Photo by secretpizzas

Protection for Your Health

Medical benefit is probably the biggest advantage of getting a travel insurance. When you are traveling abroad without any insurance, you will not be covered for any medical bills incurred. On the unfortunate event that you fall sick or suffer an accident, you have to pay for all the expenses yourself. Sometimes, these medical bills and holiday accident claims can run into the thousands. Those who are traveling abroad tend to fall sick more easily simply because they are not used to the food or the weather there. Insuring oneself before going abroad is the best form of defense against unexpected medical expenses.

Protection against Trip Cancellations

Travel insurance can also protect you against trip cancellations. Sometimes, things are beyond your control. Accidents, home events and adverse weather can severely impede your travel plans. Without an insurance to cover you, the expense of canceling a trip can be huge. It is better to spend some money to purchase a good travel insurance than to lose money on flight and hotel booking minus the enjoyable travel experience. All the stress and unnecessary costs of trip cancellations can be avoided by simply having a good travel insurance policy.

Protection against Delays

While trip cancellations are not common, trip delays are. Imagine flights being delayed for hours or even days and you are stranded on a foreign land. During this time, you would have to pay for food, transport and maybe even hotels. These things can easily set you back by a few hundred dollars. Getting a good travel policy protects you against flight delays. You can even enjoy the extra few days on your holidays.

Protection against Theft and Holiday Accidents

Getting a travel insurance can also protect you against unexpected theft and holiday accidents. Many small accidents can happen when you are traveling abroad, such as damaged baggage and loss of personal items. Theft is common, particularly when you are traveling to areas with high crime incidence. Some travel insurance even cover legal fees, which will be helpful if you are involved in any instances which involve fine or court attendance. You will also be protected should you be involved in holiday accidents such as road accidents. It is not uncommon for tourists to rent a car for sight seeing purposes. A good travel insurance will cover you for any damage to the rental car. However, in most policies, the insured must be the person driving the car. Nevertheless, theft and holiday accidents can be expensive without a good travel insurance.

Most people refuse to take travel insurance when they go abroad because they deem it too expensive. However, after taking into consideration all the costs above, taking out a policy can actually be a prudent investment.

David a retired UK teacher advises using irwinmitchell.com for any holiday accident or illness that happens whilst traveling abroad.

The post The Advantages of Travel Insurance While Going Abroad appeared first on Europe Explored.

Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), Germany by Holger Weinandt

Berlin is famous for its diverse architecture, festivals, nightlife, standard of living and contemporary arts. A trip to the city can surely get a comfort feeling besides it is planned well. There are many considerations that come into account such as places to visit, means of transport, food culture and many more. All these can be known by consulting a travel agency that is responsible to provide the entire details of the trip including the travel expenses. If the financial part of the tour looks like a hurdle, one can overcome easily through same day cash loans. There is a possibility where one can secure a holiday loan to enjoy the complete trip immediately without delay. This money can then be paid back once you receive funds. It is also advised to have a travel insurance policy that safeguards you from health emergencies.

The top attractions of Berlin

Berlin wall Eastside gallery

The wall which was not at all famous previously has recently gained a great attraction grabbing many visitors by getting the title of the world’s largest open air gallery. The graffiti artists from all over the world have gathered to make the wall filled with beautiful colours stretching from Ostbahnhof to Oberbaumbruke.

Berliner Dom

The history of the city is hidden in this magnificent basilica that stands top among the rest. It confines more than eighty sarcophagi of Prussian royals that are worth exploring while the other famous areas are the organ, stained glass windows and pulpit.

Brandenburg Gate

It is the symbol of impressive art that is located behind the Berlin wall. Although it was prohibited to access through the gate, the renovations made including the Pariser Platz has made it accessible with a beautiful sight especially at nights.

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany by Thomas Wolf

Berlin Jewish Museum

The significant architecture treasure and the lively conducted solitary exhibitions have gained international reputation to the museum. This building is door less and windowless in most of the areas that is built by Daniel Libeskind. The entry of this museum is along the Berlin museum with the invincible aspects of history scattered all over.

Charlottenburg Palace

One of the most ancient and largest palaces of the city is Schloss Charlottenburg. This antique architecture was actually built as summer home for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of the first Prussian king, Elector Fredrick III. The palace is filled with masterpieces and the pavilion of the gardens is really attractive. Although most of the palace was dismantled in the World War II, there are some untouched attractions worth seeing.

Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, Germany by Times

About the Author: The guest post was contributed by Michelle, Passionate guest blogger from Manchester, UK. Find out more about her finance related blogs @financeport

The post Berlin: Get Yourself Comfortable in the Heart of Germany appeared first on Europe Explored.

Dubrovnik, Croatia by hozinja

Traveling for Sports in Europe:

Sports trips are the best way to travel both in groups or traveling alone. Some sports are better attempted in groups while some can even be approached as a single traveler. Kayaking and mountain climbing for example are more of group sports while skiing, snowboarding or windsurfing can even be attempted while traveling alone. Some travelers might even say that traveling alone is the only way to travel.

Always remember that safety comes first:

While trips planned around sports activities are certainly entertaining they can also be quite dangerous. There are two things you need to remember: always buy the best equipment – never get stingy when it comes to safety and buy travel insurance. A good, comprehensive and affordable travel insurance policy is just around the “internet corner”. You simply need to look for sports activities travel insurance quotes and buy the policy online. In two minutes you’re good to go.

One quote seems to get it right all the time, and is especially relevant to sports trips: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to. “So with that in mind, here are some of the best places to travel in Europe based on the sport you desire.

Sea Kayaking – Top 3 Destinations:

1. The West Coast of Scotland. The best places for sea kayaking in this area are around the isles of Jura and Islay. There are also sheltered sea lochs that can be very fun to discover while kayaking.

2. Norway. Some of the most impressive sights to be seen while kayaking are of course the Norwegian fjords. Norway also has a large number of smaller island with bright blue waters. Norway is the ideal destination for those that want to combine kayaking with climbing.

3. Croatia. When kayaking on the coast of Croatia you can expect to see many smaller less-populated islands, deserted beaches and steep cliffs sprinkled with pine forests. The historic city of Dubrovnik can also be visited while kayaking.

Sea Kayaking by Chewonki Semester School

Rock Climbing – Top 3 Destinations:

1. Belgium. Freyr Crag is one of the most visited destinations for rock climbing enthusiasts but there are also many more limestone crags that offer similar rewards.

2. Italy. The Dolomites are some of the most impressive walls for rock climbing. Some of these cliffs are as tall as 800 meters. Other rock climbing areas in Italy include: Arco and Finale Ligure on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

3. Romania. The Carpathian Mountains of Romania offer many excellent locations for rock climbing. Some of the most important are situated around Brasov, Cheile Bicazului (Bicazului Gorge) and the Bucegi Mountains.

Rock Climbing by Yannick Gingras

Windsurfing – Top 3 Destinations:

1. Fuerteventura. The long beaches of the Canary Islands provide some of the best waves for windsurfing. The north-east wind coupled with the waves from Atlantic Storms make the Fuartaventura waters some of the best for this sport.

2. Rhodes Island. With smooth waters in the morning and larger waves in the afternoon, the Rhodes Island shoreline is one of the best in Southern Europe for Windsurfing. The season for this sport starts in March and lasts until late November.

3. Sicily – Italy. The one hotspot that attracts many windsurfers to Sicily is Puzziteddu. This small place is located in the south-west side of the island and is best known for its smooth waves, perfect for sailing and windsurfing tricks.

Windsurfing by RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships

These are just some of the sports you can partake in. Obviously there are many more like river rafting or skydiving or even something simple as camping. Europe has many wonderful natural parks and special places designed around these activities.

As always, remember to travel safe and enjoy all your travels.

My name is Chris Smith and traveling is the most important thing to me, this is why i enjoy writing articles about travels and travel insurance.

The post Traveling for Sports and Adventure in Europe appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo by admin

Why Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance is designed to cover you in the event of conventional incidents such as an accident or emergency and illnesses. It also offers great protection from other circumstances including:

• Cancellation of a holiday due to a family emergency
• Your airline goes bust as you are due to travel with them
• Your luggage containing important medicine is lost and you need an emergency prescription filled
• You lose your passport/wallet and need emergency cash and a replacement passport in order to return home
• A natural disaster occurs and you are evacuated from your hotel or accommodation
• A terrorist attack happens in the place you are due to travel to and you wish to cancel

Of course all of the above is subject to the level of cover stated in your travel insurance policy, but this is what a comprehensive policy can cover you from.

How To Choose Travel Insurance

It is only natural to want to get the best value for money when buying travel insurance, but it is also vital to ensure that you take out a suitable policy that will protect you from any circumstances possible during your holiday.

If you are planning on going on an unconventional holiday or you’re going travelling in many countries for a long time, you may need a specialist travel insurance policy to provide adequate protection- you do not want to find that your claim is unsuccessful and you could have easily taken out the right policy if you had just researched another minute or two.

In this case, there are very specialist travel insurance policies available such as: backpackers’ insurance, family travel insurance, winter sports travel insurance, adventure travel insurance, older travellers insurance, business travel insurance to name just a few.

Other Advice

If you are a UK resident travelling to Europe you can apply for an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for free! The card entitles you to free treatment at state run hospitals in Europe and a number of other countries (Iceland & Norway for example). This is a good starting point but it does not provide complete travel protection in Europe so you may need to take out further insurance to guarantee effective cover for your holiday.

Cost are online comparison experts in the fields of insurance, money, travel and utilities.

The post The Importance Of Travel Insurance appeared first on Europe Explored.

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Package Travel Regulations Act Guidance

For many people, a real break from the daily stresses of everyday life requires a complete getaway from the local scenery. This way, everything can be physically left behind and individuals can look forward to a dream holiday. Unfortunately, all too often and too quickly a dream holiday can turn into a nightmare. Sometimes an unfortunate turn of event is unavoidable, but with proper knowledge of the Package Travel Regulations Act definition a certain number of precautions can be made. In short, it is in a traveller’s best interest to be aware of the law that protects them from discrepancies of purchases made from travel agents. The Package Travel Regulations Act protects consumers by allowing them to claim compensation for any part of the holiday that differs to what was agreed upon on in the contract, thus keeping travel agents in check.

Precautions

Consumers need to be responsible for reading and understanding the entire contract before signing and making a deposit. A travel insurance policy should be purchased before departure to ensure that a customer is compensated for a cancelled holiday in case of illness or injury. These insurance policies also cover for lost and stolen items, luggage and money as well as transport delays that are outside the jurisdiction of the Package Travel Regulations Act.

The Duties of a Travel Agency

If an essential part of a holiday is changed before the departure date, according to the EU Package Travel Regulations Consumer Act protection, the travel agent is duty bound to inform the consumer. If the change is found to be unacceptable to the consumer, they can choose to cancel (and be fully reimbursed) or change their holiday package. If changes or discrepancies only become apparent while the consumer is on holiday, consumers legally have the right to claim for compensation from the travel agent. Consumers can also claim for a refund of any extra expense incurred because of the change, thus as a consumer it is important to keep all slips and receipts to prove the extra expense. Financial compensation can also be received for any moral or stress related damage caused by a discrepancy, as outlined in the Package Travel Regulations Consumer Act.

Package Travel Regulations Consumer Act Exceptions

According to the Package Travel Regulations Act, consumers may not claim compensation for any changes made to a holiday package that are out of the control of the travel agency, such as alternative arrangements caused by bad weather, natural disasters, strikes or transport breakdowns.

Please note that this article is for informational use only. In the event of a claim professional legal advice and expert Package Travel Regulations Act consultation should be sought.

Penny Munroe is an avid writer in travel related news and topics. Articles range from comprehensive hotel reviews of the Westin Dragonara in Malta, to selecting the best insurance for your holiday.

The post Consumers Know Your Rights: EU Package Travel Regulations Act appeared first on Europe Explored.