When preparing for a trip, travel cover is frequently bought in a hurry, with cost often being the sole consideration.

But selecting a policy that fails to properly address your personal circumstances or trip itinerary may turn into an expensive error should an unexpected issue arise while you are abroad.

Given the vast array of providers and policies on the market, evaluating every single option can feel daunting.

Alex Cross, the chief customer officer at Tesco Insurance, has outlined the factors to consider and pitfalls to watch out for.

Here’s how to ensure you get the cover that is best suited to you.

1. Choose the type of travel insurance you want

One of the first decisions you will need to make is the type of travel insurance that you need.

“Customers have the choice to insure a particular trip or alternatively get annual travel insurance which covers multiple trips in Europe or across the world, depending on what policy you purchase,” Cross says.

“I would definitely encourage people who are doing multiple trips a year to get an annual quote because sometimes it can be almost the same price as getting a single trip one. So, make sure you consider all your options as you go through that quote process.”

2. Declare your full medical history

Withholding information about pre-existing conditions can invalidate your policy.

“Every insurer will ask you questions around your medical history and your current health, so it’s really important that customers answer those honestly and completely,” Cross says.

“In the event of a claim, insurers will typically look at medical records and history to check there’s no pre-existing conditions that would have affected the claim.”

You’ll need to make sure you declare every medication that you are on.

“There might be medication you’ve been taking for a long time that you might think is quite benign and not relevant to your insurance, but insurers will expect that you declare all the medication you’ve been taking,” Cross says.

If you’re unsure about what details to include, he recommends phoning up the insurer to double check.

“There’s often quite a lot that won’t actually affect the premium as long as you declare it, so it’s always worth having a honest conversation with the insurer.

“There’s nothing worse than having a protracted claim or issues at the point of claim with things that haven’t been disclosed.”

3. Consider the value of your luggage

“One important area that travel insurance covers is around your luggage and possessions, so lost and stolen luggage and belongings,” Cross says.

However, travel insurance policies vary significantly in baggage coverage.

“If you’re only taking away your flip flops and some swim shorts, there’s no point in paying for a policy that covers thousands of pounds’ worth of baggage cover,” Cross says.

“However, if you are going away for a long trip and are planning to bring lots of expensive clothes with you, it might be worth considering.”

4. Look at the cancellation cover

“It’s also important to think about the cost of the trip,” Cross says.

“Another area that travel insurance covers is around the cancellation of your trip due to factors that are outside of your control.

“Cancellation cover will normally have a cap to it – such as £5,000 or even £20,000 – so make sure that you’ve got enough cover to be able to return what you paid for the holiday, but equally don’t pay too much for cover you don’t need.”

5. Read the exclusions

“Take some time to read through the policy documents and the summaries that the insurers provide because a really cheap level of cover might have some quite significant exclusions,” Cross says.

“For example, cover for baggage might be zero.

“There might also be exclusions around the types of event that you’re doing. Therefore, if you doing anything slightly out of the ordinary, like off-piste skiing, paragliding or trekking in Columbia, it’s worth looking at the documentation to make sure you are covered for that.”

6. Don’t focus just on price

“I would always encourage customers to shop around because price is important. However, I think it’s also important to be aware that a really low premium is often too good to be true,” warns Cross.

“It might provide you with a very basic level of cover for medical emergencies, but will probably cover very little else.”

7. Read the reviews

“Look at reviews and feedback from previous customers,” Cross says.

“Things like Trustpilot scores can be really useful to look at because ultimately with travel insurance the critical point is getting the right support and getting paid out when you’ve got a claim.

“Being able to get some assurance that other people have been through a really good process has value in itself, and the cheapest will not always be the best for that.”

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