You’ve spent months looking forward to that holiday you totally deserve. There’s not long to go now and you’ve got your money and checked your passport is valid when all of a sudden you realise that your travel insurance has run out!

The temptation might be to go online and grab the cheapest travel insurance you can find, but that could turn out to be a costly mistake. No matter where you are going on holiday or what you are doing, you need to make sure that you compare travel insurance policies and see what different types have to offer.

Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind:

• Single trip travel insurance or annual travel insurance – which is better for you?
• Check the general conditions and exclusions (pre-existing condition terms, age restrictions, number of days you are covered for, where are you allowed to travel to).
• Which activities are covered and which ones do you have to pay a premium for (skiing, snowboarding, for example).
• Does the policy cover anything else? (Money, personal possessions, delays or cancellations, and so on).
• What are the limits on this cover? (e.g. up to £1,500 for personal possessions).
• What are the excesses? (The money you have to pay out in the event of making a claim).
• What level of overseas emergency medical expenses is covered and are there any exclusions (for example, pre-existing conditions)?

With Direct Line travel insurance, all of this information is available online allowing you to make an informed decision about your cover. You can also get a travel insurance quote online in minutes and if you buy online, you will receive a automatic discount.