Travel insurance and EHIC

Everyone who lives in the UK that travels to Europe should get a European Health Insurance Card otherwise known as a EHIC.

They are free if you apply online, by telephone (0845 606 2030) and are normally delivered within 7 working days. If you apply by post, they may take longer to arrive. But the good thing is that they are valid for 5 years. (Do not make a payment to any unauthorised company for this service)

Everyone needs to have their own EHIC, and it allows you to get free or reduced cost state healthcare and it will also cover pre-existing medical conditions. Each EEA country has specific guidance on how to access healthcare or claim refunds.

It covers The European Economic Area (EEA) is a free trade zone between countries of the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. 

The regulations on access to healthcare in the EEA also apply in Switzerland. (http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/EEAcountries.aspx)

If this EHIC is so good, why do you need to apply for travel insurance too ?

Holidaymakers in Europe could have their travel insurance claims rejected if they do not have a valid EHIC card. 

"Some insurers will refuse your cover if you failed to travel with a valid card," warns Bob Atkinson, travel expert at Moneysupermarket.com. "Some other insurers will waive the excess on claims where you have an EHIC card and used it for your treatment. It is vital that you have an up-to-date EHIC card and a full travel insurance policy when travelling in the EEA area."

I have an EHIC card, so why does everyone say that I also need travel insurance?

The card covers medical costs, but sometimes not all of those. 

The following that are NOT covered by EHIC:

• Rescue services (eg from a mountain in a ski resort)
• Additional accommodation and travel costs if you need treatment or if you need to get back to the UK
• Accommodation you have lost through being in hospital
• Repatriation to the UK
• Support and advice through 24-hour helplines with multilingual staff
• Private hospitals if state ones are not available

If you are older and finding it hard to get affordable travel insurance, you may want to consider a policy called EHICPlus. This is essentially a top-up policy and covers all costs for treatment in a state-run hospital, along with private ambulances and repatriation to the UK, and the usual non-medical stuff on a travel insurance policy such as possessions and cancellations. It is very affordable for pensioners, has no upper age limit and the single trip cost is from £16.45. (Note: almost everyone must complete a screening questionnaire that may well bump up the cost.)

Luxury backpacking

I wish I had done some backpacking and taken a year out as a student. 

I was brought up in Hong Kong, so we travelled quite a lot in and around Asia, and I think I was happy to go home and learn about the country I was born it. But it is something I always wish I had done, before hitting that career ladder which is so difficult to get off.

If I could do it now, then I would not want to be a ‘student on a budget’ as I prefer to think of myself as a young (cough!) professional with a bit more cash to splash like on great gap year luggage.

I would want to explore the world, immerse myself in culture, meet other travellers, and get to know the locals, but I do not want to stay in dirty, flea ridden hostels or characterless hotels. Ideally ‘backpacking’ but staying in lovely local (and clean) places with a hot shower and a hairdryer. 

So how do you explore like a backpacker but travel in style ?

If you had an unlimited budget, then where would you go?

Share your travel dreams with me.

Identifying your suitcase on the carousel ?

The colour black. 

Black case, black suitcase, black backpack, black briefcase, black laptop case, and black holdalls.

Black is the most popular colour for suitcases around the world. I even admit to owning a number of pieces of black luggage too. They are fairly timeless pieces, easily cleaned, and reasonably scuff proof - but they are very hard to identify on the carousel or in the hotel lobby. 


How do you make sure that your case stands out from the others? 

And how can it be returned to you with relative ease, if it does go missing in action ?

I place a business card and a piece of paper with my name, email and mobile phone number inside the bag. I also have a copy of my main passport page which make it possible for my ownership to be identified even if the outside tags disappear. The passport page helps me get a passport replacement if my passport is lost or stolen and I am in another country. 

I also recommend:

Luggage Tags: Bright and big luggage tags like those from Bombay Duck.  Look for durable ones that will not rip off in transit.

Suitcase covers: Suitcase covers are a great way of identifying your own case, and they are also great for security too. And help your suitcase not to accidentally open during transit.

Luggage straps. Luggage straps go around the entire suitcase and come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and prints. Different widths are on the market so pick the widest one you can find for maximum exposure. Make sure to put it back on the bag and not leave it where you are staying while travelling.

Stickers. Permanent stickers are great for hard clam shell suitcases and should stay on luggage for a period of time. Make sure the sticker is waterproof and will not come off easily.

Coloured Tape: Use some coloured tape and put on on the outside of the case in a design of your own. The best way to recognise it is to put something that nobody will have so be creative and unique and you will be able to guarantee no one else will have a design like yours.

Better still - don't buy black luggage. People sometimes laugh at my brightly coloured suitcases, but I can spot it a mile away.

Note of caution: do not tie long ribbons or scarves to the luggage handles. These can get caught in the machinery at the airport and cause your suitcase handles to rip off - which may mean your suitcase gets damaged.

'The next big thing in travel - goodbye to luggage?

Have you ever seen Joan Collins lugging her Louis Vuittons through Heathrow? I dont think so! 

The A-list jet-set who would never dream of being seen checking in their luggage at the airport with the photographers and journalists having a field day as they rummaged in their handbags for their tickets and passports. 

The A listers are very rarely seen with us normal people and standing at the carousel at the airport waiting for their luggage to appear after a flight. There are too many smart phones about and youtube or facebook is a popular place for people to post their sightings of their favourite actor or band.

Joan Collins said in August 2007 in The Spectator magazine, "Percy and I no longer travel with suitcases at all."

How does she step away from that carousel with all those shoulder pads and wigs that she needs for her TV appearances???

How do they manage to beat the baggage blues and fly away without the carousel chaois?

The answer is that she and many others send their bags separately by courier. The courier picks up their bags at the venue of their choice, and then transports them separately to their next location or hotel.

I have used a courier at Christmas time to transport our Christmas presents from Glasgow to family in London, so that my family up here can travel by train easily and without stress or the worry of someone damaging them or running off with them.


Sending bags separately by courier, might also beat the costs of taking baggage with you if you fly with some of the low cost carriers ie: Ryanair. 

The courier will also give you a larger 'luggage' allowance with most giving you a 30kg allowance, rather than the measily 15kg offered by Ryanair.


Think about it..... I am sure there is a business here. But remember who told you first, my idea fee is only 10% per annum, forever :-)

What travel web review sites do you use ?

There are lots of websites that offer you reviews of hotels, airlines, luggage, restaurants, etc. 

Reviews sites, are fundamentally asking consumers to trust / believe in the information they provide on businesses. They are highly influential in consumer opinion and decision making.

There are numerous sites and off the top of my head, I can think of www.TripAdviser.co.uk, www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk, www.which.co.uk, and www.fodors.com.

Online reviews can make or break a local business, which is why the incentive to cheat with paid-for, malicious or fraudulent reviews is so great. 

So how do you tell what is a real review and what is not? 

Finding the fraudulent postings is an inexact science but sites such as TripAdvisor, Google+ Local and Yelp use a mix of algorithms and human moderators to separate fraudulent reviews from genuine. Apparently Yelp stands out for its aggressiveness in trying to catch fraudsters with 20% of reviews written and submitted are never displayed.

In light of the scandal of false reviews - both positive and negative, etc, etc... a bad review certainly makes me think twice about booking, but then a glowing one now also makes me suspicious, but then I also read a few of the reviews rather than just the one.

Do you use review websites and does a bad review put you off ?

Mr James Bond......where is your luggage ?

It's a big week for 007 as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond movie. 

Since Sean Connery first played the spy in 1962's 'Dr No', five more actors have donned a tux, supped his 'shaken' and 'not stirred' martinis and romanced women. (though in the new film Skyfall to be released in 2012, Bond is seen to be reaching for a Heineken beer)

These actors all had a shot at their licence to kill, but would they have hit or missed in the luggage department?

It is very rare that you see Mr Bond (at least since Sean Connery earlier Bond movies filmed in the caribbean) with luggage, yet he has a different suit and always has several well tailored tuxedos but where does he keep them? 

There was one suitcase which was seen when Bond when he leaves the plane in La Paz, Bolivia. It is a black case seen just for a few seconds before it's packed in the taxi. 

 

New Tom Ford Black Leather Luggage
Cost new  for $8,350
Black Suede Interior Lining
Measures 27L x 17W x 8.75D

As a luggage expert, I think I could easily recommend a suit carrying case for Mr Bond which has been driven over by Land Rover - and there was not a scratch on it !! Check out this: Suit carrier made with Military spec EVA 



and its own suit packing system. 

This is perfect for Bond when he escapes from the bad guys by actually taking a boat or a plane to another island or country. 

Bingo, he gets there and voila!.... another complete wardrobe non creased wardrobe !!

Book: "Before There Were Trolley Dollies"

In the 1950s and 1960s, which are often thought of as "the golden age of passenger flying".

Angela Waller was an air hostess. This was considered a glamorous job and was the ambition of a lot of young women at that time.

It was a highly sought-after job, tells everything you ever wanted to know about what went on in the golden age of passenger flying. In this fascinating book, she shares her experiences and tells stories from the hilarious to the harrowing, the factual to the funny, about the famous and the gossip.

Angela, who now lives in West Sussex, has written about her experience working as an air hostess in a book "Before There Were Trolley Dollies". And she tells how very different things were, back in the those days before there were trolley dollies....

Her life in the skies, started when she was working in World War II bombers that had been converted for passenger use. Flying in daylight only, the journey from London to Nairobi or Accra took three days, with passengers and crew staying in hotels each night along the way.

Angela’s passengers included Prime Ministers, world athletes, people travelling on the new low cost package holidays, and film production units.

One such film crew included a young unknown actor who flirted with her, writing "I love you, Miss Austin" on his menu card. He signed it "Sean Connery" - a fact which Angela can verify today, as she still has the menu!

• Paperback: 131 pages
• Publisher: Indepenpress (3 July 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906710961
• ISBN-13: 978-1906710965
• Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 1.4 cm