Booking a vacation is one of my favorite things to do; I love looking at prospective destinations with the kids. Between researching the area’s culture and history and finding a bargain on flights and hotels, it all creates a buzz of excitement around the house. Nothing is better than the moment you click the “Confirm Booking” button on a swanky hotel or a beach-side cabin - it gives the whole family something to look forward to. For my family, vacation time is precious; it’s all about spending time together and reaping the rewards of our hectic work schedules. As the old saying goes, “Work hard, play hard”.

In all of the hustle and bustle that comes with preparing for a vacation, there’s one thing that is all too easy to forget about, but we need to pay special care to; travel insurance. Sure, it’s not the most fun or exciting part of planning your vacation, but it’s so incredibly important. That’s why I always spend a little extra time making sure I get the best cover possible for the lowest price available. This can be a time-consuming process, but it is essential in terms of overall peace of mind.

In order to make sure that I’ve got everything I need sorted out well in advance of my booking, I go through these questions related to your travel insurance with a fine tooth comb. This ensures that I’m getting the cover me and my family need, without going over the top and spending on additional insurance premiums that I don’t actually need. You’d be amazed at how many travel insurance companies will try to sneakily tag on additional add-ons to your policy. It’s always a good idea to read the fine print in this regard. After all, there’s not much point being insured for ski slope based accidents if you’re heading to the beaches of Florida!

Getting a great deal on travel insurance is getting easier overall though, what with all the price comparison sites around nowadays. They make it quick and easy to compare prices and levels of coverage in order to make sure that you get the best possible deal for your money. It’s amazing how much more value you can get by shopping around, so using these simple tools can be extremely cost-efficient.

Buying travel insurance for your family may seem like an onerous part of the planning process for most people, but I find it helps me relax. The peace of mind you get from knowing that whatever happens, wherever you are in the world, you’ve got a safety net is invaluable. Nobody wants to spend their vacation worrying about paying medical bills half way across the world if someone has an accident, or being left empty-handed after getting robbed on some far-flung beach. By taking the time to pick a good travel insurance package, you can forget about the “what-ifs” and the worst-case scenarios; you can simply tell yourself “I’m covered” and get on with enjoying your vacation.

I’ve found that knowing you’re covered encourages you to take more risks and get the best out of your vacation too; I’ve done everything from abseiling down waterfalls in Mexico to riding elephants in Malaysia, all without a worry in the world. Plus, I don’t think I’d have eaten a snake heart in Singapore without knowing I had medical insurance first! It’s not just for health cover either; most families travel with thousands of dollars’ worth of carry-on, from cash and phones to laptops and tablets to name but a few! I work hard to provide my family with as many of the luxuries modern living has to offer; why would I jeopardize that by not insuring them? It would be doubly devastating to have a vacation ruined by getting an expensive gadget stolen, and then having to fork over lots of hard earned money to replace it!

Having peace of mind really helps you make the most of your vacation time, empowering the whole clan to do things you might never have done otherwise. With just a little bit of extra savviness, you can open up a whole new world of possibilities for the whole family. In a way, I see family travel insurance as a kind of investment in our vacation time; with nothing holding you back, you and your family will get a much greater experience from your well-deserved break. Sometimes, it’s worth spending a little bit extra to get a whole lot more in return.