Holiday Travel Questions

[DarloRich]

I am off on my holiday tomorrow and need otsort out a few things. I am going to the Italian Grand Prix and need ot arrnage:

1) Money
2) Insurance
3) E111

Is it better to draw out all of the money i need here and get it changed or use a cash machine in Italy? I normally change it here but havent really got time to get to a bank and change the money etc

Can anyone suggest a decent insurance company? I use the various coparison sites but they throw up companies i have never heard of!

Finally does the E111 stil lexisit or do i need something else?

thanks!

 

[starrymarkb]

Insurance I usually take out as soon as I make the first payment. Post Office do a fairly good one. You will need to print the docs yourself at this short notice

With regards to E111 - that's been replaced by the new European Health Insurance card. Apply for one through this link - https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do - it is free from that link but there are a lot of sites that charge for them (and all they do is fill out the form on the NHS site) - It will not arrive in time but if you've applied for one then you are still covered

If you travel and you do not have your card with you, and treatment becomes medically necessary during your visit, you may be issued with a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) to prove your entitlement to the EHIC. This will be sent directly to the place of treatment.
To apply, call the Overseas Healthcare Team on 00 44 191 218 1999 (Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm). It's a good idea to save this number in your phone.
To get a PRC, you will need to provide your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance or NHS number (CHI number in Scotland or Health and Care Number in Northern Ireland).

 

[alexjames]

Probably cheaper to use a debit card at an ATM in Italy. But not a credit card.

Insurance for travel within the more civilised nations of the EU is very optional. No great need for medical cover (discussed below) but travel delay/loss of baggage cover might be handy if you are the type that needs it. I do not.

The E111 has long been superseded by the EHIC. Such things can be ordered for free off the DWP website but rather too late for you. If you still have an old E111 form I suggest you take it. There is a chance that it would work. If you are nervous about the medical aspect, I suggest getting some cover. Whilst you may well not be aware of the trading names currently being advertised, the cover is likely to be supplied by insurers that you have heard of. It will be in the fine print somewhere.


Finally, anybody who does not research their travel requirements some way in advance of setting off is asking for trouble. All you need to know is somewhere on the web, even down to micro detail such as bus timetables.

 

[Greenback]

An EHIC is a very good diea if you don't have insurance. We have had joint annual policies for a number of years , mostly to cover for lost baggage, delays and the like rather than the healthcare angle. IIRC, we are covered by a company called Flexicover.

As for money, the general consensus on travel sites is that using a debit card and local ATM's are the best way to proceed.

Enjoy your trip DarloRich!

 

[ainsworth74]

I'd suggest the Post Office for insurance reasonable price and a decent amount of cover for that price.

 

[Crossover]

Probably cheaper to use a debit card at an ATM in Italy. But not a credit card.

If you take this option, I would suggest letting your bank know - it isn't unheard of for people to start using their card abroad and then find it gets blocked as the bank think its been nicked

 

[BlythPower]

As for money, the general consensus on travel sites is that using a debit card and local ATM's are the best way to proceed.

Unless it's a Lloyds TSB debit card in which case you'll be stung with a hefty foreign currency transaction fee!

 

[deltic1989]

If you take this option, I would suggest letting your bank know - it isn't unheard of for people to start using their card abroad and then find it gets blocked as the bank think its been nicked

This happened to me when I was in the Navy. Taking shore leave in each port of call (USA, Australia, Japan etc) My card finally declined when attempting to buy goods in a shop in Tokyo. I called my bank and they explained that they had put a stop on my card because there had been transactions in various different countries and that it was a fraud prevention measure.
I confirmed that all the transaction were me, and they asked that I inform them the next time I go abroad to prevent any further inconvenience.

I did fully understand why it was done and was impressed at the measures that some banks take to ensure the safety of my money, and a quick phone call is nothing to prevent potential inconvenience and embarrassment.

 

[ainsworth74]

Taking shore leave in each port of call (USA, Australia, Japan etc)

Must have been quite the deployment, the RN don't get out to those parts of the world all that often anymore!

 

[telstarbox]

If you're still after insurance you can buy an instant 'short trip' policy from the Post Office online, and it's quite cheap.

 

[DarloRich]

An EHIC is a very good diea if you don't have insurance. We have had joint annual policies for a number of years , mostly to cover for lost baggage, delays and the like rather than the healthcare angle. IIRC, we are covered by a company called Flexicover.

As for money, the general consensus on travel sites is that using a debit card and local ATM's are the best way to proceed.

Enjoy your trip DarloRich!

it was fantastic! We all had a really great time! I have started to upload my pictures, of which i have 1000's, to my flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/