Insurance for International Touring

The world is your oyster, when it comes to touring.

A lot of us opt for escorted tours - where the tour company takes the strain out of organising travel.

You could travel through Europe then head for the Eastern Med, stopping off at Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Malta, for instance.

You might want to take in the treasures of ancient Egypt while you're at it, explore Cairo and the Pyramids and the enigmatic Sphinx.

If you're heading Stateside, you might even decide to head down Mexico way.

Fantastic

Just remember that different destinations and in particular hopping between different world health zones where reciprocal health agreements with the UK don't exist can pose real problems if there's an unexpected medical emergency.

So make sure your travel insurance covers all eventualities - and all possible destinations.

Even an leisurely caravan holiday could end in tears if your camper van is involved in an accident and you need medical treatment as a result.

The same goes if you're planning a cycling trip abroad.

In both cases track down specialist companies offering policies designed with you in mind.

Join the caravan

The Caravan Club has its own overseas travel insurance scheme, tailor made for today's caravanner, motor caravanner and trailer tent owner abroad.

Their Red Pennant Travel Insurance personal policy covers you for medical expenses and repatriation and is designed for the member who has overseas motoring cover elsewhere, although they also offer a package combining both.

Single Trip cover is available for trips from 6 - 122 days. Annual multi-trip cover is available from £152 and a typical 2 week trip to the USA will cost £61 for an individual.

If you're planning to travel to Worldwide destinations check out their worldwide single trip or annual multi-trip options.

The maximum number of days for these options is 120 days with the single trip policy, and 60 days with the annual multi-trip.

Their Long Stay package covers up to 248 days away in total.

Here are just a few of the product features:

• Up to £5 million medical expenses
• Up to £5,000 cancellation cover
• Dependant children under the age of 23 travel free
• Adults and children can travel independently, on business or pleasure
• Full range of options including business cover, sporting activities and scuba diving
• Includes 24/7 access to 'Enjoy' lifestyle services - healthcare advice and information, concierge and travel services from almost anywhere worldwide

They can also provide Personal Travel Insurance for holiday or business travel by land, sea or air.

To find out more about the benefits of Red Pennant Travel Insurance, visit CaravanClub.co.uk or call 01342 336633 for a free no-obligation quotation.

On your bike

CTC - the UK's national cyclists' organisation - offers a world-wide annual multi-trip or single trip insurance policy designed with the touring cyclist in mind.

The tailored insurance package repatriates you and your bike in the event of a medical emergency.

CTC Cyclecover Travel Insurance benefits include:

• Annual cover for unlimited trips per year (up to 100 days per trip subject to 35% premium increase for trips in excess of 45days) from £55
• Personal liability £2 million
• All leisure cycling covered, on and offroad
• Personal accident cover £15,000
• Medical cover up to £10 million (Elite) & £2 million (Standard)
• 24-hour Emergency Assistance
• Family option - up to 2 adults and 4 children under 21 years

For further details or instant quotes phone 0870 873 0068, or visit ctc.org.uk

Don't miss the bus

You can hop on a coach tour to almost anywhere in the world.

To see just how much this form of travel has taken off, all you have to do is look at Wallace Arnold, a household name in coach holidays.

Set up in 1912 it specialised in tours to polular seaside destinations around the UK - from Brighton, Blackpool and Bognor in England to Saltcoats, Largs and Helensburgh in Scotland.

How things have changed

This year's itinerary, for instance, features tours to Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and even China, host country for the 2008 Olympics.

Transylvania and Hungary are another two new additions to the Wallace Arnold brochure.

Although the vast majority of coach tours end happily, many do not, with road accidents being one of the major hazards.

Although most of us fear the worst when it comes to flying, in reality there are probably more people killed and injured in bus and coach crashes each year.

Make sure you are fully insured for every eventuality, including medical repatriation if your coach is involve in an accident and you require hospital treatment.

Facilities in, say, Transylvania, won't be as you would expect to find back home...