Being abroad when turmoil has broken out can be a frightening and lonely place. But, being prepared can help if the worst happens – as can having a quality travel insurance policy.

The news has been dominated by the revolutionary changes taking place across the Middle East, including Egypt, a popular holiday destination. Meanwhile, in recent years, Thailand has seen civil unrest, with clashes between the authorities and anti-government protesters.

If you are caught up in a potentially dangerous situation abroad, the first port of call should be your tour operator or airline. The British Government may also charter planes.

But, everyone should make investigations before they book their trip – and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website is a good place to start. Visit www.fco.gov.uk, for information on specific countries. For example, if you were planning a beach holiday to Tunisia, guidance suggests that while it is possible to have a trouble-free visit, risks remain. Some tour operators cancelled departures, or suggested holidaymakers switched to another destination.

In Egypt, violent demonstrations took place recently in cities such as Cairo and Alexandria, and the pyramids were out of bounds to tourists because of proximity to protests. In contrast, the Red Sea resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh were relatively unaffected.

Once you’ve booked the holiday, make sure you have the relevant phone numbers to take with you. As for cover, many people choose to buy travel insurance online. Make sure you understand what you are buying – policies vary and when you get your travel insurance quote, the cheapest is not necessarily the best.

Check out what is and isn’t covered. The main reason for cover is to pay for medical expenses – if you become ill abroad or are injured, treatment may be expensive and you may need UK repatriation. This is important whether it is an annual travel insurance policy or single trip travel insurance. Likewise, a good policy should also cover for lost baggage and cancellation – for example if you are unable to travel because of illness.

There are always likely to be exclusions. If you choose to travel somewhere the Foreign Office advises against, insurance is unlikely to be valid for cancellation cover[1]. You also can’t simply change your mind about travel and claim for cancellation if there is no warning.

The tour operator or airline should arrange emergency travel – but if you make a payment for a flight, for example, you may be able to reclaim this from your insurer, so keep the receipt.

While civil unrest is a standard exclusion, insurers will judge each situation individually. Insurers also offer 24 hour helplines. Your travel insurance policy may also include cover for disruption caused by terrorism.

The vast majority of holidays pass peacefully – so make sure you are organised, buy the right cover and have a fantastic time.

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Many of those who were stranded were forced to pay extra nights in accommodation or if they had not yet departed, forced to give up holiday plans altogether with or without a refund.  Even more, this year plenty of holiday companies have gone into administration resulting in more stranded and angered consumers.

Thousands more were affected this past Tuesday when Flight Options- the tour operator that owns Kiss Travel- collapsed making it lucky 13^th to fold this year alone.

The question is of course will Kiss Travel truly be lucky 13^th and break the streak, or if there are still yet to come.  It also might serve as another warning to consumers that they need to do research before booking a holiday to make sure that the company they are booking via has a stable economic future in front of it.  This fact is especially true for those planning a holiday far in advance.

One benefit of the large number of travel firms this year, is that consumers are able to see just how important travel industry compensation schemes such as ATOL really ar.

Thus, another factor to check out when booking a holiday package is if the operator is a member of the ATOL, because if they are then you will receive a refund in the case of sudden administration.

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The good news is that travel insurance policies are easy to set up – many can be organised online the day before you travel out, and there are flexible pricing options and specialist cover options so that you can ensure you really are getting the right policy for your trip. For example, you could choose to take out a single trip policy (for the duration of your defined trip only) or an annual multi-trip policy. If you are likely to travel abroad twice or more in one year, an annual cover policy may work out to be best for you.

As with all insurances, the cost of your policy depends on what you need insuring, and up to what amounts. Look for around £4000 for a trip cancellation, around £1500 minimum for theft of baggage and belongings, and financial assistance for hotels / food etc if flights are delayed. Your personal liability cover should typically protect you up to £12 million (if a claim for damages is made against you during your trip) and you`ll need around £25,000 legal expense cover in case of third party claims. The main part of your policy is of course the medical cover, and again a good policy will offer between £2-5 million of cover if the worst should happen.

Be sure to declare if you have any pre-existing medical conditions, because a claim will likely be rejected if you provide false or inaccurate information (and could leave you with hefty medical bills running into many thousands of pounds!) Some insurers offer specialist cover for those who have existing illnesses, such as Cancer. These include Medicover, Orbis and Free Spirit.

You should also look to get winter sports cover if you are skiing – it includes specialist options such as piste rescue services. Direct Travel and Insure and Go are good providers. Similarly, if you are planning to do extreme sports or water sports on your trip, make sure you clear it with your insurer first. Other specialist insurances are `gap year` or backpacker travel insurance (try STA travel or Columbus.)

Finally, when you are looking to compare policies for Insurance when travelling, then you may find online comparison sites useful, such as comparethemarket.com and moneysupermarket. These allow you to compare policies and work out which one is best for you, and the most value for money. As a final piece of advice, always keep receipts and take full details of accidents in case of claims – keep all crime reference no`s, witness statements etc to submit along with your claim

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