Younger travellers are also noticing an increase in the cost of travel insurance policies, however the rise is expected to be in the region of less than 9% which is significantly less than the 121% increase effecting the cost of cover for some OAPs.

The hike in the price of travel insurance for older people has caused concern amongst charities and consumer groups who fear that elderly travellers may be priced out of the insurance market which could lead these people to travelling without any type of cover.

The rising cost of travel insurance may push over 65’s towards taking out the cheapest possible option for insurance, however this could leave them open to problems if the policy doesn’t offer adequate cover for their needs. In some cases, experts believe that the sudden hike in holiday insurance premiums will deter older people from travelling abroad altogether.

In their defence, insurance companies say the premium cost reflects the increasing claims experienced for specific groups and that the price of travel insurance takes into account each travellers risk factor, which in many cases, means older travellers are placed in a high risk category due to the increased risk of health problems.

Scotland was hit the hardest by the extreme weather with high winds of 90mph reported, and this was certainly reflected in the claims figures issued by the AA for this part of the country with a 65% rise in the number of car insurance claims in the first five days of this month compared to the same time last January. Common claims according to the AA included accidents related to car doors with many policyholders reporting having their car doors ripped out of their hands by the strong winds.

Car insurance claims shoot up by 28% at start of 2012 Car insurance claims shot up by as much as 28% in the first 5 days of January 2012, car insurance provider the AA has reported. High winds and stormy weather conditions which affected the UK in the early part ofthe New Year have been blamed for the sharp rise in claims on motor insurance policies.Statistics show that as many as 5,600 car insurance claims in the early part of January acrossthe UK could be related to, or caused by, the stormy weather.

Scotland was hit the hardest by the extreme weather with high winds of 90mph reported,and this was certainly reflected in the claims figures issued by the AA for this part of thecountry with a 65% rise in the number of car insurance claims in the first five days of thismonth compared to the same time last January.

Common claims according to the AA included accidents related to car doors with manypolicyholders reporting having their car doors ripped out of their hands by the strong winds.This has resulted in claims for damage to car door hinges, also smashed windows and alsodamage to cars parked next to the vehicle.

Other claims reported to the AA arose as a result of items not being fixed down properlywith cars being damaged by flying trampolines, garden sheds wheelie bins and TV aerials.

As the winter starts to kick in, many of us may be planning a skiing or snowboarding trip to the Alps, however before you get your skis on, it’s worth double checking your travel insurance policy to ensure you have adequate cover should you encounter a problem while out in the snow.

The research by Defaqto found there were major discrepancies between the types of cover offered for winter sports holidays as 80% of those travel insurance policies examined offered less than £1,000 of cover for theft or loss of sports equipment, while over half of those policies offered less than £500 and 6% offered no cover whatsoever for theft of equipment.

In the event that the Piste is closed due to severe weather conditions or a serious accident, 56% of the policies examined offered cover of £20 or less per day, while 5% offered no cover at all and 43% had a maximum limit of £2,000.

For natural disasters such as avalanches, 16% of policies looked at by Defaqto offered £500 or more, while a third of travel insurance policies offered £200 or less while 20% offered no avalanche cover at all.

So the message to take from this latest research is to thoroughly check your travel insurance policy covers you for the aspects of your trip which are most important, and also the cheapest option isn’t always the best as it could cost you dear in the long run if it fails to cover you for a problem you encounter.

A recent survey by ABTA found that 20% of British people are venturing oversees without any kind of travel insurance, with many mistakenly believing that the UK government will assist them with any medical bills and repatriation costs should they encounter a problem while abroad, which is simply not the case.

The average cost of a claim for medical bill for UK travellers abroad is £1,333, with the most common reason for seeking medical attention while on holiday being attributed to ear infections.

The research also revealed that 17% of travellers believe that carrying a European Health Card provides adequate cover for travel throughout Europe without realising that the card only allows access to basic state health care and does not cover repatriation to the UK should you need to be airlifted home in the event of a serious health issue.

The biggest problem amongst British holidaymakers appears to stem from inaccurate information, and so the travel industry needs to ensure all travellers are fully aware of the consequences of travelling abroad without insurance as the knock on effects, should you be unlucky enough to encounter while overseas, can be far reaching and extremely costly.

According to the poll, a quarter of Brits will not take out any kind of travel insurance policy when they take to foreign shores this year for their annual getaway, with 33% of those who took part in the survey admitting that they don’t think travel insurance is really necessary, while 22% revealed that they thought the cost of holiday cover is just too high.

The last two weeks of August has been flagged up as the period when the majority of Brits will head off holiday, so the results of this survey come just as thousands of us plan to jet off abroad.

As well as shining a light on the Brits attitude to insurance while abroad, the survey almost revealed a number of factors affecting the holiday habits of British tourists at the moment.

Not surprisingly, the uncertain economic climate is affecting our attitudes towards holidays with 58% of those who took part in the poll admitting they won’t take a holiday this year, the main reason being they can’t afford to do so. While 47% of those who will take a break abroad this summer, revealed that they won’t be spending as much as they normally would because of the economic downturn.

The travel insurance provider investigated the claims of travellers in 2010 to compile the results of the survey. The cost of medical treatment in different countries varied massively, with the USA coming out as the most expensive country for medical attention, with the average hospital visit costing £4,725, while Greece was revealed as the country with the least expensive medical treatment as the average patient would receive a bill for £422 following a trip to the hospital.

The survey also found that the country which saw the most claims by Brits abroad was Spain, followed by Turkey and then Greece. The most common ailment affecting British tourists during 2010 was earache, while the most expensive medical claims were for heart attacks which resulted in medicals bills costing in the region of £8,000.

The rising medical bills for Brits abroad only goes to highlight yet again the importance of putting in place adequate travel insurance before heading off on a foreign holiday. Many travellers wrongly think a European Health Insurance Card will suffice as cover while on holiday, however insurance experts are quick to point out that this is by no means a replacement for a travel insurance policy.

Top insurance experts say the best way to insure your mobile gadgets is to add them to an existing home insurance policy. Under the majority of buildings and contents insurance policies, policy holders can include extra items such as their mobile phone and iPod at a minimal extra charge which more often than not, works out cheaper than taking out a standalone insurance policy for these items.

Another practical piece of advice to avoid losing your valuables while out and about this summer is to consider carefully exactly what you’ll need while you’re away – for example – you may love your iPad, but do you really need to take it camping? If you’re going to a music festival, can you leave your MP3 player at home seeing as there’ll be hundreds of live music acts at your event?

A recent survey of students by Endsleigh found that all of those questioned planned to take their mobile phone with them when they attend an outdoor music event or festival over the summer.

With the vast majority of festival goers all carrying a mobile phone to an event over the coming months, the chances of mobile phones going missing or stolen is high. To ensure you don’t lose out, make sure you have cover in place before you set off this summer.

Independent research company, Defaqto, found that half of the annual travel insurance policies available in the UK don’t cover a child if he or she travels independent from an adult. According to the small print on the policies, a relative or guardian must accompany the minor in order for the cover to be valid.

Although the majority of families will travel together, in some cases youngsters will travel alone with the intention of meeting up with a family member later into the journey. If this is the case for you, you’re advised to check your annual insurance policy to ensure your child has adequate cover while travelling alone.

Other research also found that the cost of a single trip travel insurance policy has increased by 23% over the course of the last 3 years. With holiday insurance costs rising at such a steep rate, the use of price comparison websites is on the increase as more and more people seek to track down the most affordable deal available on travel insurance.

Money talks, it would seem, and thrifty Britain would rather save a few quid than splash the cash on a more costly insurance policy, even if it does offer better levels of cover should you need to make a claim. However insurance experts warn that this is a dangerous business and could leave consumers open to problems as opting for a cheaper policy could leave them without sufficient cover should they run into trouble.

The use of price comparison websites to find the best deals on insurance has risen dramatically over the last few years and this may have something to do with the growing trend for choosing the cheapest insurance deal on the market. The recent survey found that 75% of people blindly opt for the cheapest offer flagged up on price comparison websites, without considering whether or not the policy covers their needs.

The same survey also found that 14% of people fail to make a claim on their insurance policy, 22% of which say that a high excess means it’s not worth them making a claim.

The advice from insurance experts is to not be seduced by low cost policies, as these will more often than not offer the lowest form of cover, which could lead to problems should you need to make a claim.

With more and more UK employees working in fast paced and pressurised environment, may are reaching burn out quicker than they would have imagined. The study by the holiday insurance provider found that in order to stay on top of their workload and stay happy in work, employees needed to take a break on average every two months.

Experts warn that failing to take a break from work when you feel burnt out can result in more mistakes being made in the workplace, and can also contribute to a poor health in workers as they feel as though they’re running on empty.

Despite this, the survey from the Post Office found that only 1 in 5 workers take a break from work once every 2 months, while 44% work continuously for 6 months before taking any sort of break from work. The first time workers take a holiday during the year is on average, April 19^th the research revealed, 3 and a half months into the New Year.

So if you’re feeling frazzled after yet another hard week in work, take a break – you probably need one more than you realise.