is to get international dates mixed up - just because your Sydney-bound flight leaves L.A. on the 14th, doesn't mean it's still the 14th when you arrive! Last minute bungles do happen!

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So often in the past, I have spoken to people who had a home in foreclosure. They often made the statement "if I had only taken in a border."

This is definitely an option for people who can't afford their mortgage notes and have extra rooms or a basement at their homes.

The biggest dilemma about taking in a border is that no one wants to take in anyone who has children, since children are often destructive to properties. But for many, it's been a very big mistake!

Now due to this continuous failing economy and administration, it's time to be strategic and your number one goal should be to keep a roof over your head. If you have food on the table, and you are in fairly good health and have a roof over your head, then you need to count your blessings everyday.

Do you have an extra room or two or a basement that you could rent out? If you do, then you can be in the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) business.

In these times, in order to keep their heads above water, many families are building extra rooms on their homes to offer to paying family members or tenants. You can turn your home into a Bed and Breakfast business or restore a building that has the potential of being rental units. You might have to reside at the property, managing and maintaining the business and satisfying license requirements.

For people with rentals (condos, houses, etc.) that they can't sell, you can turn them into a Bed and Breakfast business for short term or long term lodging. Remember this is your B&B and you might just want to look into long term lodging options such as boarding for 30, 60, 90 days or even 6 months or longer. For short term lodging options, you will need to decide if you are going to accept one night stays on Friday and Saturday night or should you wait to try to get a 2 night booking for your rooms every weekend.

Remember the weekdays might be emptier than the weekends but you need to consider your market before adopting this sort of strategy. For example, if you're next to a wedding venue, you may need to be more flexible about one night stays as these guests tend to only want to come for one night.

When you first set up your B&B, you may want to test the waters and see what sort of guests you get before you make a decision about whether to exclude, for example, children. Running the B&B should not adversely affect your business if you except children under 12.

Can you or should you risk turning anyone away? Remember you can always put new terms and conditions in place. After all you are the boss!

If you're right next to the best children's theme park in the country, you will probably benefit from having a children friendly B&B.

It may actually improve your bookings if you have a 'no children policy' for many parents staying for a romantic break that have left their own kids at home. If people have gone to the effort of finding a babysitter for a childfree weekend, they will probably not want to be faced by someone else's 5 year old over breakfast.

Creating a home away from home which is often more beautiful than where they are traveling from will ensure many return customers.

Similar to tourists who choose to stay in traditional hotels, customers who patronize B&Bs seek out relaxation, fun and stress management while on vacation.

The B&B industry offers a unique lodging environment, which caters to an ever increasing group of travelers. They create a climate of home, where guests become temporary members of a larger family.

In a B&B, a guest is a guest in one's home, not a customer. It becomes a place to return to at the end of a day, or during the next vacation (like going home). This type of customer also prefers comfortable accommodations in a cozy, family environment. These patrons are more social, they love meeting new people while at the same time require enough privacy to enjoy their vacation.

Guests will have the right mix of membership and privacy. The goal is to be dutiful without being intrusive which can be a delicate balance and one that owners have mastered in their various walks of life.

A B&B opens itself to guests, allowing them to participate and share in the richness of a community, while still allowing whatever degree of privacy is preferred.

A variety of settings available in the B&B are situated to enable individuals or small groups to locate the perfect setting for whatever mood or activity one is pursuing (reading, watching television, playing board games, etc.).

You could eventually expand your services to the residents by offering adjourning rooms which open creating a large area, ideal for formal or informal gatherings (i.e. wedding receptions, office parties, Christmas parties, etc.).

You don't have to serve a huge breakfast. In fact, a bowl of cereal with coffee and some juice is acceptable. Meals can be shared with the innkeepers and other travelers allowing new relationships to be created and old ones enriched. Or, meals can be taken in the privacy of the guest's room.

Some other items you could offer your guests are a complimentary music CD for each room that the guest may keep (copy included in packet):
1) An extensive video and audio library for guest use,
2) CD stereo systems and VCRs in each room,
3) Starbucks coffee,
4) A variety of herbal teas,
5) Daily fresh-baked muffins and fresh fruit, and
6) Links to other businesses, attractions and services in the area.

If you are considering this idea, you should call your insurance company and ask them to review your policy. Should you beef up your liability coverage? Do tenants need to sign contracts for long term lodging? Should you hire a private investigator to run a background on your guests? Should you check credit references?

Remember you are going to be the one setting up the rules so first of all you have to make sure you are not breaking the law and, secondly, how the rules you set will affect your business.

You need to check into legislation to ensure you and your tourism business stay on the right side of the law. For example, you need to ensure that the rules you set do not break any discrimination laws by not allowing people on grounds of race, sex, sexual orientation or disability to stay at your B&B. And you also need to be careful that you aren't discriminating against people.

You also need to consider how the rules you set will affect your business. Some of the things you need to think about is will you be flexible allowing children, assistance dogs, one night stays, cooking evening meals, etc.

In order to be successful in a B&B, you can offer packages and special rates. You need to build a strong market position among the local patrons. With the right exposure, it is probably an untapped market of vacationers that can be enticed to your B&B.

B&B can sell its rooms directly to repeat customers, as well as via traditional travel agents and through the internet. Repeat customers will have the privilege of priority reservations during the high season. Subscriptions to various web services will provide international exposure to potential customers for annual fees.

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Are you over 70 thinking about going traveling in the next couple of years? You should ensure that you get travel insurance over 70 for your health coverage. Travel insurance for seniors is specially designed to meet the need of the demographic.

The first thing you should do when you want to get insurance is do your research online. By looking up different companies that offer travel insurance for people over 70, you can ensure that you save money. The most important thing you should look for when getting your insurance is to know the coverage.

Because people over 70 are more likely to get sick, have an accident or emergency happen to them, it is important that your insurance covers many different types of potential problems. Does the insurance cover medical insurances, repatriation just in case you need to be flown home or any other emergency procedures? Look for an insurance that provides good price to value ratio. This means that the price you pay for your insurance gives you the best coverage possible.

Another consideration you should take when getting old age travel insurance is to choose whether you will get a multi-trip or single trip insurance policy. If you think you will be traveling for more than once in a year then you would be better off financially to get the multi-trip coverage. This will allow you to come and go without having to worry about your insurance coverage.

Remember that the most important thing to do when you get travel insurance over 70 is to look around and find the best value. Go online and do your research for different companies that over different packages available. Make sure when you go traveling that you are always protected with insurance.

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One of the most often asked questions I get is what credit card is the best? I believe that the differences between one credit card and the next, lies in the perks and add-ons and whether or not you take advantage of them. Instead of delving into credit card offers, I would rather discuss the perks and let you decide which one best suits your needs.

1) Car Insurance: Car rental companies are not shy when charging for insurance. They demand you have proper coverage and it they will charge you $10.00-$20.00 per day. Over the course of a year, this can save you thousands.

2) Cancellation and Interruption insurance: While this is a nice add-on you must be careful as to the amount of the interruption aspect. Some cards only offer a maximum of $2000.00 which would mean that the insurance provider will only pay up to a fee of $2000.00 if you have to come home earlier or later than your expected date (for emergency reasons only). Do you think you can get a one way ticket from the Orient back to United States for tomorrow for under $2000.00? I can tell you I don't think so. You must verify the amounts they cover.

3) Medical Insurance: While most credit cards do not offer medical insurance, with those that do please verify age and health restrictions

4) Credit card points for travel: You must verify the rate of return of your expenses (i.e. some cards offer 5 cents per dollar spent, while other offer dollar for dollar or even better) and what the buying power is for your points (i.e. how many points equals one dollar of value) Some credit card companies state that you can always use their points to purchase a ticket. What they don't tell you is how many points will be needed, so some days it could cost 20,000 points while the next day it can be 120,000 points for the same itinerary.

5) Credit card points for retail companies: As stated above, you must verify the value and will you spend that much in that particular store?

6) Credit card points that are transferable to airline frequent flyer companies: This is a tricky one. Most of these companies will offer a rate of point for point with the frequent flyer company (every dollar spent is a frequent flyer point {50,000 credit card points is 50,000 frequent flyer points}). The major problem is you now must rely on the frequent flyer program to have availability which is iffy at best.

7) Cash back options: Some credit cards will offer 1%-2 ½% cash back at the end of the year. The simple reality here is that if you are not a traveler get a card with a cash back option and at the end of the year buy yourself something like a 60 inch flat screen TV.

Aside from the insurances and assuming you are a traveler, I recommend getting a card that offers 2 options. The 1st being the ability to transfer points into a frequent flyer company because if there is seat availability this option gives you the most bang for the buck (Best example is most frequent flyer companies will charge 125,000 frequent flyer points for a business class ticket to the Orient. The same 125,000 credit card points will equal $1250.00 which is an amazing deal for the Orient.) while converting your credit card points to "travel dollars" or "retail dollars" is not a bad second choice

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Cheap annual travel insurance is hugely popular amongst UK holiday goers, allowing them to travel when and where they wish without having to worry about booking travel insurance for every single trip. Many people assume that their cheap travel insurance will cover them against every eventuality, but this isn't the case. There are plenty of exclusions in the average document, and one of the most well known but least understood of these is the "acts of God" exclusion. What do travel insurance companies mean by an act of God? And what might not be covered by your annual travel insurance?

What are "Acts of God"?

Traditionally, "acts of God" was a standard exclusion clause that featured in many different kinds of insurance; travel, housing, property and so on. Essentially, it refers to "a sudden and violent act of nature that could not have been foreseen or prevented", typically meaning natural disasters such as:

Hurricanes and tempests
Lightning storms
Floods
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Mass outbreaks of infectious diseases are also often classed as "acts of God" (perhaps in some kind of biblical reference to the seven plagues of ancient Egypt!). Essentially, the exclusion clause means that if an event is classed as an act of God, any costs that you incur as a result of it may not be covered by your travel insurance, and you will not be entitled to any compensation from your insurance company.

Nowadays, an actual "acts of God" exclusion isn't always in a travel insurance policy, but most insurers still have similar exclusions in place under different names, such as "natural disasters". It may seem like a chore, but you really do need to read your policy carefully before you go - if you think you are covered for something and you aren't, you could end up paying a small fortune in medical and transport costs. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and Florida, hundreds of holiday goers found themselves caught out, unable to claim compensation for the costs incurred or the cancellation of their trips.

If you are traveling to a place that has a risk of natural disasters, make sure you talk to your travel insurance company to make sure your insurance will protect you.

What about Acts of War and Acts of Terrorism?

While acts of God is one of the most well known exclusion clauses, in today's international climate, terrorism is also a common exclusion. Much like natural disasters, if you incur costs or your holiday is canceled because of terrorism, your travel insurance may well be invalid. If terrorism is a potential hazard for your destination of choice, check that your worldwide travel insurance will cover you against acts of terrorism - some insurers do provide this kind of protection, but many do not.

Most policies will be invalidated by serious civil unrest or if war breaks out in a country while you are traveling there - the Foreign Office website is the best place to visit to check up on the political stability of your holiday destination, as it provides up to date and accurate information about the potential hazards of every country in the world.

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Even the best planned vacations can be interrupted by glitches and emergencies. You lose your luggage. You slip, or catch a bug, and need medical treatment. These not only disrupt your itinerary, but can cost you a lot of money.

That's where travel insurance (also called travel protection) comes in. Specially designed to address the situations and risks involved in travel, it provides coverage from the moment you leave, to the moment you return to your home.

For example, travel insurance can reimburse you for any baggage or items that you may lose during your trip. This is particularly important if you plan to buy anything of high value, such as local antiques, or are carrying very expensive jewellery or electronic equipment.

Your standard medical insurance also tends to be limited to a network area, so without travel insurance, you will have to pay for any hospitalization or medical treatments you receive while abroad. This can be very pricey, not to mention stressful: imagine being sick and broke in an unfamiliar country! If you are visiting a place where doctor's bills and other emergency procedures are expensive, or where there are very real health risks, travel insurance is absolutely crucial.

Travel insurance is also very important if you plan to take a driving vacation. Many automobile policies will not extend coverage outside the country you live. The last thing you want to worry about is how to pay for a rental vehicle that got smashed by another driver, or take over the costs of repairing a car who you may have hit (a risk anyone takes by travelling through unfamiliar roads with unfamiliar driving rules).

Travel insurance can also provide protection against emergencies that are so specific to going abroad that they cannot be covered by your standard insurance policy. This includes trip interruption. Any fees or down payments that you may have made that would otherwise have been forfeited if you had suddenly cancelled your trip will be returned to you.

Travel protection plans can also provide assistance services like an emergency hotline and medical transportation services. This is very valuable when a crisis hits in a foreign country, where you may not speak the language or know your way around a city well enough to locate the nearest emergency facility. When you are distraught or distressed, or when time is of the essence and you need to get help right away, travel protection plans can be your safety net. You may be a stranger in a strange land, but you are not alone.

You may ask, "Why should I get travel insurance when I have really good regular insurance?" Many people are under the impression that their automobile, homeowners' credit card and medical policies are so "extensive" that they would automatically provide protection anywhere in the world. That is not necessarily true. You need to read the fine print. If you don't, and fail to take the additional coverage given by travel protection, then you may find out your insurance policies' limitation the hard way: when you are caught in an emergency, and spending a large amount of money (on top of the deductibles and co-payments) with the hope of compensation very far off. Travel protection is a sure guarantee of security. Now you can take your vacation with complete peace of mind--and isn't that what vacations are about?

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If you are watching your finances during this seemingly endless recession, you might be getting a bit gloomy and in need of a holiday - a short city break could be just the thing to recharge your batteries. Contrary to reports, flight prices have not gone up massively and if you do some careful research you can get a good deal.

The same is true of travel insurance - you might be tempted to skip this to save some cash, but by carrying out a travel insurance comparison you will see you can secure cover from as little as £5. Though a city break is more often that not a short break, this doesn't mean luggage can't get lost or accidents don't happen. Once you've secured the travel insurance you need you can concentrate on the fun part - looking forward to your trip away.

Find The Perfect City For You

Paris regularly hits the top five and top ten lists of places to visit on a weekend break away - it's diverse culture and fabulous cuisine, world-famous landmarks and sublime shopping areas all make for an excellent short holiday. It's also a remarkably easy city to get around, the metro is cheap and efficient - and Parisians are even trying to shake off their legendary rude attitude to tourists so there's no need to worry if your French isn't up to scratch.

If you like to cram in a sunbathing session on a city break, Barcelona is the place for you - there are 4.2km of golden, sandy beaches just 10 minutes from the city centre. Of course it's also famous for the dramatic architecture of Antonio Gaudi whose weird and wonderful buildings are scattered all around the city.

For something a bit different, Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is also it's largest city and is emerging as a popular destination for a city break. It has more than thirty major theaters and has a bohemian, youthful atmosphere - the busy nightlife is full of the cities beautiful, trendy people. For something more sedate, the old town is a mesmerising area to wander around and has been incorporated into the Unesco World Heritage List.

More Holiday Cash Thanks To A Travel Insurance Comparison

Of course there are so many cities in the world to visit on a short break - far too many to list here. When you are on the internet researching exactly where you want to go, it's the ideal time to carry out a travel insurance comparison [http://uk.insurancewide.com/insurance/travel/] using one of the many comparison sites out there. It will be much cheaper than you may thing and the last thing you need on a much-needed city break of fun and relaxation is the stress of lost baggage or money, knowing you don't have any travel insurance.

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